A Dissertation

In place of such destructive coloniality, indigenous societies shelter unique ecological and linguistic knowledge that continues to serve their progress. This research applies lessons learned from studying with Ngäbe communities of western Panama, towards a viable process of decolonization underpinned by an indigenous orthography and pedagogy. The dissertation contributes to political ecology by showing how to apply linguistic anthropology to simultaneously support the indigenous struggles in defending their home and advance human geography’s epistemic horizon.