Mathematics Education in Multilingual Contexts for the Indigenous Population in Latin America

Abstract

In Latin America, there is a considerable Indigenous population whose participation in the educational system has been systematically obstructed by the imposition of Spanish and Portuguese, the languages of the colonial powers. The historical process of Indigenous education was rooted in the colonial project assimilation. A recent move towards the acknowledgement of linguistic and cultural diversity has opened spaces for new discussions about education as a terrain for regaining and reclaiming a cultural identity. In this context, we examine challenges and possibilities for the development of Indigenous mathematics education in multilingual contexts, based on existing research carried out in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. We consider the relationship between language policy and educational policy, as well as bilingualism and its implementation in relation to Indigenous education. We discuss the development of mathematical registers and language revitalization as central issues within the mathematics education of Indigenous people.