**6. Methodological framing**

The method and approach employed have been largely guided by principles of participative, interdisciplinary, and transcultural interactions. First, it has been participative whereby indigenous local communities have been engaged in the design, planning, and implementation of the project. Second, the initiatives involved by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from different academic fields: anthropology, archaeology, geographer/geographic information system, computer science, and knowledge engineering sciences. Thirdly, it was transcultural in nature. It involved transcultural interactions between the scientists and community scholars, between members of the indigenous communities, and members of the multidisciplinary team. In short, it was a collaborative effort to ensure serious dialog and partnerships between knowledge experts and the local communities as collaborators. The latter are not merely recipients or objects of the technologies being introduced, but their worldviews and knowledge systems are taken seriously.

Raise questions in what ways can the team develop models, protocols, and frameworks, which not only support the unique structure of indigenous knowledge but also facilitate efforts to weave the two knowledge towards a better understanding of indigenous knowledge systems. Is it possible to formulate knowledge portals or protocols in order to assimilate two knowledge paradigms, for instance, to digitally integrate the knowledge of the past through a digital based framework to increase local awareness, interest, and understanding about the significance and value of their world to others who matter to them. Two case studies of sociotechnical innovation below aim to answer these concerns.

**Figure 2.** *Socio-technical innovation model.*

### **6.1 Socio-technical systems innovation and case studies**

Models of socio-technical technical innovation such as the telecentre as a driver for socio-economic impact need to be carefully co-envisioned and co-designed in a participatory manner. The context of the innovation has to adopt a knowledgebased inquiry and as a value-creation activity that benefits the people, the ecosystem, and the environment.

The design of such an Indigenous Innovation model has to be aligned to cultural protocols and norm and social practices to cultivate symbiotic relationships with people, the environment and nature (see [20]). This process-oriented model illustrated in **Figure 2**, will then drive balanced human-machine interactions and integrate with scientific exploratory models in solving complex problems [21].
