Critical Interculturality and Epistemic Justice in Higher Education: Towards a Transformative Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in Colombia

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the epistemic and structural barriers that hinder the inclusion of Indigenous peoples in higher education in Colombia. From a critical interculturality approach, it argues that inclusion cannot be limited to access but must deeply transform curricular, pedagogical, and institutional structures. Using a qualitative methodology based on double-reflection ethnography, the experiences of Indigenous students in conventional universities are examined, identifying obstacles such as epistemic racism, the exclusion of ancestral knowledge, and the inadequacy of substantive intercultural policies. The findings show that current measures, although well-intentioned, often reproduce paternalistic and Eurocentric approaches. Consequently, the article proposes an educational policy model grounded in epistemic justice and the active participation of Indigenous peoples as epistemic subjects. This perspective not only enriches the university system but also drives the democratization of knowledge and the transformation toward a plural, equitable, and decolonizing university.