The Path of School Education in the Xapecó Indigenous Land and its importance for the Kaingang people

Abstract

This research study traces the history of school education in the Xapecó Indigenous Land and aims to learn more about the historical process of indigenous school education, its specificities, and the importance of this institution for the Kaingang people and for the revitalization of their culture. It addresses indigenous school education in the context of affirmative action policies and Brazilian legislation. It records and describes the importance and strengthening of Kaingang culture through school education, with community perspectives and knowledge, which intensifies and means a lot to the Kaingang people, in the formation of citizenship and culture. From this perspective, it analyzes the challenges of the 21st century about Kaingang and indigenous school education. It engages with indigenous struggles and public policies to guarantee the permanence of an intercultural, bilingual, differentiated, specific, and community-based school education. It identifies the indigenous school as a space that strengthens ethnic identity, knowledge, and appreciation of the Kaingang tradition, revitalizing and enabling thinking about autonomy and culture.