“Humanizar”: aprendizajes sobre alteridad, salud y futuro en una experiencia de investigación compartida

ABSTRACT The visit to Bogotá of a fééeneminaa (Muinane) friend, Célimo Nejedeka Jifichíu, and in particular, his work in researching and transmitting traditional health knowledge, offer the pretext to navigate the relationship between elements that at first glance seem distant from each other: indigenous imaginaries about otherness, their visions of the future, and health. From a Muinane perspective, building the future means to constantly “humanizing” —incorporating, subjectivizing— the word of life of the origin for living well. This, however, is not a solitary task, but rather a laborious interaction with the Other, whether human or non‐human. A good life cannot be achieved without the desiring and skillful engagement with alterity; although intrinsically threatening, alterity energizes the permanent recreation of indigenous society and, by entering into relationship with it, humans “humanize it” and humanize themselves at once, forming themselves as “true humans of the future.” This article, the result of a long‐term collaborative research process, explores how the learning and practical application of Muinane health knowledge forge sociality, while also expanding our understanding of what it means to co‐investigate within an indigenous context.