Knowledge, Childhoods, and Indigenous Education: Contributions to a Living Pedagogical Practice with Young Children in Early Childhood

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the contributions of indigenous knowledge and education to the education of very young children in daycare contexts. The foundations of the considerations presented are anchored in the fabric derived from theoretical studies and the experience of a teacher during the development of a pedagogical project focused on indigenous cultures in a public daycare in Salvador. Throughout this process, the teacher identified recurring elements in the educational processes of indigenous children. Based on this observation and the deepening of her research, she systematized four principles that guided her pedagogical practice with the children: freedom and trust; incorporating life; spiral of knowledge; and being nature. These principles, grounded in indigenous knowledge and education, aligned with the educational needs of very young children, inspiring meaningful practices of care and education. Furthermore, this work highlighted that pedagogical actions informed by indigenous knowledge have the potential to enrich educational processes in daycare settings by also expanding the aesthetic and cultural reference patterns of children. In this way, it tends to contribute to breaking stereotypes about indigenous peoples and valuing diversity.