Traditional peoples and communities in Brazil: The work of the anthropologist, political regression and the threat to rights

Abstract

The article problematizes the questions of identities and territories, and the forms of resilience in contemporary Brazil, based on the correlation between power, territoriality, State and development, emphasizing situations of vulnerability of indigenous peoples, quilombos, peoples and traditional communities, as well as their fights for recognition, access to land/territory and other rights. The developmentalist perspective adopted by the Brazilian State has resulted in a series of impacts on territories and ways of life, resulting in deficits of citizenship for various historically excluded groups. This situation has worsened over the last few years with a political setting of demographic regression (revocation of legal frameworks, dissolution of social oversight bodies, dismantling of State apparatuses, cancelation of social programs, budget cuts), in line with hegemonic interests and projects. The article also problematizes the work of the anthropologist in the processes of recognizing collective and territorial rights, in dialogue with the judicial field, the federal government and social movements.