Introduction to Indigenous Languages and Cultures of Brazil 3305-JPU-U
The course is seminar-based and oriented toward academic discussion and research. It aims to introduce students to central issues in the study of Indigenous languages and cultures of Brazil, with attention to linguistic, cultural, historical, and socio-political approaches. The course is not designed as practical instruction in a specific Indigenous language. Its purpose is to develop conceptual and analytical tools necessary for the critical reading of academic texts and for understanding the complex linguistic and cultural situation of Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
The course covers:
- Indigenous peoples in the history of Brazil, colonialism, assimilation, and cultural resistance,
- linguistic diversity in Brazil and major issues in the classification of Indigenous languages,
- the Tupi stock, the Tupi-Guarani family, the Macro-Jê stock, and selected unclassified languages,
- general languages, language contact, and the history of language policies in colonial Brazil,
- multilingualism, language shift, language loss, revitalization, and vitalization,
- Indigenous school education and the relations between school, community, language, and territory,
- oral narratives, memory, cosmologies, visual arts, and Indigenous cultural practices,
- Indigenous epistemologies, local knowledge, and critiques of colonial models of knowledge production,
- representations of Indigenous peoples in public, academic, and institutional discourse,
- the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032 and contemporary documentation, educational, and political initiatives.
During the course, students analyze academic texts, source materials, examples of narratives, institutional documents, and projects related to education or language policy. The course requires regular reading, participation in discussion, and preparation of a final project.
Use of artificial intelligence tools: AI tools may be used only as support for organizing work, identifying preliminary bibliographic directions, arranging notes, language checking, and preparing draft research questions. Students remain fully responsible for the content of their work, selection of sources, interpretation of materials, and accuracy of bibliographic references. It is not acceptable to present AI-generated text as independent work. If AI tools are used in a written assignment or presentation, the scope of their use must be briefly indicated.
Content note: the course may include materials dealing with colonial violence, forced assimilation, racism, discrimination, language loss, territorial conflicts, and violations of the rights of Indigenous peoples. These materials will be discussed in an academic context, with respect for the agency and subjectivity of Indigenous communities.
Course coordinators
Type of course
Mode
Classroom
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student:
Knowledge
- characterizes the main issues in the study of Indigenous languages and cultures of Brazil, situating them within linguistics, cultural studies, and Brazilian studies (K_W01, K_W02, K_W05; respectively S3K_W01, S3K_W05, or S4K_W01, S4K_W05).
- explains the basic criteria used in the classification of Indigenous languages of Brazil and discusses selected stocks, families, and languages, especially Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Macro-Jê, and unclassified languages (K_W05, K_W06; respectively S3K_W05, S3K_W06, or S4K_W05, S4K_W06).
- describes the relations between language, culture, colonial history, language policy, Indigenous school education, and language revitalization processes (K_W02, K_W04, K_W06; respectively S3K_W02, S3K_W04, S3K_W06, or S4K_W02, S4K_W04, S4K_W06).
Skills
- analyses an academic text on Indigenous languages or cultures of Brazil by identifying its research problem, argumentation, concepts, and conclusions (K_U01, K_U02, K_U03; respectively S3K_U01, S3K_U02, S4K_U01, S4K_U02).
- compares selected linguistic, cultural, or educational phenomena related to Indigenous peoples of Brazil, using academic literature and appropriate terminology (K_U01, K_U03, K_U05; respectively S3K_U01, S3K_U03, S3K_U05, or S4K_U01, S4K_U03, S4K_U05).
- prepares and presents in Portuguese an independent analysis of a selected issue concerning Indigenous languages or cultures of Brazil, with appropriate use of academic sources (K_U01, K_U05, K_U06; respectively S3K_U01, S3K_U05, S3K_U06 or S4K_U01, S4K_U05, S4K_U06).
Social competences
- critically evaluates their own knowledge of Indigenous peoples of Brazil and recognizes the limits of colonial, exoticizing, and stereotyping perspectives (K_K02, K_K03; respectively S3K_K02, S3K_K03 or S4K_K02, S4K_K03).
- participates in academic discussion with respect for cultural differences, the rights of Indigenous communities, and ethical principles in the use of sources and materials concerning these communities (K_K01, K_K04; respectively S3K_K01, S3K_K04 or S4K_K01, S4K_K04).
Assessment criteria
The course uses the following teaching methods:
- academic seminar,
- analysis of academic texts,
- analysis of source and institutional materials,
- short student presentations,
- project-based work,
- consultation and discussion of the final project,
elements of the flipped classroom, with readings prepared before class and class time devoted to analysis, discussion, and interpretation.
Graded pass. The final grade consists of:
- Active participation and preparation of readings, 20% of the final grade.
Assessment includes regular preparation, participation in discussion, formulation of questions about the readings, engagement with other students’ arguments, and use of terminology discussed during the course.
