Educação infantil Tentehar: encontro e (des) encontros no limiar de um diálogo intercultural

Abstract

The study of specific situations occurring in indigenous schools can contribute to a holistic vision of the teaching process for various ethnic groups since the individual analysis of some difficulties and beneficial methods in pedagogic practice has the potential to indicate promising solutions to dialogical problems, and thus to suggest a contextualized intercultural education. My thesis investigates the process of Children’s Education (CE) experienced by Tentehar children. The research was conducted through an ethnographical qualitative approach, and the theoreticalmethodological references were based on the study of ethnic borderlines and the indigenous school as a border area. The chosen methods were: 1) fieldwork; 2) semi-structured interviews of two teachers, one supervisor, and the pedagogical counselor of indigenous CE and an elder; 3) an examination of the following documents: ‘Teaching Philosophy in the City of Grajau - MA for Indigenous CE,’ ‘National Educational Guidelines for Indigenous CE,’ and teaching materials; and 4) photographs taken during class activities. I observed that the intercultural education of Tentehar children has been carried out with many contradictions and misunderstandings, which may be explained by the conflicting ideas between the official discourse for cultural interchange and the opinion of native Brazilian movements’ leaders who value intracultural appraisal of ethnic identities. I believe that the epistemological bases of the curriculum practiced in the Tentehar CE are eurocentric because, while the Teaching Proposal preaches a progressive educational approach, the actual syllabus ignores Tentehar ethnic traditions, beliefs, and principals. Some of the main differing aspects of the Tentehar CE are: the absence of Tentehar people’s voice in the curriculum, the lack of specific and differentiated material, the predominance of teachers who are non-indigenous and/or do not speak the indigenous language, and the near absence of interaction between non-indigenous teachers and Tentehar students. Nevertheless, the practice of maintaining each child’s parent or guardian (usually a woman) in the class was considered positive for allowing the students to feel safe. Even though the bilingual translator teachers are important in the interaction between non-indigenous teachers and the children, s/he faces ambiguity and contradictions regarding their actual role. The research was conducted at two indigenous pre-schools, in urban and rural areas; however, no significant differences between them were observed, which yields the issue of difference versus homogenization. Henceforth, the government provides a democratic discourse for intercultural education, but no real equality conditions for it to happen, thus generating even more factors of social and cultural exclusion in the practice of native people’s schooling.