The Tiv people right from the time of old possessed a handsome knowledge about their origin, way of life or traditions, science and technology including means of cultivating crops and ways of trapping or killing animals for food, medicinal uses of different plants, methods of making shelters to lay their heads and tactics of making cloths to cover their nakedness among others in a well-defined manner. Essentially, the knowledge the people possessed, which culminated into the Tiv Indigenous Knowledge (TIK) was orally transferred from one descent to another for documentation and continuity. However, the interplay of colonialism, Christian religion and intellectual property laws, constituted factors militating against the development of this crucial indigenous knowledge. This chapter therefore, describes the Tiv indigenous knowledge and the factors militating against it as well as attempt to figure out strategies that could be useful in curtailing these problems.
The Tiv Tyumbun Magic Rite over time has been found useful for the treatment or removal of tambe (bewitchment), tyumbur (foolishness), geng or genggegen (disorders) and ukoghkogh (certain ailments) from people and for instilling normalcy and stability for the wellbeing of individuals. However, because of a lack of acquisition of audiovisual materials on the Tyumbun by public libraries, coupled with Christian religious interference, this important magic rite has been threatened with extinction. Therefore, this paper looks at acquisition of audiovisual materials on the Tiv Tyumbun Magic Rite and the role that the public library plays in trying to acquire and preserve this cultural heritage for posterity. The study sampled 105 library staff, library users, traditional priests and native doctors. Mean and standard deviation statistics were used to answer research questions, while chi-square was used for testing the hypotheses formulated at the 0.05 level of significance. It was discovered that public libraries do not acquire the Tiv magic rites of Ibyamegh, Iwya, Atseve, Waio, Igbye, Tyumbun, Akombu á Gbande, Kyurche, Vegh Akombu, and Atsuku. The study recommends that public libraries in Benue State should start acquiring audiovisual materials on the Tiv Tyumbun Magic Rite.
The European Missionaries failed to understand the important virtues of the Tiv traditional religion and technology and condemned the Tiv religion. The use of Western technology and tools destroyed the technical proficiency of the Tiv people, moral teachings and disciplines coming from the blacksmithing workshop was no longer there and this has accounted for moral decadence and retardation or thwarting in technical skill learning of the people. The study therefore, looks at Tiv traditional religion and its contribution to the trado-educational and technological development of the Tiv society. The study sampled 384 Traditional Priests, Traditional Engineers or Blacksmiths and the general Tiv people. Mean and standard deviation statistics were used to answer research questions while Chi-Square was used for testing the hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance. It was discovered that the Tiv traditional religion has contributed to the technological development of the Tiv society. The study recommended that stakeholders such as Ator á Tiv (Tiv Council of Chiefs or Tiv Traditional Council), Mdzough ú Tiv (Tiv Mutual Union), Governments, Nongovernmental Organizations, Private Individuals and Potential Practitioners of Tiv Indigenous Religion should encourage the practice of Tiv Traditional Religion among the Tiv people. Hence Tiv Traditional (Indigenous) Religion is intertwined with Tiv Trado-educational and technological practices of the Tiv in which blacksmithing constitutes a cardinal aspect of it, the Tiv Religion should be encouraged as it is as good as encouraging the technology.
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