Cultural Identity as Living Memory in Times of Peace and Victory: A Community Oral History

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to analyze the importance of community oral traditions in strengthening the cultural identity of Nicaragua’s indigenous peoples, highlighting their contribution to cultural revitalization and the preservation of practices, traditions, and knowledge that define, redefine, and strengthen communities. This cultural revival, which shapes the identity of these peoples through indelible memories, is in line with the National Plan to Combat Poverty 2022–2026, the National Strategy for Education in All Its Forms “Blessings and Victories” 2024–2026, as well as the public policies promoted by the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity. Memory and living history constitute more than a banner of dignity in times of peace and revolutionary victories; they represent an ancestral legacy that connects the past, present, and future. Likewise, this paper is part of an initiative linked to the completion of the doctoral thesis required by the Antonio de Valdivieso International University (UNIAV-Rivas), from an educational and eco-transformative perspective, in which communities play a fundamental role by establishing themselves as engines of change. Within this framework, we envision an educational approach centered on diverse learning processes that go beyond the simple act of learning to reflect on how to learn, what to learn, and why to learn, integrating transformative ideas drawn from the wisdom of our ancestors and linking them to the present reality and future of the Nicaraguan people.