The Reality of Indigenous Brazilians
The term “Indigenous Brazilians” is a wide term, as they refer to groups that at other times lived in the southern region of the Atlantic Forest, such as the “Guarani”, and in the interior and coast, such as the “Pataxó” and “Tupinambá”. Indigenous groups can differ according to the level of contact with non-native civilizations. They can be considered as isolated (rare and accidental contacts), intermittent contact (permanent contact with non-natives) and integrated (speak Portuguese or work in cities).
According to the Brazilian government, the indigenous population today is around 800 thousand inhabitants. If we compare the number of Indians since the arrival of the Portuguese, it is evident that this minority was practically decimated. In the year 1500, it is estimated that Brazil was inhabited by a number of 11 million natives living in about 2,000 groups. Indigenous people were (and still are) extremely vulnerable to common diseases, such as influenza and measles, to which they have no immunity. This contact led to overwhelming epidemics, thus causing one of the main reasons for the rapid decline in the number of natives early on.
In indigenous lands, in theory, the exploitation of water resources and mineral wealth can only be done with the authorization of the Brazilian State. But the reality is that environmental preservation areas in indigenous territories are targets for illegal resource extraction and advancing deforestation for the use of land for livestock. This advance in unauthorized extraction means that the indigenous population has to constantly move to cities and adapt to a completely different reality. In cities, they struggle to get a job, as they did not have a formal education like the rest of Brazilian society.
Indigenous political groups have been an increasingly common scene in Brasilia, capital of Brazil and government headquarters. This is because, in addition to being more politically organized, a series of projects that directly affect indigenous issues and rights are in the National Congress. Despite this current mobilization, the opposite groups (related to the farms and extraction business) still have a lot of political power, keeping this battle very fierce.
The indigenous culture is present in the mother language, in customs, songs, dances, body paintings, narratives, knowledge and technologies. It is one of the roots of the current Brazilian culture. Its features are found in different everyday moments of Brazilians: in our food, in objects, in the knowledge of medicinal herbs, in the nomenclature of animals, in folklore, religions, in traditional cultural manifestations and in relationship with nature.
In more isolated villages, indigenous culture is strong and “preserved”. But the great reality today is that most Indians are immersed in two cultures and two worlds: living with whites and experiencing traditional culture. Historically, the greater the coexistence with non-natives, the greater the risk of losing traditions. Despite hundreds of years of contact with non-indigenous society and facing theft and invasion of their lands, most indigenous people still struggle to maintain their language, customs and culture. In the current context, the preservation of territory and culture are the main challenges for indigenous people in Brazil.
References:
Azevedo, Marta Maria. (2013). Quem são. Fundação Nacional do Índio. http://www.funai.gov.br/index.php/indios-no-brasil/quem-sao#:~:text=A%20atual%20popula%C
