Abstract
The Catholic Church has played a key role in the processes of conquest and colonization of indigenous peoples in Argentina. Its efforts were addressed to a great extent to indigenous children. This, in many regions, implied the development of an important net of religious schools where, in different ways, they have tried to transmit to these children catholic contents and meanings. In this paper we set out to analyze comparatively contemporary projects of different catholic congregations towards Mapuche and Toba/Qom children, exploring simultaneously how children themselves receive such proposals. Considering such processes are not homogenous nor lineal, we will conclude putting forward anthropological insights on children’s appropriation and agency concepts.
Keywords:
childhood; indigenous peoples; catholic education; agency