Introduction: Education as Cultural and Ecological Revitalization Among Amazonian Nationalities

The chapter introduces the main themes of the book and the theoretical framework, influenced by a decolonial orientation that seeks to support arguments in favour of the recovery of indigenous languages and knowledge, which centuries of white and Eurocentric political and cultural hegemony have led to erasure. If Ecuador is a country where a plurality of populations coexists, these must have equal citizenship, which is also achieved through policies of epistemic justice, starting with the recognition of their cultures and knowledge. The cultural aspect of political rights is normatively recognized by the Constitution and by reforms in public education; to this end, Ecuador, like other countries, has implemented an intercultural education policy. However, this term is widely used with various interpretations, from mere functionalist to radical ones. Therefore, the chapter analyses the relationship between different types of interculturality and the epistemic and political rights of the Indigenous populations and nationalities recognized by the state.