This study looks into the role of the institution of traditional leadership in post-apartheid South Africa. It seeks to critically engage the debate on how to locate the institution within the new politico-constitutional framework. This is done with the main objective of proposing an altemative to the current state of affairs vis-à-vis traditional leadership and governance in South Africa. In order to clear the ground, the study first deals with the important question of democracy in relation to the institution of traditional leadership. In this regard, the study unearthed that the institution of traditional leadership is fundamentally undemocratic in character, as it is largely based on heredity and devoid of principles of democracy such as equality, accountability, etc. In order to put matters into perspective the study also delves into the history of the institution of traditional leadership with the aim of getting to the role that traditional leaders played in various epochs of South Africa's political development. This investigation reveals that the denting of the integrity of the institution of traditional leadership began with the advent of colonialism and worsened by successive apartheid regimes. It is at these stages of development that the institution was subordinated to a higher authority that sought to use the institution as an instrument of domination and oppression of the black majority. Considering this role, it would seem that the place that the space that the institution occupies in the post-apartheid South African governance framework is a compromise. The institution plays an advisory role at all levels of government - with their houses in both national and provincial legislatures, whilst traditional leaders sit as ex-officio members on local councils. However, traditional leaders fiercely contest this position as, in their view, this limits their powers. The main argument of this study is that for traditional leaders to be given an advisory role in the current and future governance framework of the country is a step in the right direction, as that serves to insulate the institution from active politics. For that reason, the study recommends that the institution of traditional leadership should occupy a cultural space in society - meaning that it should be responsible for the preservation of African customs and culture. This, therefore, means that the institution is better-placed to advise government on cultural and customary aspects of development. Whilst playing this role, the institution of traditional leadership should also -be brought into line with democratic ways of governance.

As colonized peoples Native Americans have had a complicated relationship to the United States. They have faced the question of whether they should demand tribal independence or embrace American citizenship. During the early 1970s, when radical ethnic and political movements occupied center stage in the United States, and in 1992, when the 500 year anniversary of Columbus discovery of America was celebrated, the issue of Indian American identification was actualized. The various possible ways in which Native Americans could identify in relation to the United States made their identification often seem contradictory. The same group and even the same individual could  identify as both part of and apart from the United States. Likewise, the same event could trigger different identifications in relation to the United States. How can this be explained? In this thesis I offer an explanation of Indian American identification that combines the perspectives of world view and historical context. Native Americans have related to two different world views, a Western world view which imagines a world made up of states, and a "traditional" Indian world view which imagines a world made up of peoples placed on their lands by the Creator. Different ways of understanding the world impacted how Native Americans understood "America," as USA or Indian ancestral homelands. Different world views provided different images of Native American relationship to the United States. These images could be put forward or be actualized in different contexts. The historical context influenced which images were most commonly chosen. During the 1970s, given the period's generally revolutionary discourse, more separatist images were prominent. In 1992, when a government-to-government relationship between tribal and federal governments was firmly established, Indians chose a more inclusive relationship to the Untied States.

It is the objective of this treatise to highlight and demonstrate the role that can be played by Traditional Leadership Institutions in the development of their communities, demonstrate and advance the extent to which they can enhance their image and restore their dignity by embarking on community development projects that will improve the quality of life of their subjects in their jurisdictional areas. However, as the number of Traditional Leadership Institutions that can be investigated and researched was so large, it became necessary to focus attention primarily on the Rharhabe Kingdom with its seat and headquarters at Mngqesha Great Place in King William’s Town. The Mngqesha Great Place, the seat of the Rharhabe Kingdom is a typical example of a Traditional Leadership Institution selected from the six existing Eastern Cape Provincial Kingdoms. Attention is invited to the following fields which had to be explored since they serve the basis for the evolution of Traditional Leadership Institutions in South Africa. A historical background to Traditional Leadership and Governance in South Africa and the Eastern Cape provides some key issues of governance, management and administration, position, place and status of the institution during the pre- colonial and colonial periods, the period under apartheid rule, the independence period of the former homelands of Ciskei and Transkei territories with reflections on Tribal and Regional Authorities and Local Government Bureaux. A synoptic perspective of the effect of changes on the functioning of the Institution of Traditional Leadership is provided in some detail. This part is concluded with a brief history of the Rharhabe Kingdom. An overview of Traditional Leadership and Governance in the new South Africa since 1994 to date indicates the recognition and important role that Traditional Leadership Institutions can play. In this regard, there is policy and legislation that is in place on Traditional Leadership and Governance with a clear vision for implementation. Since 1994, there are many initiatives that have been undertaken by government in creating and maintaining an enabling environment for the efficient management and administration of the institution, transfer payments for different projects like funding the building of various Great Places and Provincial Policy Initiatives on Traditional Leadership and Governance. Institutional arrangements for Traditional Leadership Institutions reflect on the hierarchy of Traditional Leadership, for example, the position of the King as head of a Regional Authority (Ikomkhulu), the Chiefs under Kings as Heads of Traditional Authorities (Inqila) and Headmen as heads of the various Administrative Areas (locations). In order to give meaning to Government’s recognition of the Institution of Traditional Leadership, to enhance the institution and give it a role at the National, Provincial and Local levels, the government has established a National and Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders with clear roles and responsibilities and provision for accountability of Traditional Leaders and structures. Regarding the role of Traditional Leadership Institutions in Governance and Development, it is clear that over many years, these institutions performed various governance functions. The policy framework on Traditional Leadership and Governance besides legislation specifies the duties and functions of these entities. With regard to the King Sandile Development Trust and its role in community development, the research reveals visionary leadership on the part of the Kingdom, with the Trust, since its establishment in 1999 being at the centre of all development initiatives at the Great Place besides government initiatives. The King Sandile Development Trust is therefore a legal entity established and funded in terms of law. It has its constitution, vision and clear objectives, procedural arrangements on administration, management and financial arrangements. The development role of the trust is reflected in the Queen’s Programme of Action and Implementation, headed by the Queen mother, Queen Noloyiso Sandile, the wife of His Majesty King Maxhobayakhawuleza Sandile. Besides, there are established tourism chalets providing not only revenue but also employment opportunities to many local subjects of the Kingdom. Finally, the treatise concludes with some general conclusion and recommendations and challenges that demand that traditional leaders be appropriately trained, its institutions adequately resourced, appropriately run and administered based on the need to account publicly on their performance.

