Pathways to an intercultural curriculum: Guna epistemology as a resource for teaching panamanian history

Abstract

This article analyzes the knowledge presented in four texts produced by the Guna General Congress (Wagua 2007, 2017, 2019; Martínez 2016) through the epistemological frameworks of Nanigar Babigar and Red Pedagogy (Grande, 2004). It examines how these texts align with core domains of social studies education to explore pathways toward an intercultural history curriculum in Panama. We employed a qualitative textual analysis with two cycle thematic coding (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Saldaña, 2016). For context, we also analyzed social studies textbooks from the Ministry of Education for grades 1, 2, 3, and 6. The national textbooks present Panamanian history from a single epistemological tradition: the 1925 Tule Revolution is absent from all four grade levels; no Indigenous peoples are named in the early grades; and cross curricular themes include “Afro Panamanians” but have no equivalent category for Indigenous peoples. Read on their own terms, the Guna texts contain knowledge corresponding to four domains: national history and relations with the state; political science and governance; geography and environmental interactions; and civic and ethical formation. Students with access to these materials would receive a comprehensive education on the trajectory of the Guna people—from the colonial era to their present status as an autonomous territory—something not offered by the national curriculum. The article concludes that these texts constitute a documented, rigorous, and actively used resource for the intercultural teaching of Panamanian history.

Binsaed Issegwad:

Wegi sabga maddabagge Onmagged Dummadgad (Waga, 2007. 2017, 2019; Martínez, 2016) bela e igarmar egi ilemaggaled mamarnai, ibu burwiganga odurdaglenai, Nanigar-Babigargad geb Red Pedagogy aba daglenado (Grande, 2004) e odurdagedba ilemaggarmardibe, sogedba burwigan odurgnamardibe, igarmar bia anmar daniggidggi dognadibe, igar amiega igar walladummad odurdaggedagadgi bela bullaggwa Banama yaurgi dulamar addobuggwad e igar daniggid odolegega, nabir nueggwa we igarba odurdaglegega. Sabgamar irbogi mamarlesa, eba willubdagega ibu sabgagi odolenai, igi sognamala (Braun y Clarke, 2006; Saldaña, 2016). Sabgamar mamarilesa babgan igarmar sedaniggid anmar yaurgi egi sunmalegnaid billigan soggwengadgi, sogbogadgi, sogbaagadgi geb sognergwagad Galu Odurdagged Dummadgadgi dognaid. Sabgamar mamarilesasggi daglesdo Banama Igar dummadgan unnir igar soggwenba odurdagye, Babgan Bila Onosad 1925 a gaddi sadde, e sabga maddabaggedgi daglesadgi narmaggar nasurdo, dulemar sogaggule buggwad nonbamar onogedggi bilenasurdo, bamalad igarmar odurdaglegedggi unnir Banama dorgan sissimarbi dognamala, dulemardi eba obarlesuli. We sabgamar dulegad absolesad sogedba burwigan odurdaggega nigdo, igarmar sogabagge wisggwergebed egi dogale: babgan na e igarmar nedgusad, neg sedaniggid, neggwebur aggued, neggwebur sed, igi dulemar buggwad, bia buggwad, babigarba daed bela wegi addosi. Mimmi durdagged we sabgamar abingadibe soggedba durdagnado, bela sogedi yar suidgi sumaglenaid, bia dulemar daniggi, igi daniggi, igi ensmiggwa yar suidgi dulemar buggwa, dagledo e igar walladumad odurdagged Banamagadgi oyonasuli, egi dogarsuli. We sabga sogdo we sabgamar sogabagge daglesad sogedba ilemaggarye, nabair sun ebuleye bela Banama yaurgi addobuggad e daniggidba e daedbba odurdaggega.