The construction of indigenous citizenship in Hidalgo: education and communality in the Global South

Abstract

Citizenship, typically understood through Western models, should be enriched with an in-tercultural and decolonial perspective that incorporates the political practices of Indigenous peoples. This article analyzes forms of Indigenous citizenship in communities in Hidalgo, Mexico, from a decolonial perspective and critical anthropology, in order to contribute to the reflection and transformation of education from the Global South. The research, conducted in the regions of Valle de Mezquital, La Huasteca, and Sierra Otomí Tepehua, used ethnography and in-depth interviews. The findings challenge the applicability of Eu-rocentred models of citizenship and suggest the need to recognize an Indigenous form of citizenship. This recognition would enable intercultural dialogue which, in the educational sphere, would involve acknowledging the linguistic, epistemological, and political diversity

of Indigenous peoples.