"HEAVY WORDS AND IMPORTANT SILENCES": KWARA'AE CHILDREN LEARNING THE INDIGENOUS EPISTEMOLOGY OF WILLINGNESS AND RANK

Authors

Karen Ann Watson-Gegeo, University of California, DavisFollow
David Welchman Gegeo, University of the South PacificFollow

Abstract

Over the past three decades, there has been a growing scholarly interest in indigenous epistemology, methodology, and pedagogy. This article examines how Kwara'ae parents in the Solomon Islands engage in the direct teaching and modeling of indigenous epistemological strategies through formal counseling sessions known as fa'amanata'anga. Drawing on sociocultural education theory and Kwara'ae indigenous knowledge frameworks, the research highlights how these sessions serve as dynamic sites for the enactment and transmission of social ontology and cultural values, emphasizing the lifelong nature of indigenous learning practices.

Recommended Citation

Watson-Gegeo, Karen Ann and Gegeo, David Welchman (2014) ""HEAVY WORDS AND IMPORTANT SILENCES": KWARA'AE CHILDREN LEARNING THE INDIGENOUS EPISTEMOLOGY OF WILLINGNESS AND RANK," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 37: No. 3, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol37/iss3/2