The Tadayensidad festival

education, heritage and identity in a rural context of Ecuador

Abstract

The Andean context has suffered a wave of human mobility. Such practices have led to the loss of the traditional relationship between man and the environment. In this context, there is a need to strengthen the sense of belonging. Revaluing local identity as a means of making the use of natural and social resources sustainable is fundamental. As a methodology to address this educational project, Action Research was utilized, aiming primarily to generate processes and knowledge that are returned to the community, as it is this population that holds them. The research phases include: 1. planning, where a participatory diagnosis is implemented to identify the issues; 2. action, where a process was designed to engage teachers and the educational community in identifying relevant knowledge, cultural practices, and their bearers; 3. observation of the development of this work through the implementation of support and follow-up processes; and, 4. the participatory evaluation with the educational community and their learning outcomes.

Additionally, in this project, a Learning Community was created, and educational materials and activities were designed from an epistemic dialogue and knowledge exchange perspective. A continuous work that culminated in the “Tadayensity Feast”, in which the community exposed the work, practices, and materials they created. Especially during this time, children lived certain practices and representations that are part of the identity of this parish and that researchers present in this text.