Falas, objetos e corpos: Autores indígenas no alto Rio Negro

Abstract

This article focuses on a recent phenomenon among the indigenous groups of the northwest Amazon: the publication of a series of books containing the mythology and history of various specific clans belonging to diverse indigenous groups of the region (Desana, Tukano, Tariano, etc.). The books are co-authored by the indigenous narrators themselves, generally older men, who tell the stories to a son, literate in Portuguese and responsible for translating the narrative, and generally with the assistance of an anthropologist who transforms the narrative into a written text. This initiative, supported by the regional indigenous federation (Federação das Organizações Indígenas do Rio Negro - FOIRN) and its governmental and non-governmental partners, has awakened interest on the issues and fostered debates surrounding the recognition and protection of intellectual rights of indigenous and traditional populations. On the other hand, in the local context, the use of writing and books has modernized the traditional ritual dynamic in which these texts have been orally transmitted. The article raises hypotheses on the forms of subjectification and objectification in question, taking into consideration the relationships of indigenous groups among themselves as well as with the so-called 'white' Brazilian society.