Participatory Research and Collaborative Arts: Pathways With the Mbya Guarani and Gunadule Peoples for Environmental Justice

This article discusses two participatory research experiences developed with the Mbya Guarani (Brazil) and Gunadule (Panama) peoples. It examines how relationships and collaboration were built through social, artistic, and spiritual practices, highlighting their potential to strengthen intercultural and decolonial research. Anchored in Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), the paper focuses on the methodological journey: how artistic, oral, and collective techniques—such as culture circles, songs, storytelling, sketch maps, and shared walks—were co-designed and adapted to local epistemologies. It explores how these arts-based and community-centered methods can guide other participatory experiences in Indigenous and intercultural contexts. By integrating artistic expression, spirituality, and dialogue, the study shows how participatory methodologies foster the co-creation of knowledge, epistemic reciprocity, and creative collaboration. It also articulates how Indigenous epistemologies, through the water–energy–food nexus (Gunadule) and the notion of “true food” (Mbya Guarani), offer pathways to reimagine sustainability, health, and food security from plural worldviews.