- Three short written or written-and-oral assignments, 30% of the final grade.
Each assignment accounts for 10% of the final grade. Assignments may include a problem-oriented summary of a text, a critical commentary, an analysis of a concept, a comparison of two positions, or a discussion of an example related to language policy, education, or language classification.
- Oral presentation in Portuguese, 20% of the final grade.
Assessment includes clarity of the problem, organization of the presentation, academic accuracy, use of literature, terminological precision, quality of argumentation, and answers to questions.
- Final written project, 30% of the final grade.
The project should address a selected issue concerning Indigenous languages or cultures of Brazil. Assessment includes formulation of the problem, selection of literature, quality of analysis, coherence of argumentation, linguistic accuracy, and correct bibliographic apparatus.
To pass the course, the student must obtain at least 60% overall and submit the final project. Failure to submit the final project makes it impossible to pass the course in the regular mode.
Suggested grading scale:
60-67%: 3.0
68-75%: 3.5
76-83%: 4.0
84-91%: 4.5
92-100%: 5.0
Maximum number of unexcused absences: 2 meetings. Each additional absence requires completion of an extra assignment indicated by the instructor and related to the topic of the missed class. Failure to compensate for absences above the limit may result in a lower grade or failure to pass the course if the instructor cannot verify the achievement of the learning outcomes. Absence from more than half of the meetings makes it impossible to pass the course, unless the instructor, after considering documented reasons for absence, assigns an individual procedure allowing the learning outcomes to be verified.
Practical placement
-
Bibliography
Required reading
AFONSO, Maria Aparecida Valentim. 2014. “Políticas linguísticas para os povos indígenas no Brasil”. In: XVII Congresso Internacional da Associação de Linguística e Filologia da América Latina, ALFAL, p. 4082-4099.
CARVALHO, Fernando de. 2019. “Estudos diacrônicos de línguas indígenas brasileiras: um panorama”. Macabéa, Revista Eletrônica do Netlli 8(2): 255-305.
DIETRICH, Wolf. 2010. “O tronco tupi e as suas famílias de línguas. Classificação e esboço tipológico”. In: NOLL, Volker; DIETRICH, Wolf. O português e o tupi no Brasil. São Paulo: Contexto, p. 9-25.
FIGUEIRA-CARDOSO, Samuel; BORGES, Alexandre Silva. “Brief history of general languages and language policies in colonial Brazil”. Bucharest Working Papers in Linguistics.
LEITE, Yonne; FRANCHETTO, Bruna. 2006. “500 anos de línguas indígenas no Brasil”. In: CARDOSO, Suzana A. M.; MOTA, Jacyra A.; SILVA, Rosa Virgínia Mattos e, orgs. Quinhentos anos de história linguística do Brasil. Salvador: Secretaria da Cultura e Turismo do Estado da Bahia, p. 15-62.
MIRANDA DE OLIVEIRA, C.; FIGUEIRA-CARDOSO, S. 2023. “Multilingualism and Indigenous School Education in Brazil: past, present and future challenges”. Multilingual Margins: A Journal of Multilingualism from the Periphery 9(2).
RODRIGUES, Aryon Dall’Igna. 1993. “Línguas indígenas: 500 anos de descobertas e perdas”. DELTA: Documentação e Estudos em Linguística Teórica e Aplicada 9(1).
RODRIGUES, Aryon Dall’Igna. 2013. Línguas indígenas brasileiras. Brasília: Laboratório de Línguas Indígenas da UnB.
Additional reading
COSTA, Francisco; FIGUEIRA-CARDOSO, Samuel. 2022. “University Outreach, Indigenous Knowledge, and Education: A Project with the Pataxó in Brazil”. European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 14: 39-55.
LARAIA, Roque de Barros. 2005. “As religiões indígenas: o caso tupi-guarani”. Revista USP 67: 6-13.
OLIVEIRA, Mileide Terres de. 2013. “Etnolinguística: semelhanças e diferenças Tupi e Macro-Jê”. Revista Científica da Ajes 4(8).
RODRIGUES, Aryon Dall’Igna. 2015. “Biodiversidade e diversidade etnolinguística na Amazônia”. Ecolinguística: Revista Brasileira de Ecologia e Linguagem 1(1).
RODRIGUES, Aryon Dall’Igna. 2015. “Linguística: as línguas indígenas do Brasil”. Fragmentum 46: 289-299.
SOARES, E. P. M.; FIGUEIRA-CARDOSO, S. 2023. “Contributions to the Vitalization of the Language and to Indigenous School Education in the Gavião Kyikatêjê People”. In: Linguagem e Sociedade: Povos indígenas da Amazônia. São Paulo: Pontes Editores.
Digital resources
Letras UFMG, publicações do Laboratório de Línguas Indígenas.
Museu dos Povos Indígenas.
Povos Indígenas no Brasil, Instituto Socioambiental.