Teaching Mapuche Values in Early Childhood Education: Intercultural Practices in Lafkenche Kindergartens

This study examines how Mapuche educational values are incorporated and reinterpreted within Early Childhood Education in Lafkenche contexts. Using a qualitative intercultural approach, research was conducted in three kindergartens in Saavedra, involving children, families, kimches (wise community members), and Indigenous Language and Culture Educators (ELCI). The findings reveal that values such as kümeche (good person), norche (upright person), kimche (wise person), and newenche (strong person) are transmitted through play, storytelling, autonomy, songs, and rituals. Despite these advances, structural gaps remain, such as limited intercultural teacher training, lack of curricular guidance, and weak school–family articulation. The study concludes that moving toward truly intercultural early education demands recognizing kimün (Mapuche wisdom) as a valid source of knowledge and strengthening pedagogical connections between schools, families, and local communities.