The crossings of Kadiwéu literature: a study on aspects of indigenous tradition and modernity

Abstract

Driven by the desire to contribute to reflections related to the contemporary imagination of original Brazilian peoples, we present in this work, developed from the perspective of literary studies, in dialogue with other areas of knowledge, and a discussion about the literary expression proposed by the Kadiwéu people. From the perspective of “environmental humanities”, presented by Sayre and Löwy, in Anticapitalismo romântico e natureza (2021), we seek to problematize issues surrounding ecology, literature and social relations established in the modern world in an integrated way. Regarding the aesthetic issue, we note that the literature of this community, inhabiting the border between Brazil and Paraguay, proposes the expansion of concepts established in Literary Theory manuals, such as conventions related to authorship and literary genres. To understand these artistic proposals, historically neglected in Brazilian universities, it is necessary to develop effective theoretical instruments to promote an effective dialogue between indigenous and non-indigenous people in contemporary times. To contribute to the dissemination and understanding of the literary expression Kadiwéu, we structured our reflections in an interdiscip linary dialogue with some of the studies proposed by intellectuals such as the anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro; the philosopher Ailton Krenak; and literary critics Julie Dorrico and Florencia Garramuño; in addition to the previously mentioned scholars, Robert Sayre and Michael Löwy.