Archiving Indigenous Knowledge on Pottery Making Among Macca Oromo: West Shoa Zone in Focus

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge is a wisdom born in the community by the community. These knowledge and wisdom play a remarkable role in socio economic development of a certain country. Pottery making is an indigenous knowledge in which made by forming a clay body  into objects of a required shape and heating them to high temperatures in a kiln  which removes all the water from the clay , which induces reactions that lead to permanent changes including increasing their strength and hardening and setting their shape. There may be occasions when potteries no longer have any use due to plastic and related object replacement among the many possible reasons, at least in everyday’s use. This may result in the extinction (distinction) of the pottery. Furthermore some indigenous knowledge dies away with some potteries in the community. Therefore, this research will be a good beginning for the pottery making as economic empowerment among Macca Oromo, Ethiopia. The study area, west Shoa Zone; Tokkee Kuttayee, Iluu Galaan and Bakkoo Tibbee districts. For difficult to cover the whole Zone, the researchers were selected two villages from each district as study site in the region. Basically this research was created a baseline for researchers those interested on Oromo indigenous knowledge in general and Macca Oromo pottery making in particular. To mention some of the specific objectives: To revitalize the wisdom of pottery making among Macca Oromo, to indicate the role of IK for economic empowerment, and to indicate how artisan transfer their knowledge for the next generation. The major data collection instrument was questionnaire, focus group discussion, observation and interview. For such quanqualitative research, Systematic observation was assisted the researchers to master the scenario. To mention some of the findings, being asked whether they prefer pottery than modern iron products. 50 (24.9%) informants strongly agree, 71(35.3%) informants responded that agree and the rest 79 (39.3%) informants strongly disagree. There is statistical relationship between  prefer pottery than modern iron products and use of equipments made from pottery at home (p-0.04). In addition, whether potteries are accessable from the market. Accordingly, 121 (60.2%) informants are strongly agree that potteires are easily accessable from market and the rest 79 (39.3%) responded strongly disagree that pottery products are not accessable from the market. As the table reveals, there is statistical relationship between accessibilities pottery and  use of equipments made from pottery at home (p-0.03). The study proved that, among to Macca Oromo pottery making has three phases: Preparatory phase, Actual phase and Post phase.  Pottery making is the indigenous knowledge practiced for a longer period of time among Macca Oromo. Keywords: pottery, archive, and indigenous knowledge DOI : 10.7176/JCSD/52-04 Publication date :October 31 st 2019