This term refers to knowledge held by communities and peoples that are indigenous. In comparison, traditional knowledge is a broader term as some traditional knowledge may not have the characteristic of indigenous knowledge.
knowledge that has been produced by groups of people living in an area (e.g. province, country, continent) for a long period of time. Some of this knowledge may have served as the basis for modern technologies. In some instances, this knowledge and the wisdom that accompanies it have been lost, either because established practices have been changed or because people have moved away from their well- known environments.
the knowledge located naturally within the community
Used synonymously with traditional and local knowledge to differentiate the knowledge developed by a given community from the knowledge generated through universities, government research centres, and private industry (the international knowledge system, sometimes called the Western system) (Warren 1992).
Indigenous knowledge is seen as the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, or local knowledge particular to an area, region or country, etc. All indigenous peoples are traditional knowledge holders but not all traditional knowledge-holders may be indigenous. (Source: GRAIN www.grain.org/briefings/?id=97#_edn1)
Indigenous knowledge refers to knowledge held collectively and historically by communities. It is often discussed in relation to knowledge and traditions practised by indigenous peoples, and their rights to intellectual property acknowledgment. Indigenous Knowledge is particularly threatened by companies aiming to acquire legal control over it.