Traditional leadership Haliti Paresi: What João Arrezomãe taught us about intercultural education

Abstract

The Haliti people, traditional inhabitants of the Brazilian Center-West, have their history marked by the arrival of colonizers who, little by little but aggressively, invade lands and seek to transform indigenous culture. In tireless work to defend his people and territory, João Arreomãe stood out as the great leader of his people and also of other Brazilian indigenous peoples, working in discussions and propositions that culminated in legislation guaranteeing indigenous rights. This work aims to give visibility to the teachings of the great leader Haliti Paresi, regarding the role of indigenous school education in Paresi villages in Tangará da Serra-MT in the sense of valuing ancestral culture. Based on interviews with the leader himself, with indigenous teachers, as well as with people who lived with João Arrezomãe, we sought to record what lessons he left behind for the functioning of school education in indigenous lands in order to value the traditional culture of its people. There is then a record of the value of the Haliti Paresi cultural tradition as part of routine and school activities in order to leave to future generations the importance of valuing the ancestral roots of our people.