The Reappropriation of Maya Epistemology among Students at Universities in Indigenous Communities in Guatemala

Authors

  • Saríah Acevedo Oliva Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences image/svg+xml

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22458/3ch3qd25

Keywords:

Mayan epistemology, Intercultural education, Ancestral knowledge, Indigenous identity

Abstract

This presentation examines the experience of reclaiming Mayan epistemology among students at the Maya Ch’orti’ Pluriversity in Guatemala as an approach to critical intercultural education. Through the recovery of oral traditions, community-based research, and dialogue between ancestral knowledge and Western science, the initiative seeks to strengthen the cultural and political identity of Indigenous peoples and recognize their own knowledge systems. The educational experience integrates the rational, material, and spiritual dimensions of the Mayan worldview through the study of agricultural practices, myths, mathematics, and traditional knowledge. Furthermore, it presents community-based higher education as a tool for addressing racism, reducing educational inequalities, and promoting Indigenous rights, while fostering harmony between humanity and nature.

Author Biography

  • Saríah Acevedo Oliva, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences

    Perteneciente a los pueblos originarios Maya Ch'orti' y K'iche'). Licenciatura en Sociología por la Universidad de Costa Rica. Especialización en Investigación Social de la Pobreza por la Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), sede Guatemala. Maestría Latinoamericana de Trabajo Social por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH). Maestría en Etnicidad, Etnodesarrollo y Derecho Indígena por la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. Coordinadora del Programa de Estudios sobre Pueblos Indígenas y Pluriculturalidad en la Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), sede Guatemala

References

La grabación de esta charla se encuentra en el canal de YouTube de Onda UNED y puede ser consultada en el siguiente enlace a partir del minuto 0:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYrlcCD7OA8

Published

2026-10-30

How to Cite

“The Reappropriation of Maya Epistemology Among Students at Universities in Indigenous Communities in Guatemala ”. 2026. Revista Rupturas 16 (Esp): 19-35. https://doi.org/10.22458/3ch3qd25.

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