The last two decades of the 20th century were a time of profound change in our country. When civil society sought the paths of re-democratization, it enacted the new Constitution and hosted the Eco 92 international conference.
It was also the time of the awakening of the original peoples that Brazil, a nation forged on their territories, has been trying to erase through five centuries of violent colonization. Indigenous peoples who stubbornly continue with their cultures, despite all the obstacles, come together at this historic moment to affirm their identity and protect their physical and symbolic territory, in the fight for basic rights for the continuity of life.
The collection of the Núcleo de Cultura Indígena, with its boundless historical, social, cultural and political importance, records some of the first movements of organization and struggle of indigenous peoples in Brazil. And it brings the original voices to vibrate in the air again, with reflections and teachings.
Past, present and future on the wheel of time.
The aim of this project to publicize the collection of the Núcleo de Cultura Indígena is:
- to bring to new generations, both inside and outside the villages, the strength of the work done by indigenous people who were ahead of their time,
- to value the knowledge and strategies of indigenous peoples in their struggle for rights,
- to promote reflection on the achievements and setbacks in the relationship between the indigenous movement and the country’s public policies over time,
- To involve those committed to life, inviting them into actions that help keep the sky aloft, sustaining the balance of the world.
Perhaps the awareness of a part of humanity about the great threats to its survival has contributed to the appreciation of the way of life, cultures and knowledge of traditional peoples. People in different parts of the world are still taking care of what is alive and diverse on the planet.
The collection of the Núcleo de Cultura Indígena gathered here makes a contribution to the questioning and search for paths in this new era. A project whose material took almost two years or hard work to catalogue and digitize, and which is now being released with the financial support of two partner institutions: Forest Trends and another one which prefers to remain anonymous
The collection of the Núcleo de Cultura Indígena – NCI is the portrait of the organic movement, the flow of ideas and proposals springing from many realities, many villages spread throughout the country.
Recordings on cassette tapes – the technology available at the time – took place as a ritual of appropriation of reality. They allowed the words of politicians, authorities and indigenous leaders to be recorded and shared with the community in the villages and in the cities, overcoming distances with messages of support, requests for help and encouragement toward collective action.
At the time, the importance of these actions, gestures and interventions that would mark history was yet unknown. The collection includes interviews, testimonies, audio messages, records of meetings, gatherings, public events, press conferences, village ceremonies and indigenous assemblies. Sometimes it’s the full story, sometimes mere fragments, but it provides an encounter with historical characters and situations of great importance for understanding the moment we’re living in today.
Many tapes have been lost, overwritten (so original content was erased), or were damaged by time and unfavorable storage conditions. The dozens of cassettes lying dormant in cardboard boxes in house cupboards were long to be set free.
And in addition to cassette tapes, video tapes in the various formats that followed: VHS, Hi8, Mini DV, Betacam, as well as letters received from indigenous people and the audience of the Programa de Índio (Rádio USP – 1985 to 1991), project reports, flyers promoting events, articles published in newspapers and magazines.