Children in Toconao Study Kunza, their Ancestral Language

Sixty-two elementary school students from Toconao Educational Complex will study their ancestral language thanks to the launch and delivery of the Kunza Educational Guide, developed by renown cultural expert and traditional educator from the school, Margarita Chocobar.

This heritage book aims to preserve the ancestral language and teach it to first to fourth-grade students. The text contains words and everyday greetings that the students will learn through drawings and writing.

“It all started when it got a little difficult to teach the Kunza language to the children. I started researching different historians and created material to facilitate learning. To transmit the content to the students, I created my own drawing-based methodology. I made photocopies, and we distributed them to all the classes,” explained the creator of the educational texts, Margarita Chocobar.

The traditional educator will soon launch a new musical album to celebrate her 50^th anniversary as a teacher. She added, “That was the first step and what encouraged me to make educational material that would benefit our students and also help our language stand the test of time, passing it on to future generations and building a legacy for the Lickanantay people.”

The children have already received their Kunza Educational Guides. To support Margarita Chocobar in creating the materials, SQM Salar Production Division employee, Arturo Espinoza, submitted the initiative for consideration under the Company’s 2020 Competitive Funding Grants for Art and Culture.

Cristina Leiva, Head of the Academic Planning Unit at the Toconao Educational Complex, said that “heritage is one of our lines of learning . This instrument will contribute to and facilitate teaching the language of the native people. Before, our children did not have a physical document to work on the content that is now in the guide. This very important tool will support the students and the teachers.”

Spanish-Kunza Guide

The document is the result of years of research by its author. It contains words and full-color images related to everyday situations, objects, greetings and other content in Spanish and Kunza. It is divided into learning units with three purposes: coloring, writing and exercising memory.

“I am very happy to do my part to contribute to teaching and preserving the culture of the Lickanantay people. With this guide and through different learning strategies, children from the town can appreciate the importance of the local native language,” specified Arturo Espinoza, who is in charge of organization-wide projects at SQM Salar.

On that point, Alejandro Bucher, Environment and Community Senior Vice President at SQM Salar, noted, “We are very pleased to be a part of this initiative, which is part of the Company’s four-prong community action plan and will be an important part of developing and preserving local culture to keep the legacy of the native people alive. The Kunza Educational Guide will, without a doubt, play a central role in students remembering their heritage so they can pass it on to future generations.”

ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT SQM SALAR