As the main axis of the Community Engagement Model of the Bií Hioxo wind farm, located in Oaxaca, Mexico, the Nacanu’ Bií Community House has established Culture and Education as fundamental pillars. In line with this vision, a significant panel was held on February 16th to commemorate “International Education Day”, highlighting the importance of education rooted in cultural and indigenous richness.
In Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, where 52.9% of the population speaks at least one indigenous language, such as Zapotec with 58,626 speakers, Zoque with 699 and Mixe with 274, this event takes on special relevance.
Over the past year, close collaboration has been forged with 12 educational institutions, from primary to secondary school levels, close to the project. On this occasion, a special invitation was extended to teachers from these schools, resulting in the participation of 33 educators from Juchitán, Playa Vicente and Santa María Xadani.
The event, which lasted 3 hours, was marked by group dynamics, physical activation activities and, as a central axis, the outstanding participation of the poet Héctor Lii and the linguist Agustín Valdivieso. Both shared valuable teaching strategies in an enriching open forum.
This initiative provided a space for teachers to share experiences, strategies and challenges inherent to teaching indigenous languages. Encouraging these encounters not only promotes the learning of the Zapotec language, but also strengthens the social fabric with one of the wind farm’s stakeholders.
Some of the teachers’ testimonies reflect the positive impact of the event:
Williams Luis Regalado, headmaster of Cristóbal Colón Primary School, Nueva Creación, shared: “Today we had a wonderful event hosted by the Nacanu’ Bií Community House. It was an excellent event with very interesting topics, a cultural exchange of educational institutions was achieved”.
Nora Martínez Vicente, teacher at Año de Juárez Primary School, said: “I found this event very fruitful, I will take with me pleasant experiences from my fellow teachers. Without a doubt, these activities greatly enrich our knowledge”.
Erick Abraham Vidal Sánchez, headmaster of the Cristóbal Colón Primary School, Playa Vicente, added:“I would like to express my thanks and congratulations to the entire team of the Community House and the Bií Hioxo wind farm for promoting these activities. I learned a lot and it opened up a different perspective for me”.
