Tabajara andou na mata : um estudo sobre o papel dos processos técnicos no fortalecimento da identidade indígena no litoral sul da Paraíba

Abstract

For more than a century, the Tabajara people were forced to deny their ethnic identity to society, once again asserting themselves as indigenous people at the beginning of the 21st century. From that moment on, an intense process of strengthening the culture began. But how do you reorganize a culture that has suffered a strong attempt at erasure? Bearing in mind that the practical and technical activities carried out on a daily basis leave potentially important traces for understanding the way of life of a people, we seek to bring to light some reflections on how certain apparently recent practical actions were elaborated during this process. struggle for self-knowledge and national recognition. We will show through some examples of ancient daily practices of the territory that all Tabajara identity, easily observed today, always existed and that it was only fragmented in the individualities of people and family groups. From the reflections on activities always reproduced in the territory, it simply rekindles. This research seeks to highlight the role of technical processes in strengthening the Tabajara ethnic identity of the South Coast of Paraíba, showing that activities, knowledge and practical skills not only speak about ethnic identity, but actually prove it.