THE indigenous population composes one of the most important expressions of the Brazilian geographic and cultural space. Although the colonization process was responsible for decimating a large part of this population, as well as having operated the breaking of their customs, many of our habits, quirks and expressions are related to they. In this way, we can say that the cultures and speeches of the Indians are present in all Brazilians.
Around 817 thousand Indians live in the national territory, according to IBGE data. Of this total, more than 500,000 live in rural areas, far from the big cities, while the rest live in cities. This number is subdivided into more than 300 ethnic groups that, together, are responsible for the practice of more than 200 different languages. Among the largest ethnic groups, we can mention the Tikúna, Guarani-Kaiowá and Kaingang. Recent research indicates that these and other peoples lived in South America over 11,000 years ago!
At the time of the Portuguese invasion, it is estimated that the indigenous population was over five million in the region we now call Brazil. Of the various ethnic groups that existed at the time, many were totally extinct, both because of the wars with the colonizers and because of the contagious diseases brought by the European peoples.
Despite these differences in terms of numbers, the number of Indians in Brazil has increased considerably in recent years. In 1991, the total was 214,000 indigenous inhabitants, which represents an increase of 205% between that year and the present day. Even so, they represent only 0.5% of the Brazilian population.
Currently, despite the large number of tribal dialects existing in the country, most of the indigenous population in Brazil speaks Portuguese. This is because most tribes maintain contact with the rest of the population, with few groups living in isolation. In addition, many of them need to speak the Portuguese language to claim their rights, such as the preservation of their spaces and the construction of schools and roads to their villages.
Group of Indians of the “Kuikuro” ethnicity ²
It is worth remembering that, from a constitutional point of view, the indigenous people are as Brazilian as any other citizen of the country, having the right to food, health, education, infrastructure and public policies to maintain their cultural activities. Therefore, it is wrong to consider that tribes or people of indigenous descent do not have the right to live in society and receive social benefits. There is also the Indian Statute, a set of laws that determine and guarantee the rights of Indians in Brazil.
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¹ Image Credits: MAR Photography and Shutterstock
² Image Credits: Valter Campanato/Apr and Wikimedia Commons
By Rodolfo Alves Pena
Graduated in Geography
