Learning and Transformations of the Indigenous Territory in Veracruz, Mexico

The contribution of indigenous communities to improve and maintain the cultural biodiversity is recognized in various investigations and in international treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (UN, 1992). However, the contributions of indigenous peoples to sustainability have generally not been socially appreciated. Education is considered a favorable ground for generating proposals in response to historical demands of exclusion of diverse knowledge, such as the indigenous peoples wisdom in view of the environmental degradation and cultural discrimination. In this context, the present article analyzes the learning formation between university actors and producers on peasant and indigenous forest management in the Sierra de Zongolica, Veracruz, Mexico. The analysis provides lessons learned about the transformation of the biodiverse landscape and its relationship with forestry policies and its local repercussions. Strategies of indigenous producers about modern techno-productive readaptation to their diversified culture are shown. Contributions of situated learning related to the peasant/indigeneous agroforestry are also presented.