Latin American perspectives on Indigenous social work: in search of mind, body, and soul

Abstract

Despite sharing different cultures, customs, and pasts, Indigenous peoples in Latin America often face similar problems such as eviction from their ancestral lands, persecution, cultural genocide, and loss of their livelihoods. Yet, their knowledges and socio-cultural practices persist and have a lot to contribute to social work theory and practice despite being largely overlooked in Eurocentric and western social work curricula and formal education. Even though Indigenous social work has become a more popularized topic, the mainstream literature on the subject has often ignored the experiences of Latin American countries. Considering that, the aims of this article are at exploring, mapping, and presenting a synthesis of main concepts, trends, and values that could orientate social workers in their practice with Indigenous people and communities in the region of Latin America.