Effects of youth migration on the loss of ancestral knowledge in the Zumbahua Parish canton Pujilí Province of Cotopaxi

Abstract

This article examines the effects of youth migration on the loss of ancestral knowledge in the rural, predominantly Kichwa parish of Zumbahua, Pujilí canton, Cotopaxi province. This migratory phenomenon, driven by structural factors such as extreme poverty, land scarcity, and a lack of employment and educational opportunities, has generated a significant exodus that fractures the social fabric and jeopardizes local intangible heritage, especially backstrap weaving (waus), traditional medicine, and agriculture. Methodologically, the study combines bibliographic research with fieldwork, employing a mixed-methods approach. A sample of N = 373 surveys was administered to local residents to assess the generational gap in cultural practices. The results reveal a structural contradiction: although 94% of the population maintains a strong ethnic self-identification, intergenerational transmission is experiencing accelerated erosion. Seventy-six percent of families report youth migration to Quito and Latacunga, which catalyzes a diglossia process where 68% of young people reduce their use of Kichwa to avoid urban discrimination. Furthermore, a critical operational asymmetry exists: 64% of young people (18 to 29 years old) claim to know traditional knowledge, but do not practice it, leaving the role of guardians of heritage exclusively to those over 50. It is concluded that cultural safeguarding requires moving beyond a folkloric approach through transdisciplinary strategies that link the critical pedagogy of "Farm-Classrooms," bio-entrepreneurship, and digital co-creation labs, guaranteeing economic sustainability in the territory.