Cultural boundaries and ontological crossings: exploring local discourse on intercultural education from an Amazonian Indigenous territory

Manresa Axisa, Maria Antonia

Abstract

This paper explores multiple conceptualisations of interculturality situated within an Ecuadorian Amazonian Kichwa indigenous territory expressed through local discourses. Considering Amerindian perspectivism I analyse three discursive moments occurring within this territory. The first, is a community elder’s narrative constructing a distinctive ‘inside’ versus an ‘outside’ describing the tension and historical role of education as inherent to sustaining a territorial project. The second, is teacher’s representation of intercultural education as that of balancing between an 'own’ versus an 'outside’ education, presented as part of workshop; and the third, is expressed through an interaction between a student and teacher resulting in the explanation of ‘ancestral’ education in contrast to a ‘western facing’ education. I suggest that whilst diverse conceptualisations of interculturality reflects differing ideological tensions over intercultural education these can be understood as congruent with the territorial political project, reconstructing both cultural and ontological boundaries.

Citation

Manresa Axisa, M. A. (online). Cultural boundaries and ontological crossings: exploring local discourse on intercultural education from an Amazonian Indigenous territory. Ethnography and Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2025.2483769

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 19, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 31, 2025
• Deposit Date: Apr 17, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 17, 2025
• Journal: Ethnography and Education
• Print ISSN: 1745-7823
• Electronic ISSN: 1745-7831
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2025.2483769
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3792978