Ubuntu Identity, the Economy of Bomvana Indigenous Healers, and Their Impact on Spiritual and Physical Well-being of an African Indigenous Community

Abstract

Spirituality is a foundational concept within African indigenous communities. Spirituality informs the socio-cultural, political, environmental and economic operating systems within these communities. It is perceived as a strength, but with the systemic debasement of the African indigenous spirituality, many systems informed by spirituality have been impacted in various ways, including the ethno-medical livelihood practices.

This chapter is based on a study that used an exploratory ethnographic case study approach with qualitative methods of data collection to explore the understanding of spirituality and its influence on well-being. The study context is Bomvanaland, in the Eastern Province of South Africa. The people of this area are called ‘amaBomvane’. The study is positioned within the social justice, constructivist interpretivist paradigm, combining Resilience theory (Mertens, 2009) with Ubuntu (an African indigenous framework), which is an African moral philosophical framework, as the influencing frameworks of the study. The study outcomes posit a practice of ethno-medical spirituality that is foundational to the identity and culture of the people who come from this area. This practice is embedded in Ubuntu, supporting resilience and well-being that carry the potential to positively influence their economies.

Citation

Ohajunwa, C. (2021), "Ubuntu Identity, the Economy of Bomvana Indigenous Healers, and Their Impact on Spiritual and Physical Well-being of an African Indigenous Community", Spee, J.C., McMurray, A. and McMillan, M. (Ed.) Clan and Tribal Perspectives on Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 169-189. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78973-365-520211018