Nos caminhos da cultura e dos dons : os Guarani e instituições no norte do Paraná

Abstract

Indigenous Land Pinhalzinho, in Tomazina, and the city of Maringá. Two places in north of Paraná separated by about 250 km and connected by a relational complex that involves Guarani people and some institutions, including the Associação Indigenista – ASSINDI – Maringá and the Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM). In the village, the Guarani practice praying, develop leaders, hunting, fishing, produce crafts, among other actions related to the enunciations of culture and the experience of the gifts. Culture and gifts emerge also in Maringá, a city that does not contain indigenous villages, but still a space for mobility and presence of Guarani people. Two are the reference points to think the indigenous presence in the city: the ASSINDI and UEM. In Pinhalzinho, in turn, there are also institutions such as the indigenous school and the health center, as well as a diversity of projects. This ethnography sought to follow the paths of the enunciated culture and the gifts in this relational complex between the village and the town and think the extent to which the Guarani’s perspectives contrast or make up with institutional perspectives. For this, it was conducted an ethnographic experiment that, giving priority for the Guarani’s perspectives, descriptively organizes this composite of relations from four points of references that articulate culture, gifts, life in the village, life in the city and relationships with institutions.