Abstract:

Nicaragua is located in the center of Central America. Its Pacific coast is well developed and is the hub of political and economic movement and thus, the dominant culture of the country. Along the Caribbean coast exist several indigenous groups, namely, the “original peoples”: the Mayangna, Miskito and Rama. Other groups include the Creole, Garifuna, and Miskito.

This paper explores the major points raised by students of national universities In Nicaragua, UNAN-Managua, the largest university in the country, and URACCAN, The University of Autonomous Northern Region of the Caribbean Coast. The latter is one of two that have been created for the benefit of the distinct subcultures that exist in the north and south autonomous regions of the country.

This paper explores the following question: What is equity for indigenous students based on their perception as expressed verbally and through writing in response to the questions posed. This is a research process of empathy to understand their feelings and perspectives. The focus of this exploration is defining the types of sacrifice that these students are making that may not be shared by their peers from majority populations or the dominant culture of Nicaragua.
The indigenous students unanimously expressed that attending university is a sacrifice. The preliminary investigation reveals five areas of concern:
1. Language: Accelerated acquisition of additional languages necessary to succeed academically and socially
2. Cost: Substantial financial need despite the tuition, housing, and meals the universities provide
3. Travel: Physical distance, travel time, and cost to and from home communities
4. Environment: Stress of an urban environment on those who come from small rural or forest communities
5. Racism: Subtle and overt differences in treatment based on skin color.

The paper explains the process of this early-stage research and is an attempt to group the ideas expressed to the lead author in the individual and group interviews.

Keywords:

Equity, Indigenous, Students, Sacrifice, Culture.