Preserving Cofán Cultural Knowledge: Project Update
March 16, 2026
Efforts to preserve and transmit Cofán cultural knowledge are continuing to gain momentum. Through initiatives including the Cofán Encyclopedia, the Lifeboat Garden ethnobotanical learning center, and a new youth leadership summer camp, the Cofán Education Project is building a model for intergenerational cultural transmission. The First Analysis Institute of Integrative Studies (FAI) is proud to support this work and the community leaders driving it forward.
Community Leadership and Cultural Transmission Design
The Cofán Education Project is developing an educational model designed to support the transmission of A’ingae (Cofán) cultural knowledge through community-led instruction rooted in Indigenous knowledge and learning traditions. The Cultural Transmission Design Committee includes Gisela Yumbo, the first woman from the Cofán community of Zabalo to earn a bachelor’s degree; Amelia Quenama Quieta, an elder from the Zabalo Cofán community; and Emily Mosburg Borman, an educator with training in early childhood education and play-based learning. Together with other community members, the committee has worked to design a methodology for teaching cultural knowledge and practices across generations.
Building the Cofán Encyclopedia and Lifeboat Garden
One component of the project is the Cofán Encyclopedia, which compiles cultural knowledge gathered through interviews and collaboration with Cofán community experts. The project has documented medicinal plants, traditional foods, crafts, and other cultural practices. A related initiative is the Lifeboat Garden in Loreto, which serves as a living repository of ethnobotanical knowledge and includes numerous medicinal and useful plant species cultivated for learning and preservation purposes.
Jocani Youth Leaders Summer Camp
The next phase of the project is the Jocani: Cofán Youth Leaders Summer Camp for Cultural Transmission, a two-week program designed to bring Cofán youth together with elders to learn medicinal plant knowledge, cultural practices, storytelling, and spiritual traditions. Participants would also contribute to the ongoing expansion of the Cofán Encyclopedia through video documentation and cultural archiving, helping build a living record of cultural knowledge. The camp will be an annual initiative with a multi-year funding cycle intended to support continuity and youth leadership development across Cofán communities.
Support from the First Analysis Institute
The First Analysis Institute of Integrative Studies (FAI) is proud to support the Cofán Education Project as part of its broader efforts to foster dialogue, understanding, and cultural preservation through educational initiatives. FAI board member Claire Nicklin has played an important role in advancing the partnership and supporting the development of the project. Through programs that include academic partnerships, interfaith dialogue, and global educational initiatives, FAI seeks to encourage cross-cultural engagement and the preservation of cultural heritage.