Tradition and Transformation of Social Representations of Adolescent Pregnancy in the Family and the Nasa Indigenous community

Abstract

This qualitative study, using a collaborative ethnographic approach, explored the social representations of adolescent pregnancy in the Nasa community of the Huila Indigenous Reserve in Río Negro, Colombia. The objective was to identify care practices, beliefs, and traditions related to pregnancy within this community. Collaborative ethnography, understood as a horizontal process between researchers and participants, provided insight into the Nasa people's ways of life and cultural knowledge. The Nasa settled in Río Negro, Huila, following the Páez River avalanche in 1994. The findings reveal that pregnancy is understood as an act of cultural resistance and a means of cultural continuity rather than as a public health problem. For the Nasa, adolescent pregnancy is not considered a mistake but rather a challenge when it interferes with educational goals and the training of future professionals within the territory. Metaphorically, pregnancy is viewed as a “seed” that connects with the land and reaffirms the importance of the territory as a fundamental space for family life and cultural strengthening. Although modernity and historical conflicts have affected community life, social organization, ancestral knowledge, and access to state programs adapted to the community’s context have been key tools for preserving its identity. These strategies, led by community members, reflect their determination to resist the influences of an invasive Western culture while preserving their identity as the Nasa Indigenous people.