Youth, State and indigenous people in Brazil in the 21st Century

Abstract

This article analyzes the process of the construction of youth as a cause of public and state interest in Brazil during the first two decades of the 21st Century. At the same time, the study enquires about how indigenous youth in Brazil have developed their political and organizational mobilization to ensure identity recognition, social struggles and guarantee specific rights. Based on bibliographic research, interviews, and participant observation, the study analyzes the political opportunities in the federal government for the inclusion of youth, as well as examining the way in which indigenous youth have constructed mobilization scenarios to bring together youth and ethnic issues. These social movements have been defined as a «new new» social movement that uses physical and virtual spaces, youth bodies and militant capital to engage in political advocacy and demand their rights.