Verbum et Ecclesia ISSN: (Online) 2074-7705, (Print) 1609-9982 Page 1 of 6 Original Research African same-sexualities and indigenous knowledge: Creating a space for dialogue within patriarchy Author: Current debates on homosexuality claim to give voice to the voiceless but only target the youth Lindiwe P. Mkasi1 whose concern for freedom and rights differ markedly from older, more traditional concerns. Affiliation: Recent debates on same-sexualities are framed in a modern discourse and leave no room for 1Department Religious traditional epistemologies. This article argues that knowledge of same-sexualities in African Studies and Arabic, University communities requires a far more complex narrative that is inclusive of indigenous knowledge of South Africa, South Africa and culture and of the older generations that uphold them. South Africa has gone through Corresponding author: many changes and there is a need for new knowledge to face new challenges that come with Lindiwe Mkasi, democracy. The assumption here is that some issues need attention in contemporary societies [email protected] which have never been properly investigated. One such issue is African same-sexualities. Dates: Although there is a need to interrogate the issue of freedom of speech from Western theoretical Received: 30 Jan. 2016 impositions, same-sexuality research needs to be contextualised and analysed through the Accepted: 11 May 2016 eyes of indigenous societies. This could be achieved by creating space for debates between Published: 08 July 2016 traditional and modern communities. How to cite this article: Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article addresses African Mkasi, L.P., 2016, ‘African indigenous same-sexualities using indigenous ways of knowing to unpack the practice. The same-sexualities and indigenous knowledge: article suggests a different approach on African same-sex practice based on ancestral Creating a space for dialogue knowledge found in African traditional religion and in African culture. It will further within patriarchy’, Verbum et demonstrate how this practice relates to issues of gender and religion in the South African Ecclesia 37(2), a1576. http:// context. It also disapproves Western discourse on African sexuality based on human rights dx.doi.org/10.4102/ve. v37i2.1576 approaches and transformation that ignore African cultural practice that affirm life. Copyright: © 2016. The Authors. Experiencing the academic world Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the From the years spent in institutions of higher learning, I realised that the priority of these Creative Commons institutions is to produce new knowledge. I also realised that in entering this learning space, Attribution License. everyone faces challenges depending on one’s background. For students who are coming from disadvantaged communities, it takes time to internalise Western paradigms and the use of Western epistemologies acquired in these institutions. Firstly, the language of communication can be a stumbling block in understanding theories, methods and theoretical frameworks. Often all these concepts do not make sense because none relate to one’s own knowledge and experiences. While universities enforce Western pedagogies, one’s own identity as a non-Westerner slowly disappears. The knowledge received at the university distances African students from their own culture and beliefs. Being removed from things that one has always identified with creates an empty space. I was once confused by scholarly debates that constantly criticised African cultures and I thought, ‘If this is what it means to be an academic I don’t want to be one’. What concerned me most was the fact that South Africa has millions of people who strongly believe in African traditions. On the other hand, many African scholars strongly criticise African indigenous knowledge and refer to it as superstitious beliefs (Shizha 2013:6). While this was difficult to digest, it practically means that the next generation would lose interest in their culture and adopt Western culture. I was trapped in a difficult space of being unable to communicate my frustrations and thoughts because I was studying in a foreign language and expected to use foreign experiences to research my context. This was a great challenge, but through it all I had to find my own space. Fortunately, having a mentor or a supervisor and a sister such as Professor Isabel Apawo Phiri got me through this crisis. She mentored me through most of my studies and in my personal Read online: life. Being her research assistant made me understand the purpose and importance of research. Scan this QR My interest in conducting research on African same-sexualities grew out of her research. Phiri code with your smart phone or and her colleague, Professor Sarojini Nadar, worked on a project titled Broken women: Healing mobile device traditions? Indigenous resources for gender critique and social transformation in the