LITERACY AND SCHOOLING IN INDIGENOUS LANDS IN BRAZIL IN THE ’1990S AND ’2000S

Abstract

The paper discusses the movement of indigenous literacy and schooling in Brazil in the ’1990s and ’2000s. It initially analyzes the relationship of some social movements with the changes that occurred vis-à-vis the indigenous population in general, such as the inclusion of the category “indigenous” in the censuses, the significant increase in the number of people who identify themselves as indigenous and the decision to put indigenous education under the competence of the Ministry of Education. It then describes the conceptual and political change represented by the indigenous school, as well as the large expansion of the school network and the rise in the number of enrollments in Indigenous Lands. Finally, the paper raises the question whether the indigenous school might represent not only a possibility of dialogue with the nonindigenous population, but also a means of affirmation and liberation for indigenous people.