From Diversity to Epistemic Justice: an Autoethnographic and Testimonial Journey through Ethnomathematics

Abstract

This paper challenges the hegemonic conception of Mathematics as a universal, neutral, and exclusively Western form of knowledge. From a decolonial perspective, it explores how an autoethnographic and testimonial journey enables a shift from cultural diversity toward epistemic justice in ethnomathematics. It reconstructs key research milestones that prompted epistemic shifts and questioned categories such as “mathematics” and “research,” as well as the epistemic violence involved in interpreting Indigenous knowledge through Western frameworks. The findings show that the absence of narratives on mathematical knowledge in Abya Yala results from processes of epistemic hierarchization and subordination, rather than an actual absence of knowledge. Finally, the paper proposes reconfiguring Ethnomathematics as a critical and decolonial project that recognizes other mathematical rationalities.