‘Villaging the policy’ and ‘reforesting minds’

the symbolic and material importance of the election of indigenous women in Brazil

Abstract

This article discusses, through the idea/action of "villaging the politics" and "reforesting minds", the importance of indigenous re-existence and occupation of the public electoral debate, as well as the election of indigenous women. A deductive approach and bibliographic research were used, combined with the presentation of the cases of indigenous and feminist elections in 2022 and the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. Thus, from an anti-racist, feminist, de(s)colonial and ecofeminist conception, the article explains the relevance of indigenous women's election to political-representative positions in the Brazilian Congress. This fact is of symbolic importance, since, after 522 years of extermination of indigenous bodies and territories, two indigenous deputies (committed to the case) were elected to take office in a predominantly male, white and violent environment, demonstrating that the place of women and indigenous people is wherever they want. The mandate of these deputies is also of material importance, since they are competing for the country's project within the legislature from a rationality other than the western-patriarchal one.