“Ali eu fiz só um tapiri e a gente ficou lá” a trajetória de vida do cacique Francisco de Assis Pereira da Silva, aldeia Trevo rio Ipixuna – Tapauá -Am (1966-2022)

Abstract

This work analyzes the struggles and demands for the recognition of Indigenous identity in Brazil. The research seeks to answer three central questions: the challenges faced in obtaining legal recognition of identity; recent changes in the legal framework for protecting Indigenous rights; and the historical factors that led to the loss and subsequent reconstruction of identity. Using oral history as a theoretical and methodological framework, the work delves into the history of Aldeia Trevo, located in the municipality of Tapauá, Amazonas, through the life story of Chief Francisco de Assis Pereira Silva. The analysis is based on the assumption that the struggle for ethnic recognition is marked by processes of historical invisibilization and identity denial. Chief Francisco's trajectory is used as a case study to illuminate the paths taken by the community in rebuilding its identity, historically affected by assimilationist policies, forced migrations, and the absence of specific public policies. The narratives and testimony of the Indigenous leader are interpreted as acts of resistance and milestones in the rebirth of his community's identity. It is concluded that recognition transcends the legal sphere, constituting a historical, political, and cultural process in which oral memory, transmitted between generations, serves as a pillar for self-affirmation and the demand for rights.