A Bilingual Bicultural Education Project in the Upper Marañón

Abstract

This article describes the secondary boarding school for Aguaruna and Huambisa children, the Valentín Salcgui Agricultural Institute, run by Jesuit priests in the Upper Marañón region. The minimum admission age is sixteen, in order to allow for adequate socialization within their own Indigenous culture. Education is bilingual and intercultural. One of the objectives is to train leaders, while another is to enable students to interact with the local Spanish-speaking population with minimal cultural shock, placing special emphasis on the values of Indigenous culture. The curriculum is adapted to the students’ needs and includes training in agriculture and livestock farming. The author also provides information on the educational situation of the Aguaruna and Huambisa throughout the region.