Abstract:
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the ontologies of intangible
cultural heritage that facilitate the transfer of symbolic tacit indigenous
knowledge of a bull (STIKaB) among the Isukha community of Kakamega East
Sub-County, Kenya. The following research objectives were addressed: establish
ontologies of ICH symbolic tacit indigenous knowledge of a bull in Isukha,
determine factors affecting these ontologies and propose amelioration strategies
to safeguard ontologies of ICH symbolic tacit indigenous knowledge of a bull in
Isukha. Drawing on focused ethnography, a purposively selected sample of 60
bull raisers and indigenous knowledge custodians took part through key
informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations
between January 2025 and January 2026. Data were analysed thematically using
NVivo, with photographic and audio material used for triangulation in addition
to the use of the knowledge transfer process and indigenous knowledge transfer
models. Findings show that symbolic tacit indigenous knowledge of a bull
(STIKaB) is distributed across interconnected domains of cultural life, including
oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, and traditional
craftsmanship. However, most of these ontologies of ICH are undocumented,
making the transfer of tacit indigenous knowledge of a bull difficult. The study
contributes to ICH scholarship by expounding how symbolic tacit knowledge
operates beyond textual description, and to indigenous knowledge debates by
positioning STIKaB as a dynamic, practice-based ontology sustained through
lived cultural engagement, demonstrating that symbolic tacit indigenous
knowledge is constituted through relational rather than classificatory logic. The
study concludes that STIKaB constitutes a relationally sustained ontology rather
than a fixed classificatory structure, with meaning continuously generated
through lived cultural practice.
