Interculturality and indigenous education: Teachers’ voices from Cauca

Abstract

In the Andean region of Cauca, where rivers and mountains preserve the memory of ancestral knowledge, education is the bridge between indigenous and hegemonic knowledge. This article analyses teachers’ perceptions of indigenous education in these areas, exploring how indigenous educational practices reflect community worldviews and integrate both indigenous and external knowledge. Through an ethnographic study involving semi-structured interviews and non-participatory observation, the pedagogical approaches of the Sistema Educativo Indígena Propio [Indigenous Own Educational System] (SEIP) are examined. The results show that, while the transformative potential of SEIP is recognized, challenges remain in its implementation, particularly in the integration of traditional knowledge with Western educational models. This study underscores the role of indigenous education in reinforcing cultural identity and social cohesion, and proposes pathways to improve it in contemporary contexts.