The study looks at the main features of African indigenous law of succession and inheritance in Zimbabwe. It draws a distinction between the forms of inheritance practised between the two major ethnic groups, the Shona and the Ndebele. Whilst the research was mainly aimed at these two groups an investigation into inheritance practice by the South African Zulu and Xhosa counterparts was also made. An investigation into the impact of western influence on succession and inheritance was made taking a look at colonial legislation and case law, the general deduction being that it was a vehicle for attaching customary law to a western type law. After independence there was the issue of the impact of constitutionalism and international human rights law on succession in post colonial Zimbabwe. These were tools for change by bringing in notions of equality between men and women, issues that were highlighted in the cornerstone case of Magaya v Magaya, which was in turn discussed in the light of the Mthemu v Letsela and Bhe trilogy of cases in South Africa. In the final chapter there is a discussion of possibilities of reform and the future of customary law in Zimbabwe the highlight here being conducting proper legal research to ascertain the true purpose of custom.

Background: The communication between brands and customers has shifted fromtraditional media like television to social media. This led to the emergence of social media brand communication. One of the best known and fastest-growing social media platforms is Instagram. Furthermore, social media enabled users to form online communities like consumer tribes, who group around a shared activity or passion. However, these consumer tribes are self-willed and need their own marketing approach. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore how social media brand communication of surf brands on Instagram is experienced by the surf tribe. For this purpose, it is investigated whether Instagram is a suitable medium and which characteristics define the surf tribe. Then it will be examined how social media brand communication on Instagram has to be designed in order to create successful communication strategies. Method: This research followed an explorative research design. The research approach combined desk research for the literature review and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 15 participants of the surf tribe. Snowball sampling was used to identify participants. The empirical data was analyzed with the approach of thematic analysis. Conclusion: Instagram is a suitable platform to reach out to the surf tribe. The surf tribe shares common characteristics in terms of Instagram usage and consumption behaviour, which are relevant for creating appealing marketing messages. Surf brands should use firm generated content that focuses on the activity of surfing and encourage their followers to create and share user-generated surf content to increase their popularity and reach amongst the tribe.

This qualitative research case study explored the indigenous model of conflict resolution known as the “Judiyya,” in the South Darfur State, Sudan. The purpose of the study has been to understand the principles and practices of the Judiyya in maintaining peace among Darfuri tribal communities. Judiyya is a community-based, human-centered model that employs restorative and transformative principles in conflict resolution. The literature review provided context for a research project that addressed the following questions: What is the role of the Judiyya in the current situation? How does the model work? What are its decision-making processes? How does the Judiyya model relate to the International Human Rights Standards? The primary data sources include face-to-face interviews, researcher observations, and a review of document collections and archival records. Research findings explore five emergent themes: Religion or belief system, Elderly leadership, Trust, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy. These explain the model’s process and practices and offer to policymakers some new ideas and perspectives about how to understand and use the indigenous model, which is evaluated for strengths and challenges. The model remains relevant and continues to thrive around the greater Darfur area, helping tribal communities maintain harmony, coexistence, and peace. This research contributes to the emerging literature about the relevance of endogenous knowledge and indigenous models of conflict resolution, and the ongoing efforts to better understand the cultural context of conflict and its reconciliation process.

