Abstract:

Indigenous knowledge practices occur in socio-cultural contexts, and without consideration of these contexts, one cannot begin to deal with questions of function, meaning, and significance.  The purpose of this study was to analyze Oromo’s mentality of traditional ecological knowledge as viewed in the folk narratives of the Arsi and Bale-Robe Oromo society. The study employed an ethnographic qualitative research method and a folkloristic perspective of data analysis. It specifically examined the data of the folk narratives collected through such techniques as semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and focused group discussions. The study area was generally the Oromia region, and specifically, the data were collected from the Arsi and Bale highland societies using purposive sampling. The study was approached with narrative analysis as the main analytical tool to excavate the landscape of indigenous knowledge through folk narratives. The research findings revealed that indigenous practices related to ecology and weather patterns are experiential and based on the axiomatic relationship of the society with its nature and culture.