Reforesting and Indigenousizing knowledge

Entrevista: Eliane Boroponepa Monzilar

Abstract

Eliane Boroponepa Monzilar, is the first indigenous woman with a PhD in Anthropology from UnB. In the academic environment, Eliane realized the possibility of intensifying her activism in defense of her people and the representation of her place of speech. In her thesis, the indigenous woman brought together her experiences, from the schooling process to her career as a teacher and academic, and presented the challenges and advances of indigenous education in maintaining the Umutina culture. “The work also brings the knowledge and memories of elders and leaders, but mainly of indigenous teachers, who today have become protagonists of this entire process of revitalization and appreciation of our culture”. Eliane is a teacher at a school in her community and, in July 2019, she became a doctor at UnB. Through his career, he knows the importance of education based on the knowledge of traditional peoples as an instrument to strengthen their culture, which was weakened after the first contacts with non-indigenous people in the 20th century.