Reflections on Intercultural Education in Chile and the Worldview of Indigenous Peoples

Abstract

In the city of Arica, on June 24, as part of the commemoration of National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Intercultural Bilingual Education Program was inaugurated in a local school. As in every official act, students, teachers, and the parents who had been invited gathered in the school’s unroofed yard. After singing the national anthem, the school principal came on stage to introduce the guest. He solemnly greeted the authorities present and the rest of the school community. Then, the Yatiri, the name given to wise men in Aymara culture, dressed in traditional Andean costume, came on to the stage from the side. The man placed his materials on the stage and began the phawa, a traditional rite through which coca and alcohol are offered to the Pachamama and the Mallku asking them to intercede to ensure an activity is successful. The Yatiri dropped coca leaves, lit incense, and handed small glasses of alcohol to those around him. Each person had to tip some of the spirit onto the ground before drinking it and repeating a greeting to the earth. Then the Yatiri spoke some words in the indigenous language. After the ceremony, the principal approached the microphone and thanked the guests for their collaboration.