Local Knowledge Guaraní culture and Decolonial Pedagogical Strategies for Cultural Revitalization in Community Educational Contexts

Abstract

The present study analyzed how cultural cartography, cultural autobiography, oral history, and community memory contributed to strengthening cultural identity and recovering local knowledge associated with the Guaraní culture among first-year secondary students at the “Ignacio Warnes C” Educational Unit, located in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. The study emerged in response to the limited incorporation of family memories, community narratives, and territorial experiences within school pedagogical practices. The research was conducted under a qualitative approach with a socio-critical orientation and an ethnographic design. Participants included 30 students, 5 teachers, 10 parents, and 4 community elders. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews, participant observation, autobiographical narratives, field journals, and audiovisual records.The findings revealed that decolonial pedagogical strategies enabled the recovery of narratives linked to Guaraní oral traditions, territorial memories, and community cultural practices, thereby strengthening students’ sense of belonging and cultural identity. Students began to value family histories and community knowledge as legitimate components of school learning. Interviews and community memory activities also strengthened the interaction between school and community, promoting spaces for intercultural dialogue and collective participation. It is concluded that decolonial pedagogical strategies foster more contextualized, participatory, and culturally situated educational processes, allowing the integration of local knowledge and community memories into the school environment.