Issue: 36, July-October 2026

 

Education is a process that transcends schooling and is enriched by the learning that children acquire at home and within their community, contributing to comprehensive social development and the construction of more just and critical societies. In the Mesoamerican region—southern states of Mexico and the countries of Central America—Indigenous education is deeply rooted in community life, linguistic preservation, and the relationship with the land.

In recent years, curricula, programs, and policies aimed at bilingual and intercultural education have been developed with the purpose of recognizing Indigenous languages and cultures. However, gaps and tensions persist that require attention and research. For communities, education is a living practice linked to identity and collective memory.

In this regard, intercultural methodologies are essential, as they make it possible to approach Indigenous knowledge without turning it into folklore while promoting a critical perspective. Moreover, because they are participatory, they give voice to children and acknowledge their authorship through narratives, photography, or drawing—useful tools for addressing sensitive issues such as discrimination, racism, or inequity. These practices foster learning and transformations in ways of thinking.

Although the landscape of Indigenous education varies across regions—for instance, in the Mesoamerican countries, the defense of cultural rights and the preservation of languages and traditions stand out—there remains a need for education that is situated within Indigenous contexts, oriented toward social justice and the continuity of community knowledge. From a decolonial pedagogy perspective, the goal is to question and transform models that have marginalized local worldviews, promoting a critical intercultural education. Likewise, epistemologies of the South offer a framework for legitimizing and bringing into dialogue the traditional knowledge safeguarded by Indigenous communities in Mesoamerica.

Below are suggested topics for this issue, though they are neither exhaustive nor exclusive:

• Indigenous, intercultural, and bilingual education
• Education in Indigenous contexts for social justice
• Decolonial pedagogy
• Methodologies and tools for critical intercultural education
• Epistemologies of the South

Only texts related to this thematic axis will be accepted.