Comparative analysis of academic production on the Kukama people in Brazil and Peru (1992-2025)

Curioso-Vílchez I.C.; Fernandes-Moreira D. · Desde el Sur (2026) · DOI: 10.21142/des-1802-2026-e0034

Resumen

The Kukama are an Amazonian indigenous people who have taken center stage in the tri-border region (Brazil, Peru, and Colombia) amid geopolitical and socio-environmental conflicts, as well as concerns about the disappearance of their language and local practices. This research aims to identify how undergraduate and graduate researchers organized academic research on the Kukama people in Brazil and Peru, based on three axes or categories of analysis: the institutional and educational context, the methodological process, and the areas of interest linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study accessed the national institutional repositories of Brazil (BDTD) and Peru (RENATI) and identified 66 academic works produced over the last three decades (1992-2025): 30 from Brazil and 36 from Peru. We conducted an exploratory literature review using a mixed-methods approach at the comparative level. In conclusion, the main results show that researchers in both countries conducted these studies in the Amazon region, with 5 works by self-identified Indigenous researchers and 61 by self-identified non-Indigenous researchers. A qualitative approach prevails (65.15%, n=43), while the rest employ a quantitative approach (16.67%, n=11) and a mixed approach (18.18%, n=12). In addition, the projects mainly contribute to the following SDGs: Quality Education (SDG 4), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11). Finally, these global goals should be rethought, considering local indigenous epistemologies and practices.

Instituciones: Universidad Científica del Sur