THE INDIAN IN WARADZU’S SCHOOL: THE XAVANTE OF NOVA XAVANTINA/MT

Abstract

Currently indigenous on the urban space is a constant, both in small towns and in large cities and, in this context some people understand that migration to urban space as a loss of ethnic identity of indigenous groups. However, this evolutionary view does not realize that the appropriation that indigenous do from urban space reveals a way of being Indian in the city context. Thus, when they migrate to the cities, the indigenous seek for knowledge, rights, studies and citizenship. And in order to contribute to the field of study that examines this migration, this research focuses on Xavante’ s children and teenagers’ students, residents in Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso. The main objective is to understand the statement of Xavante identity after migration to the city, in the school context. For this purpose, an ethnographic study was conducted in two public schools in the city, using as a technique for collecting data participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, informal conversations and document analysis. Data were collected in the years 2009 and 2010 and were interviewed 10 children / teenagers aged 10 to 17 years. As a result the research reiterated the premise that considers to be in contact with the white does not make the Xavante less indigenous, because their ethnic ties and appreciation to their customs have continuity in the urban space. More than that, in the city the Xavante identity is reaffirmed and the school context shows as an important place to obtain knowledge that helps in the defense of their ethnic.