COFAN Education Project

Preserving the cultural heritage of the Cofan people by developing a community-led curriculum on traditional language and skills

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Learn more about the initiative

In partnership with

Founded in 1999, the Fundación Sobrevivencia Cofán (FSC) is a Cofán-led NGO dedicated to safeguarding the Cofán people’s cultural heritage and their Amazonian rainforest. The Cofán Survival Fund (CSF) is an independent, U.S.-based organization that supports FSC. FSC emerged to meet the urgent needs of the Cofán Nation in Ecuador—after centuries of pressure from conquest, environmental disasters, and modern encroachment—by providing a legitimate institution to raise funds, develop strategies, build national and international partnerships, and advocate for Cofán interests.

Cofan historical and ancestral values, practices, and identities

The Cofan Education Project is a transformative initiative focused on preserving and transmitting the rich cultural heritage of the Cofan people in Amazonian Ecuador and Colombia. This project addresses the urgent need to empower Indigenous communities by strengthening their ability to protect their culture and territory.

Central to the project is FAI's vision of using a simplified mechanism known as the “3, 6, & 9 Triune,” which involves three key components: “integrative guidance” as a basic information orientation, “interactive enabler” as an exchange between entities, and “encompassing unifier” as the impact of uniting these elements. This framework can be applied to a wide range of global issues, particularly in the realm of cultural preservation and empowerment for socially disadvantaged groups.

FAI’s first effort in this direction focuses on the Cofan people. This challenge takes on a global urgency since Indigenous Peoples are stewards of over 70% of the world’s natural areas, representing one of the largest carbon sinks in dealing with climate change. Since 2021, Oliver and Claire Niklin, on behalf of FAI have worked with Amelia Quenama, Gissela Yumbo, and Emmy Mosburg Borman to create an innovative cultural transmission program. The curriculum includes subjects such as medicinal and food plants, the A’ingae language, traditional hunting, fishing, crafts, building techniques, and cooking methods.

This program aims to preserve and teach Cofan traditions in a manner that honors both traditional knowledge and modern educational practices. Working alongside community experts, the team has documented over 100 medicinal plants, along with traditional techniques, foods, crafts, and daily practices of the Cofan people. This valuable information is being compiled into a comprehensive Cofan Encyclopedia to safeguard this cultural heritage.

Beyond the immediate benefit to the Cofan communities of Ecuador and Colombia, the project can serve as a model for other indigenous communities, offering a framework that emphasizes self-determined cultural preservation rather than externally imposed values. At the same time, this integrative guidance extends to training for incorporating modern technologies involving motorized canoes, drones, and geographic information systems. Importantly, all of these educational programs are interactively shared among the Cofan community to favorably impact their viability.

It is hoped that other indigenous communities and the Ministry of Education will adapt and build on this curriculum, thereby being an “encompassing unifier”.

Looking forward, the team is focused on securing additional funding to complete and distribute the Cofan Encyclopedia to the community members. The next phase of the project involves launching a pilot program for Cofan youth, where participants will learn traditional skills like the A’ingae language, hunting, fishing, medicinal plant knowledge, and crafts. Cofan community experts will lead the instruction, supported by a team of Cofan teachers who will guide both field and classroom activities.

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Cofan Education Project:
Cultural Transmission Project Design Overview

The Cofan Education Project aims to create a unique methodology for transmitting cultural knowledge that diverges significantly from the approaches employed by many government agencies, non-governmental organizations, missionary groups, and other non-indigenous educational projects. The focus is to preserve and pass on the essential cultural knowledge of the Cofan people while adapting it to modern contexts, ensuring that it resonates with the community's current and future needs.

Key Elements for Success

Bridges to the Past and Future: Ensuring that the essential cultural knowledge is effectively passed from one generation to the next, with an emphasis on strengthening cultural identity.
Indigenous-Centric Approach: Linking traditional knowledge and information systems in a manner that aligns with indigenous formats and priorities, avoiding reliance on stereotypes and external perceptions.
Relevance to Modern Life: The methodology is designed to be applicable to Cofan life in the present, ensuring its continued relevance in the current societal landscape.

Phases of the Project

Consultation Phase: Engaging with the Cofan community to identify which aspects of their cultural identity should be preserved and transmitted to future generations.

Development Phase: Designing a structured approach to teaching the identified cultural knowledge, ensuring it is consistent with the community’s values and priorities.

Implementation Phase: Testing the theoretical methodology through a demonstration of knowledge acquisition and cultural transmission to assess the effectiveness of the approach.

Key Objectives

Gain approval from the Ministry of Education for the Cofan Education Project to be recognized as a legitimate and supported educational model for the Cofan community.
Strengthen the Cofan people’s cultural identity by developing methodologies that are specifically Cofan-centric.
Formalize the inclusion of Cofan cultural content into the formal education system.
Recover and reinforce ancestral knowledge, ensuring it remains a cornerstone of Cofan identity and knowledge systems.

Future Implications and Objectives

Cultural Integration for Youth: Cofan youth completing the program will integrate ancestral values, practices, and identities into their modern lives, blending traditional wisdom with contemporary challenges. This approach empowers them to “see with both eyes,” navigating various contexts with the strength of their dual perspectives.

Global Indigenous Model: The project invites other indigenous communities worldwide to adopt the Cofan Education Project as a model, promoting indigenous-centered identities and encouraging cultural revitalization and renewal. The ultimate goal is to empower indigenous peoples to reclaim and reinforce their cultural heritage, free from external impositions.