Festa do moqueado Guajajara: entre cantos e narrativas

Abstract

The Guajajaras are among the indigenous people who inhabit the state of Maranhão and they self-identify as Tenetehara, which means "genuine people''. These people, as well as other ethnic groups in Brazil, have a history of struggle and resistance in contact with non-indigenous and seek to maintain alive their traditions, beliefs, own way of life, rituals and myths that constitute the Guajajaras cosmo perception. Among the rituals, the most important is the "Festa do Moqueado'', or "Festa da Moça Nova", a passage ceremony, where the indigenous girl is presented as the new woman of that society. On the occasion of the celebration, the indigenous people celebrate the passage with songs and dances, from sunset until dawn. This research investigates the songs, dances and mythology of the "Festa do Moqueado", collected through ethnographic research in villages of the Araribóia indigenous land, in Maranhão. Through the oral narratives of the Guajajara people, the connection between the mythological and cosmological world and the songs present at "Festa do Moqueado" was highlighted. By investigating that, the research sought to understand the meanings and representations established in the ritual. In addition, by approaching indigenous oral narratives and songs, the research adopts a literary perspective on these cultural practices, recognizing their existence prior to the European invasion of Brazil. This thesis aims to present part of the rich universe of narratives and songs present in our cultural context and expand the recording and dissemination of indigenous narratives and poetics of the Guajajara ethnic group, as well as inserting their voices into literary studies as a way of resisting to continue to exist.