About the presentation: How can Indigenous languages and knowledges reshape the ways universities teach, research, and engage with communities? Centering the Quechua concept of ayni—a practice of reciprocity and collaboration—this talk will examine how Indigenous knowledge systems can transform the public humanities. The presentation will analyze the role of higher education in amplifying Indigenous voices, with particular attention to Quechua language revitalization in Latin America and its diasporas, including the United States. Through examples from community partnerships, curriculum design, and cultural initiatives, the talk will discuss how ayni functions as both a theoretical framework and a practical methodology for building relationships between universities and Indigenous communities. These approaches challenge colonial legacies, broaden understandings of what counts as knowledge, and foster innovation in areas such as environmental justice, language policy, and migration studies. Ultimately, the discussion will invite participants to envision a more inclusive and collaborative future for the humanities, one in which Indigenous knowledges and voices are key to enriching public discourse.
About the presenter: Dr. Américo Mendoza-Mori is an interdisciplinary scholar of Latin American, Latinx, and Indigenous studies. He is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at St. Olaf College, in Minnesota. His research has been published in PMLA, the International Journal of the Sociology of Language, and Chiricú Journal, and featured by the United Nations, the Library of Congress, BBC, NPR, TEDx, and The New York Times. He co-founded The Quechua Alliance, and previously has held leadership roles such as Faculty Director of the Latinx Studies Working Group at Harvard University and founder of the University of Pennsylvania’s Quechua Program. Mendoza-Mori collaborates actively with academic and community-based organizations in the Andes the United States.