Abstract:
In Sri Lankan indigenous knowledge is acutely vivid and productive. Much of this knowledge existing orally since ancient times. Hence there is no preservation system to protect cane industrial knowledge in Wewaldeniya village. The main objective of this study is to examine the indigenous cane industrial knowledge and practices and its situation of Wewaldeniya village in Meerigama Divisional Secretarial Division. Other objectives were to explore the traditional cane product methods and to study their past and present situation of the cane industrial knowledge.
The method of the research was the survey method. The data for the study was gathered from the villagers who were occupied in cane industry. As a qualitative research, direct participation, observation and interviews were used to obtain information as primary data. Secondary sources such as encyclopaedias, journals, books and other reference resources and web recourses were also used.
Finding is that still community use traditional methodology in their cane industry. They use modern tools and techniques to produce goods in the cane industry. The indigenous knowledge used by this community has to be recorded and preserved for future generation use. This area has no formal collecting methodology and preservation system to protect the traditional knowledge. In addition, there is no formal program to develop the cane industry and their standard of living. Hence it is very essential that central government or local authorities prepare plans and policies to preserve traditional knowledge and develop this traditional industry.
