Sport on indigenous lands in the Paraná State: elements for a public policy

Abstract

This article answers the following questions: To the indigenous people of Paraná, what means the sports and body practices during leisure? How they interact their local practices with non-indigenous demonstrations? How can we think policies according to social practices and the Amerindian thought? In terms of methodology, we developed an action research within Guarani, Xetá and Kaingang communities. Consulting leaders conducted On-site assessments about needs and sporting potential of each community. We also held in conjunction with this public, training sessions of sports leaders, festival organizations, state games and collaborative actions to revitalize the body culture of these populations. The results show that the practice of cultural hybridization recurs in every population, but with specifi c uses and resignifi cations for each indigenous land. Among the physical practices, sport is the recurrent element in multicultural interaction, but choose body paint, fi ghts and the dances, to mark the identity of the ethnic group with the language and craft. We conclude that the study participants see in the sport two mechanisms: a) redefi nition of its historical practices; b) Intercultural dialogue with the non-indigenous society. If the knowledge must turn to the public interest, we suggest guiding area policies in this native intentionality.