EFFECTIVE SCHOOLING AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION: A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE U’WA INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Abstract

Currently, the Indigenous peoples living in Colombian territory have adopted customs of modern life, similar to what occurred during Colonial times; these communities are also affected by the environmental impact generated by different economic activities carried out in the areas they inhabit. Seen in this way, this article focuses on analyzing the incidence of effective schooling in primary education as an element for preserving the cultural and ethnic identity of the U’wa Indigenous community at the Indigenous Educational Center Tutukana Sinaiaka, in the municipality of Saravena, department of Arauca. Methodologically, it is guided by a qualitative approach and interpretive paradigm, using a phenomenological method that allows understanding the way of life of a concrete social unit, making it possible to interpret daily life with the aim of understanding the cultural codes that surround the ethnic group. For data collection, an interview script was designed and applied to five (5) key informants who possess the required information for the research: two (2) teachers, two (2) students, and one (1) family representative. The findings reveal that conversations with the informants, as well as the investigative process, indicate the need to reinvent pathways to safeguard cultural heritage, traditional practices, and cultural richness, while raising awareness of the various problems related to the institutionalization of educational services for Indigenous peoples. To all this, a quote from Pope Francis is included: “... together with natural heritage, there is a historical, artistic and cultural heritage, equally threatened. It is part of the common identity.”