Spiritual guides and curanderi maya in dialogue with the decolonial paradigm

Abstract

The research line refers to the field of epistemology of education, through an investigation into the Maya world and its ancestral culture, through the semi-structured interview method. We believe that this knowledge has maintained its own autonomy, so much so that it did not fall victim to epistemicity (de Sousa Santos 2021 a) put into effect by the western dominant culture around the world. The concept developed by de Sousa Santos is very effective here. What does not convince us, both in the postcolonial studies and those of decolonization, is the unconditional condemnation of European culture which would result, always on the side of the strongest. The epistemic system is of a hermeneutic character, the methodology uses an ethnographic approach of qualitative type.