REWRITING THE LANDSCAPE: MIRIAM TLALI ON DISPLACEMENT, TOURISM, AND INDIGENOUS IDENTITY

The interaction of displacement, cultural resilience, and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) provides a nuanced perspective on sustainable tourism development. During apartheid, coerced displacement adversely impacted livelihoods and threatened the preservation of indigenous knowledge and cultural practices. Resilience emerged as a defining characteristic of marginalized communities, with Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) serving as a crucial foundation for survival, adaptation, and eventual revitalization. This study investigates the resilience of displaced individuals and their capacity to adapt to systemic oppression while maintaining their cultural identity, as seen in Miriam Tlali's Between Two Worlds and Soweto Stories. Tlali's output, infused with themes of resistance and storytelling, serves as literary testimony to the struggles and triumphs of communities throughout apartheid. These narratives underscore the importance of oral histories, traditional customs, and storytelling as tools for cultural resilience and collective memory. The paper analyses the potential alignment between the revival of indigenous practices and sustainable tourism goals, promoting economic empowerment through community-led initiatives. It links historical injustices to contemporary opportunities for cultural and economic revitalization.