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This dissertation walks the balance between the western structures of academia and Indigenous ways of storytelling and knowing. Stories are how knowledge is shared and passed down in many Indigenous cultures. This study utilizes Indigenous Storywork methods, alongside western case study methodology, to explore how colonialism and the structures of public, non-Native higher education institutions and engineering programs impact the lived experiences of Indigenous STEM students. Using Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit), this study also connects individual student experiences through stories to systemic structures of universities and engineering programs in a way that honors and amplifies Indigenous ways of thinking and doing. The study was situated at a university in the eastern U.S. and had three primary forms of data: public documents such as university historical documents and program policies and structures, focus group discussions with a university Council of Elders from the Indigenous community, and individual interviews with Indigenous STEM students from the Lumbee and Coharie nations. The findings demonstrate the ways that the Indigenous STEM students at North Carolina State University hold community as a cultural value from their Tribal backgrounds that is paramount to their success at the university. The students utilize community to access knowledge and build power for themselves as well as for the whole university Indigenous community. NC State's Indigenous engineering students perceived the structures and policies of their engineering programs to be disconnected from community and relationality and thus did not utilize or connect to these structures as designed. This work also provides an example of a framework for engaging with university Indigenous communities to co-create meaningful and impactful research and demonstrates the differences in the experiences of Indigenous students in the eastern U.S. from those in the west, specifically in terms of their invisibility in the larger community, both on and off campus. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation walks the balance between the western structures of academia and Indigenous ways of storytelling and knowing. Stories are how knowledge is shared and passed down in many Indigenous cultures. This study centers Indigenous methodologies and theories to explore how colonialism and the structures of public, non-Native, higher education institutions and engineering programs impact the lived experiences of Indigenous STEM students. This study also connects individual student experiences to the systemic structures of universities and engineering programs. The study focuses on a university in the eastern U.S. and used three forms of data: public documents such university historical documents and current policies, a group discussion with a Council of Elders from the Indigenous community, and individual interviews with Indigenous STEM students. The students were members of the Lumbee and Coharie nations. The findings highlight the way they hold community as a cultural value deeply tied to their Tribal backgrounds. This community is key to their success at the university and used community to access knowledge and build power for themselves as well as for the whole university Indigenous community. In particular, the Indigenous engineering students perceived the structures and policies of their engineering programs to be disconnected from community and relationships, and thus they did not use or connect to those structures in the intended ways. Instead, they went outside the system to gain the knowledge the needed. This work also provides a framework, grounded in Indigenous value of respect, reciprocity, responsibility, reverence, holism, interrelatedness, and synergy, for engaging with university Indigenous communities to co-create meaningful and impactful research and demonstrates the differences in the experiences of Indigenous students in the eastern U.S. from those in the west, specifically in terms of their invisibility in the larger community, both on and off campus.

This study, which focuses on the experiences of Native women attending a tribal college of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, responds to the call by Baird-Olson and Ward (2000) and Almeida (1997) for research that allows Native women, or the "hidden half," to tell their stories. Scant research has examined the value of tribal schools for Native American women and the experiences they have had in relation to their reservation and college lives. Providing narratives of women's experiences can illuminate how higher education in tribal college settings holds multiple values for Native women students as it acts as a refuge and a bridge to future opportunities. Specifically, Native students, particularly women, feel empowered as they are exposed to new opportunities and have valuable mentorship experiences. To better capture Native women's experiences in higher education, I use information from both participant observation in the tribal college setting and in-depth, one on one interviews. This study holds relevance for other minority groups as well, as there are many values of education beyond simply earning a degree. In this study, Native women recount their personal stories of life on the reservation, the value of mentorship and education, and their ideas of success, inspired by their love for their community. It further highlights the value of simply listening to the stories of women who are resilient despite the odds they face. Allowing their voices to be heard and their personal histories to be told is an integral part of understanding their story.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate which type of society could supply the resources required to construct the cairn monuments along the coastal regions of Västerbotten during the Bronze Age. The study is centered on a cluster of cairns within the parishes of Bygdeå, Nysätra and Lövånger, situated at elevations between 31-52 meters above today’s sea level. Through analyses and calculations of the cairns themselves and their proximity to stone quarrying materials, the volume of each cairn within the chosen cluster has been used to evaluate how long it took these monument builders to complete the construction of the cairns. The workforce required is shown to heavily depend on the size of the cairn and its location from the stone material. Theoretically some cairns could have been constructed in just a few days, whereas some took significantly more time to construct. The indicated social types capable of providing the necessary resources were found to be avariation of nomadic band and/or semi-sedentary tribal communities composed of extended families. Powerful cheiftains and societies with greater resources weren’t necessarily found to be a requirement. The procurement of food and other resources varied and over time the economic foundations gradually shifted from a mainly hunting and fishing reliance to embracing cultivation and animal husbandry.