Whose history counts : decolonising African pre-colonial historiography / June Bam, Lungisile Ntsebeza, Allan Zinn, editors.

Format
Book
Language
English
Εdition
First edition.
Published/​Created
  • [Stellenbosch, South Africa] : African Sun Media, 2018.
  • ©2018
Description
x, 213 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Details

Subject(s)
Editor
Series
Rethinking Africa series [More in this series]
Summary note
"Originally planned as a fact-based book on the pre-colonial history of the Eastern Cape in the true tradition of history, this ground-breaking book focuses on epistemological and foundational questions about the writing of history and whose history counts. Whose History Counts challenges the very concept of "pre-colonial" and explores methodologies on researching and writing history. The reason for this dramatic change of focus is attributed in the introduction of the book to the student-led rebellion that erupted following the #RhodesMustFall campaign which started at the University of Cape Town on 9 March 2015. Key to the rebellion was the students' opposition to what they dubbed "colonial" education and a clamour for, among others, a "decolonised curriculum". This book is a direct response to this clarion call."--Publisher's description.
Bibliographic references
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents
  • Introduction
  • Section I. Decolonising historiography. Of definitions and naming: "I am the earth itself. God made me a chief on the very first day of creation."
  • Language as source of revitalisation and reclamation of indigenous epistemologies: contesting assumptions and re-imagining women identities in (African) Xhosa society
  • The missing idiom of African historiography: African historical writing in Walter Rubusana's Zemk'inkomo Magwalandini
  • Repositioning umakhulu as an institution of knowledge: beyond 'biologism' towards umakhulu as the body of indigenous knowledge
  • The long southern African past: enfolded time and the challenges of archive
  • Section II. The challenges of praxis. The study of earlier African societies before colonial contact in the former Xhalanga magisterial district, Eastern Cape: a case study of three villages in the district
  • The home of legends project: the potential and challenges of using heritage sites to tell the pre-colonial stories of the Eastern Cape
  • Considerations towards establishing equitable stakeholder partnerships for transformation in higher education in South Africa: A review of the challenges, constraints and possibilities in working on pre-colonial history
  • Allegorical critiques and national narratives: mapungubwe in South African history education
  • Conclusion.
ISBN
  • 9781928314110 ((paperback))
  • 1928314112 ((paperback))
OCLC
1090126611
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