African Indigenous Perspectives of Time, Nature, and Learning

• In Event: A Holistic, Multidimensional Perception of Time: Connecting Our Inner and Outer World, and Connecting Education to the Earth and the Universe

Abstract

Author PA will discuss the African notion of time and learning. The African concept of time largely revolves around past and present. The past creates experiences and knowledge. Present continues to build on that experience. Long term future is not considered in planning, rather short term or medium-term plans are made. There is still a way to view time in the future in terms of the human intergenerational future that the past and present have an obligation to nurture and prepare for responsible living. This perspective is influenced by what the present generation is able to observe and experience from both the past and present, which forms part of the knowledge used to guide, inspire and prepare the young for their unknown futures. The role of the ancestors gone before the present generation is still paramount in the present time and space because the existence of the present is to a greater extent due what the ancestors did, experienced and bequeathed.
A more deterministic aspect of time was seen in the seasons, influenced by both the lunar and solar events and patterns. Assessing the positions of the moon helps to determine the ‘monthly’ patterns. As such, the word for ‘month’ in some languages is the same as the word for ‘moon’. The moon’s significance is demonstrated by the way children learn to welcome it with shouts of joy when the new moon appears. The full moon then offers extended time to play, sit around and share family and folk stories. The stars helped to determine the seasonal changes and the onset of the new seasons. The seasonal changes also determined individual growth and learning patterns, thus uniting the human body and mind with social interactions, nature and the universe. The present is viewed in terms of events of celebration, joy, sorrow, and also a movement or journey. Education or learning is embedded in this context of time and space. It is lifelong.

Author

• Pascal Pax Andebo, University of Maryland