context of HIV in to read online. rural Inanda and KwaNgcolosi. During one of the workshops they organised, the topic of same- http://www.ve.org.za Open Access Page 2 of 6 Original Research sex relationships came up in the context of HIV prevention. possesses a female sangoma and that sangoma assumes a male One of the participants who was a sangoma (traditional position – she is addressed as uBaba (father), not only by healer) openly confessed that she had taken a decision to izangoma but also by members of the community (Nkabinde engage in a same-sex relationship because her husband 2008:59–60). This would normally happens during refused to go for HIV testing (Phiri & Nadar 2009:5–22). As divination, but when they come across this type of a sangoma the project at hand was not about homosexuality, we could outside her traditional healing duties she is addressed as not delve into the subject. I therefore decided to take this ‘Makhosi’ which is a concept that has no gender implications. issue further while studying for my Master’s degree. My This term is used to refer to all traditional healers, male or research topic was ‘A threat to Zulu patriarchy and the female. This type of a sangoma impersonates a male figure in continuation of community’: Same sex relationships amongst such a way that members of the family will be able to identify Female Traditional Healers at Inanda and KwaNgcolosi, Kwa- who is the ancestor possessing her. This sangoma prefers not Zulu Natal. The objective of the research was to investigate to marry because a male ancestor usually causes problems in the (isa-is a singular while iza is a plural form) izangoma’s the relationship. Alternatively, she may choose a celibate life, same-sex experiences in traditional societies; the intention choose same-sex partners, or an ‘ancestral wife’, which may was to find out whether izangoma experience violence that be an instruction from the ancestors (Morgan & Reid many homosexual men and women experience in the 2003:378–379). society. The study revealed that ancestral spirits play an important role in same-sex relationships, but to understand Having explained the spirit possession in a sangoma’s life, the context of traditional healing one needs to get a the obvious question would be, can ancestors influence background on spirit possession. one’s sexual behaviour? There is no easy answer to this question because being possessed by an opposite spirit Gender troubles within traditional does not mean that one will be in a same-sex relationship. Secondly, to confirm this, one has to hear from a person healing who is in this relationship and who has disclosed her In traditional healing, spirit possession plays a crucial role sexuality. This is not always possible in traditional societies and there is an understanding that ancestral spirits can because these are taboo issues. This depends in the context influence and change one’s behaviour. It is not strange to see wherein that sangoma is located. Izangoma who live in urban a male sangoma behaving like a female sangoma or a female settings are open about their sexuality compared with those sangoma who behaves like a male. At times, ancestral spirits in rural areas; according to the author’s findings, most take control of a body of a sangoma. In extreme cases, a spirit female izangoma who participated in the study confirmed can completely take control of one’s body depending on the that these relationships are sexual as some practiced same- ancestral spirit that possesses a person. Moreover, it is sex relationships (Mkasi 2013:50). expected that ancestral spirits cross gender boundaries. To substantiate these claims, I will give a background of how There are few writers who have recently acknowledged the spirit possession is interpreted in a traditional healing role of ancestors in same-sex practice; to name a few: Morgan context, drawing from the author’s dissertation (Mkasi 2013). and Wieringa (2005), Morgan and Reid (2003), Nkabinde Evidence shows spirits possess izangoma in five different (2008). Nkabinde has written about her life as a lesbian ways, which are as follows: sangoma and she shares the stories of other izangoma who are A female spirit in a female sangoma. in same-sex relationships. Nkabinde’s work proves that in A male spirit and a female spirit in a female sangoma. African patriarchy there is a place for women. Phiri is one of A male spirit in a female sangoma. the African feminist scholars who touched on the subject, An authoritative male spirit in a female sangoma. although she does not go deep into it (Mkasi 2013:11). In the A female spirit in a male sangoma. (Mkasi 2013:44) traditional healing context, a patriarchal system does not work in favour of men but it benefits women. They assume When these categories are to be analysed in Western concepts superior positions in the society and men have been silenced of homosexuality they mean the following: by powers of female traditional healers.