Ulayat sebagai sebuah ilmu

More than simply referring to a collective within a specific geographical, cultural, or ethnic context, ulayat, which commonly referred to as indigenous within the international literature, can be positioned as a distinct field of science. This editorial note will discuss indigenous knowledge, encompassing its ontological and epistemological dimensions. Previous literature in this area primarily concentrated on discerning disparities between indigenous knowledge and modern knowledge. Nevertheless, researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers have endeavoured to accommodate indigenous knowledge into contemporary approaches due to its perceived efficacy in addressing and implementing programs for the target. In the realm of research, indigenous research has some principles that cannot be generalized to other approaches. This includes the positioning of the researcher and the paramount emphasis on showing profound respect to indigenous communities as the owners and sources of knowledge. Ultimately, despite its localized and context-specific nature, indigenous knowledge must be reconnected with its foundational philosophy, which underscores its development as a means to assist specific groups in adapting to challenges and transformations. Keywords: epistemology, indigenous knowledge, local, ontology