State of the art on the contribution of Yanakuna symbology to the re-dimensioning of the Community Education Project (CEP)

Abstract

This article presents a state-of-the-art review on the contribution of Yanakuna symbolism as a dynamic axis for the re-dimensioning of the Proyecto Educativo Comunitario (Community Education Project) within the framework of the Sistema Educativo Indígena Propio (Indigenous Own Education System). The aim is to analyze how Indigenous symbolism has been addressed both in academic literature and in the organizational processes of the Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca (Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca), as well as its influence on the strengthening of cultural identity and Indigenous education. The review integrates conceptual approaches grounded in the territory and engages in dialogue with three main theoretical perspectives: symbolic anthropology and ethnosemiotics, decolonial and intercultural approaches, and the anthropology of art. Methodologically, the study is based on a systematic review of Latin American research, organizational documents, and community-based experiences, complemented by the approach of the Crianza y Siembra de Sabidurías y Conocimientos (Cultivation and Nurturing of Wisdom and Knowledge), which privileges orality, territorial experience, and community participation. The findings show that Yanakuna symbolism—particularly the Chakana—constitutes a living language that articulates memory, spirituality, territory, and pedagogical practices, becoming a strategic tool for territorializing pedagogy and pedagogizing the territory. It is concluded that symbolism not only strengthens cultural identity but also acts as a key mechanism for the re-dimensioning of the PEC by promoting relevant, community-based, and decolonizing educational processes. Furthermore, the study highlights the need to deepen participatory research processes that recover the cultural orientation of each Indigenous people, in accordance with the principles of CRISSAC.