Diagnosis of the teaching of indigenous languages and Portuguese in Leonardo Crixi Apiaká, Juporijup and Krixi Barompô schools, in the Apiaká-Kayabi Indigenous Land, Juara – Mato Grosso
Indigenous culture. Indigenous School Education. Teaching indigenous languages. Original peoples. Apiaká-Kayabi Indigenous Land, Juara.
School education is the hope of indigenous peoples for definitely conquer rights and land. In search of indigenous autonomy and the implementation of public policies for their school education, the main thesis of this dissertation is the teaching of indigenous languages and Portuguese in the Leonardo Crixi Apiaká, Juporijup and Krixi Barompô schools, in the Apiaká-Kayabi Indigenous Land, Juara – Mato Grosso, advocating the appreciation of indigenous culture in pedagogical practices. For this, we outlined the role schools and teachers should play in this process. Therefore, this research aimed to study the space of indigenous language preservation practices in schools located in three indigenous villages. Sociolinguistics assumptions and its aspects supported the theoretical framework with studies on contact between languages, on multilingualism and on Educational Sociolinguistics oriented by the multilingual context, and viewing school as a space for sociolinguistic discussions. Our purpose was to indicate solutions or improvements for the formal teaching of the mother tongue, and to resolve problems faced by such teaching, one of the most important factors especially in the school context. Methodology included bibliographical, documentary, ethnographic and field research, as well as the qualitative one to help expand knowledge about indigenous communities and procedures to preserve and revitalize their languages. For this, researcher interacted with indigenous communities to obtain and better absorb knowledge about these peoples. The research proceeded with a cut to address intercultural and other sociolinguistic aspects within indigenous schools, which, we believe, subsidize studies on Indigenous School Education, and allow the schools of those and other peoples to rethink their education, their teaching, and fight for the maintenance of their native language. Guided by assumptions of sociolinguistics, we considered and analyzed beliefs, values, and feelings, philosophy of life and attitudes of the participating subjects in order to suggest elements for an adequate and effective indigenous formal education. The study researched the languages spoken in indigenous communities to find out how they revitalize and maintain them to prevent their disappearance. Results pointed to the need to guarantee the right to teach both the Portuguese and the native languages to all indigenous people, but always in compliance with their specificities and plurilingualism. In addition, we claim that the governmental educational legislation should always guide this teaching, however by means of actions aimed at the dialogue and the opening of multiple spaces, in every possible way, for an alternative education capable of meeting the demands of valuing culture, knowledge and indigenous people’s languages, inside and outside school curricula.