User:Rachelswimmer/Indigenous education

Debates around Bilingualism

History of Indigenous Education

This omittance of indigenous knowledge serves as a process of cultural assimilation. The government stigmatizes indigenous learnings, culture, and language to assimilate indigenous peoples and create a more homogenized country.

Milestones and Setbacks in Indigenous Education in Peru

Quechua is the language of the Inca people before Spanish colonizers established Spanish as the reigning form of communication. In 1770, the Spanish began trying to suppress all uses of indigenous languages in their colonies, and learning Spanish became compulsory in schools. In 1781, Quechua language, culture, and any form of expression was banned for the next 200 years. Though Quechua quietly persisted, the Spanish did succeed in making Quechua a subordinate and stigmatized language. Ever since, the movement to reincorporate Quechua has been mostly dominated by wealthy, educated Peruvian. Indigenous parents tend to not want their children to learn Quechua since Spanish is the dominant language. Getting a high paying job is reliant on the fact that people speak Spanish, therefore parents want their children to have the most opportunity possible. These parents also condemn non-indigenous activists who try to force their own point-of-view on parents to shape perspectives of their own culture. The stigmatization and marginalization of the Quechua language has made it difficult for Quechua speakers to find work.

Policy tends to have a bias against indigenous groups, making getting a job more difficult. This is why it is so important that Quechua be reflected equal to Spanish in law. In 1972, the National Policy for Bilingual Education came into effect - a monumental step considering the teaching of any indigenous language was prohibited. By 1975, Quechua became an official national language next to Spanish. Racial hierarchies were also exacerbated because now those of European descent were seen as also being the official people. The 1980s were a time of political instability due to a civil war between a Maoist insurgent group and government officials. Indigenous peoples bore the brunt of the negative effects of the violence, which halted any development for indigenous rights. By the early 2000s, discussion about Quechua language rights began to resurface by both indigenous and ally groups in regards to democracy and social justice. The State itself has done little in granting Quechua and Quechua-speakers the rights they deserve. The laws that have been passed have either been undone or are not implemented.

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