In this article we explore the possibility of implementing local mathematical practices in the mathematics curriculum. This research relies on two theoretical frameworks that focus on the value of culture in relation to the study of science and scientific practices in relation to the learning process. The analysis is based on two empirical long-term ethnographical investigations in different places and with different peoples. The field research was carried out in the Northern Ambrymese society (Ambrym Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific) and in the region of Aritapera, a rural area near the city of Santarém, state of Pará, North of Brazil. The local activities investigated in this empirical research can be described as, respectively, string figure-making and handcrafted cuias. The peoples involved are the Ambrymese society (South Pacific) and the craftswomen from the city of Santarém, organized since 2003 in the Santarém Riverside Craftswomen Association (ASARISAN). Based on the comparative analysis and exploration which will improve our understanding of the implementation of local mathematical practices in the mathematics curriculum, we will also show the added value of these implementations and we will provide some guidelines for best practices.