A formação acadêmica dos indígenas Akwẽ-Xerente na Universidade Federal do Tocantins no Campus de Miracema

Abstract

This study analyzes the academic education process of the Akwẽ-Xerente indigenous students at the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT), Miracema do Tocantins Campus. The inclusion of indigenous peoples in higher education through the quota system is quite recent at UFT. Even with the implementation of this affirmative action in some public universities in Brazil from 2002, in the state of Tocantins the entrance of students by the indigenous quota system only occurred from 2005, making UFT the first university in the state to join a measure of that nature. The research on affirmative action, higher education and Akwẽ-Xerente indigenous culture is based on authors such as: Gomes (2005); Fernandes (2007); Santos (2012); Carvalho (2010); Bezerra & Gurgel (2012); Bergamaschi & Kurroschi (2013); Baniwa (2010); Farias (1994); Karasch (1992); Giraldin & Silva (2002); Oliveira-Reis (2001); and Nimuendaju (2010). In this sense, we outline the following questions as a study problem: What is the evaluation of indigenous academics about the UFT quota system? How is the Akwẽ-Xerente indigenous participation in research and extension projects? What challenges do indigenous Akwẽ-Xerente academics face during the vocational training process? Data collection was performed by applying an open questionnaire to the Xerente indigenous academics of the referred UFT Campus (Miracema), in order to know their perception regarding the quota system, indigenous permanence programs and their difficulties during the study. the process of vocational training. It was possible to identify advances in terms of inclusion and the need for improvements in structural and academic aspects. However, in order to make significant progress, it was concluded that the indigenous students themselves need to engage and participate in this process.