Estratégias de permanência de indígenas estudantes na Universidade Federal do Pará: desafios e resistência

Abstract

The Federal University of Pará/UFPA UFPA is known as one of the public institutions that receives the most indigenous and quilombola students through the Special Selection Process- IQ. However, although it is recognized as one of the pioneers in reserving vacancies for indigenous students, according to the report presented at the IQ Seminar, a significant number of dropouts are observed in the courses. Therefore, this dissertation aims to identify and describe the resistance strategies for the permanence of indigenous students at UFPA. To achieve this objective, during the field research, between 2021 and 2023, the theoretical and methodological assumptions of multisited and digital ethnography, visual anthropology, and biographical approach were used. This research presents the narratives of life trajectory and struggle of indigenous students, as well as the tools created from the pressure exerted by these students. As conclusions, it is concluded that although the university reserves vacancies for indigenous students at UFPA, there is still a long way to go to combat the existing racism in the institution, as well as to improve and expand policies for the permanence of indigenous people in the university. Challenges faced by them were observed, such as adaptation to academic writing, change of city and quality of life, as well as facing racism. This research concludes by pointing out two issues: first, the processes of transformation in the university are due to pressures exerted by the indigenous students themselves, who are part of the Association of Indigenous Peoples Students of the Federal University of Pará, as well as actions taken in conjunction with professors; in this sense, UFPA needs to create an effective institutional policy against the evasion of indigenous students, through the expansion of the number of permanent assistance and housing scholarships, for example.