LINGUISTIC IDEOLOGIES IN ATACAMEÑA, COLLA AND DIAGUITA EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

We are witnessing a reinforcement of the bilingual intercultural education policy in Chile. This process stands out for its emphasis on promoting the indigenous languages of all native peoples recognized by the State, regardless of their current validity. Thus, ethnic and educational actors from the Atacameña, Colla and Diaguita contexts –peoples in the north of Chile whose indigenous languages are considered “dormant”– have been compelled to establish positions regarding the idea of reconstructing their languages. In this framework, this article analyzes the linguistic ideologies associated with the processes of reconstruction of indigenous languages in Atacamenian, Colla and Diaguita educational spaces. The research is based on a collective case study made up of eight educational communities. The results indicate the existence of three discursive paths of reconstruction: the scientific reconstruction, the social transmission, and the artistic/spiritual one.