Presentation short abstract

The Indigenous Researchers training Program in the Madre de Dios empowers Indigenous youth to engage critically with knowledge systems and co-produce knowledge in their territories. This panel explores the dynamics of decolonial education and epistemologies in political ecology.

Presentation long abstract

The Indigenous Youth Researchers in Training Program originates from an interdisciplinary project on Indigenous territorial governance in the Peruvian Amazon, developed in collaboration with the Federation of Native Communities of the Madre de Dios River and Tributaries (FENAMAD). Its main objective is to create an intercultural pedagogical space where Indigenous youth can critically reflect on different knowledge systems, develop research skills, and actively engage in the co-production of knowledge from their own territories, contributing to transforming power dynamics in research and challenging traditional approaches.

This process is embedded within an emerging political ecology, where Indigenous knowledge is not only recovered but integrated as a way for resistance and empowerment. Within two years of piloting, the program has achieved key advances including the co-design of pedagogical modules that incorporate perspectives from four Indigenous peoples, the development of own methodologies, and the increasing interest of indigenous youth engaging more in decision-making spaces of the Federation.

This abstract invite reflection on the progress and challenges faced over the past two years, exploring the dynamics of co-production of knowledge and decolonial critical education within Indigenous territories. This contributes to the discussion on the role of education in transforming power relations and how decolonial pedagogies can strengthen Indigenous territorial governance and empower youth as agents of change within their communities.