Tradición oral e identidad cultural en el cantón Pallatanga

Oral tradition in the canton of Pallatanga, province of Chimborazo, is a pillar in the transmission of knowledge, values and customs, strengthening both cultural identity and social cohesion. Historically, it has acted as a mechanism of resistance to sociocultural changes; however, it is currently facing an accelerated process of erosion caused by phenomena such as migration, globalization, the expansion of digital media and the adoption of educational models detached from local culture. Cultural identity, understood as a dynamic process, is particularly affected by the interruption of traditional oral channels, essential for the preservation of intangible heritage. From a qualitative approach, through documentary and hermeneutic analysis, the main local narratives were identified, among them: “La caja ronca” and “La dama de blanco”, and their role as mechanisms of moral education, social control and symbolic safeguard of the territory was analyzed. The study argues that oral tradition should not be conceived as an inert vestige of the past, but as a dynamic resource that allows communities to reinterpret their history and face contemporary challenges. It stresses the need to integrate these narratives into educational settings and community projects as a strategy to revitalize collective memory and strengthen cultural identity in the face of transculturation processes. Active preservation of the echoes of memory in Pallatanga is crucial not only to safeguard intangible heritage, but also to foster local development based on diversity and cultural resilience.