Approach to the oral tradition of the Misak people, Cauca, Colombia

Abstract

This article aims to shed light on the significance and relevance of the oral tradition of the Guambianos or Misak, an indigenous group residing in southern Colombia, specifically in the department of Cauca. Through their oral tradition, they have cultivated collective memory and cultural resistance. Additionally, this text presents a series of reflections on the systematic decline of native languages in contexts such as Colombia, as well as their diminishing prominence within institutional and academic spheres. In this regard, an analysis of primary and secondary sources was conducted to investigate and characterize the oral tradition of the Misak people, taking a historical approach based on various ethnographic documents. The main finding reveals that stories, legends, myths, proverbs, beliefs, life narratives, and other forms of expression serve as different means of preserving the oral tradition of this community. Finally, the article concludes by proposing a set of reflections on the oral tradition of local communities, particularly the Misak people, while also addressing the institutional, cultural, and pedagogical constraints that have been identified in relation to this topic.