Amazonian Communities (Modes of Knowledge Generation and Transmission in Amazonian Cultures) (Phase 2)

This project addresses the necessity of documenting and understanding the ancestral knowledge transmitted within the Secoya and Siona cultures, focusing specifically on the Pai coca language, an agglutinative language that presents significant challenges for direct translation. The main objective is to analyze how language structures and preserves crucial cultural elements such as worldviews, rituals, and the relationship with the territory—elements that define the identity of these Western Tukano peoples. The methodology combines exhaustive bibliographic review with intensive, non-invasive fieldwork in the Sucumbíos communities (Ecuador). Data collection relies on ethnographic interviews conducted in a colloquial format with designated 'knowledge representatives,' prioritizing cultural respect through non-directive questioning. Data gathered via notes and audio will be systematized to perform terminological comparisons within Pai coca and against existing translations. This analysis will enable the articulation of epistemic axes related to knowledge and their correlation with observed cultural practices, thereby ensuring the preservation of the language as a fundamental pillar of cultural identity for the beneficiaries.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To identify the generation and transmission of knowledge within the Secoya and Siona cultures through the exhaustive study of the linguistic and semantic fields of their language, Paai coca.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Culture of the ancestral peoples