A territorial travel experience an etnoeducadora inga. The case of the location in the development of mathematical thinking

Abstract

A challenge for society is to live with cultural diversity. This allows the consolidation of educational processes
that raise awareness of the value of singularity, plurality and complementarity. But, the teaching of mathematics
ignores as a reflection object the mathematical thought developed in indigenous communities. The
characterization, systematization and dissemination of how mathematics is or has been treated in educational
contexts of indigenous communities, then, is a question to consider. The research makes visible cultural and
social elements affiliated to pedagogical activities that an ethnic educator in the Inga indigenous shelter of Santiago (Valle de Sibundoy) manages when developing mathematical thinking. In particular, referred to the
role of locating in processes of spatiality. The study was conducted in the institution Etnoeducativa Rural
bilingual Iachai Wasi Carlos Tamabioy at Santiago. The qualitative research method has been selected, in order
to obtain a rich understanding of the mathematical view and its use for Inga people. Specifically, the Case Study
was considered. Five categories of analysis were considered to characterize the types of location privileged in
the research: Historical Memory, Cultural Rite, Cooperativism, Motivation and Spatial Perception. Three ways
of referencing space were identified: literal, schematic, self-identification. These types of localization highlight
the complexity of localization in socio-cultural conditions and its inclusion in teaching environments. The
results contribute to the strengthening of ethnomathematical pedagogical processes and contribute to make
explicit the Inga mathematical thinking.