KALAPALO BASKETRY: TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE AND ITS INTERFACE WITH INDIGENOUS SCHOOL EDUCATION
Kalapalo; Atau Hanügü; Indigenous basketry; tangible and intangible heritage; intercultural teaching.
This dissertation examines Kalapalo basketry, particularly the Atau Hanügü, based on research conducted by me as a Kalapalo Indigenous teacher and researcher in Jaramü Village, Xingu Indigenous Territory, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The research continues a study initiated in 2016 and arises from concerns about the decreasing opportunities for knowledge related to basket making to be practiced and taught to younger generations. I understand basketry as both tangible and intangible heritage and as a system of knowledge that brings together territory, raw materials, weaving techniques, graphic patterns, Indigenous language, narratives, and our own ways of teaching and learning. The aim is to analyze how this knowledge is taught and transmitted across generations and how its inclusion in teaching practices at the Indigenous school can contribute to its strengthening and continuity. This qualitative research draws on oral narratives, interviews conducted in the Indigenous language with elders and knowledge holders, written and photographic records, observation of the basket-making process, and a workshop carried out with students from the village school. The experience showed that learning basketry involves observing, listening, practicing, and receiving guidance from those who hold this knowledge, reaffirming the central role of elders in the teaching process. As an Educational Product, the research will produce the Kalapalo Basketry Catalogue, bringing together authorized records on materials, stages of basket making, weaving techniques, graphic patterns, Indigenous language, and narratives. The research understands the Atau Hanügü as living heritage, whose continuity depends on relationships that enable this knowledge to continue being practiced, taught, and learned across generations.