The pluralistic notion of zvipuka : Shona indigenous knowledge and human and nonhuman animal interaction in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTThe article analyses zvipuka (human and nonhuman animals) interaction discourses in order to draw attention to the contribution Shona indigenous knowledge provides towards understanding zvipuka interactions. From largely an Afrocentric perspective, blended with selected tenets of Critical Animal Studies (CAS) theory, the study interrogates Shona cultural beliefs, values and practices to reveal the knowledge that shapes people's attitudes towards animals.This approach diverts from the traditional Eurocentric and often binarised conception of animals and African peoples through discourses of Othering. There is no single conception of the same chipuka (creature/animal) as either good or bad in Shona culture by virtue of the various religious and socioeconomic contexts in which zvipuka discourses are articulated. It is therefore argued that from an African epistemological standpoint, there is a general positive pluralistic notion of nonhuman animals in Zimbabwe, knowledge that can be utilised in formulating sustainable policies for protecting and conserving nonhuman animals.KEYWORDS: Animal embodimentsShona cultureAfrican Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS)AfrocentricityEurocentrismanimal conservation Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 However, it should be noted that nonhuman animals are also complex bio-psycho-social beings not just the instinctual automata that the mainstream Western tradition thought them to be.2 The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs recognises the role IKS can play in the realization of Sustainable Development Goals. It states that ’Indigenous Knowledge Systems are being recognized as inherently encompassing most of the aspects and principles of SDGs’. See https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/integrating-indigenous-knowledge-systems-2030-un-sustainable-development-goals.3 https://www.britannica.com/place/Africa/Animal-life.4 This is a human spirit of divination seen as a good spirit by its owner who uses it to recover wealth and stolen property but believed to be an evil spirit used to create wealth through harming and killing one’s blood relatives.5 This is a traditional religious dance found in central and southern Zimbabwe, associated with the worship of Mwari.6 ZANLA was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the Shona-based and main nationalist party in the struggle for independence in Zimbabwe.7 This is the Acholi name for the African green broadbill.8 For more details, refer to the website, ZimFieldGuide.com. https://zimfieldguide.com/mashonaland-west/operation-noah-memorial.9 The Zambezi River is an important tenet of Tonga religion; the Tonga people believe that in it resides the serpentine river god, Nyami-nyami, which provides fisherman with abundant fish. However, as the legend goes, the construction of the Kariba dam wall separated Nyami-Nyami from his wife. The challenges of relocation still encountered by the Tonga people today are still explained in terms of this tragedy of dam construction and massive human and nonhuman animal relocation.Additional informationNotes on contributorsMickias MusiyiwaMickias Musiyiwa (PhD, Stellenbosch University, South Africa) is an Associate Professor at the University of Zimbabwe. He teaches African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS), heritage studies, digital humanities and strategic studies. He has published many articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in these disciplines and sub-disciplines.