Procesos comunicativos en comunidades indígenas y su preservación cultural al interactuar con medios digitales y nuevas tecnologías.

Abstract

This article examines the communicative processes of indigenous communities in Ecuador and their interaction with digital media, aiming to understand how traditional forms of communication are articulated with new technologies to preserve cultural identity and native languages. The study followed a qualitative approach, using direct observation and document analysis as research techniques. It focused on communicative experiences through platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and community radio, where indigenous groups produce and share content in their own languages. The findings reveal that these communities preserve ancestral practices based on orality, symbolism, ritual, and collectivity, which have been reinterpreted through digital tools, creating a hybrid communication model. This convergence has strengthened social organization, intercultural education, and territorial defense. However, it also faces challenges such as the digital divide, the decline of oral traditions among younger generations, and the risk of technological dependence. The study concludes that indigenous communication is not a mere modernization process, but a form of cultural resistance, where technologies are critically appropriated according to their own worldviews. The article emphasizes the importance of public policies that support and enhance these communicative processes as part of inclusive and intercultural development.