“UNO SIEMPRE VUELVE A DONDE LE ENTERRARON EL OMBLIGO”: TRAYECTORIAS EDUCATIVAS EN JÓVENES DEL RESGUARDO INDÍGENA DE PITAYÓ, COLOMBIA

Abstract

This article analyzes the educational trajectories in a migratory context of a group of eight Nasa Indigenous people from the Resguardo of Pitayó, Colombia. Using in-depth interviews, it shows that their migration decisions do not align with human capital theory, which argues that educational migration seeks to improve income and social mobility. Instead of seeking economic benefits, the participants returned to their communities due to social capital, understood as the community support networks that facilitate their return to the territory. This research shows that, while the initial migration was educational, the return was driven by their commitment to the community, which contradicts the predictions of economic theory. This study highlights that return is not taken as a failure, but rather as a reaffirmation of cultural and community bonds, challenging the vision of the city as the only space of opportunity in migratory contexts.