Descrição
Based on theoretical references on literary production by indigenous authors in Brazil, we intend to reflect on the presence (or the absence) of indigenous authors in prominent spaces of knowledge production throughout the country’s history. Based on these references, a general scheme will be proposed for showing how Literature played (and still plays) an ambiguous role in the relationship between official Brazilian culture and its indigenous populations: as mere objects of literary discourse, indigenous people are often silenced and ridiculed through crude stereotypes; however, from the moment they start to claim the place of subjects producing literature, these structures are detected and confronted. Taking into account the analysis of some works by Ailton Krenak, Kaka Werá Jecupé, Eliane Potiguara and Daniel Munduruku, we defend the idea that literary production by indigenous authors operates a series of transformations within Literature itself, raising deep questions about the modern borders and hierarchies between writing and orality, word and graphism, signature and anonymity, individualism and collectivity, innovation and tradition.||Com base em referências teóricas sobre a produção literária de autoria indígena no Brasil, pretende-se refletir sobre a presença (ou não) de autores indígenas em espaços destacados de produção do conhecimento ao longo da história do país. Com base nessas referências, propor-se-á um esquema geral capaz de dar a ver de que forma a Literatura desempenhou (e ainda desempenha) um papel ambíguo na relação da cultura oficial brasileira com suas populações autóctones: enquanto meros objetos do discurso literário, indígenas frequentemente são silenciados e ridicularizados em estereótipos grosseiros; contudo, a partir do momento em que passam a reivindicar o lugar de sujeitos produtores de literatura, essas estruturas são denunciadas e enfrentadas. A partir da análise de trechos de autoria indígena, incluindo nomes como os de Ailton Krenak, Kaka Werá Jecupé e Eliane Potiguara, defende-se aqui a ideia de que a produção literária de autoria indígena opera uma série de transformações no interior da própria Literatura, levantando questionamentos profundos sobre as fronteiras e hierarquias modernas entre escrita e oralidade, palavra e grafismo, assinatura e anonimato, individualismo e coletividade, inovação e tradição.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Literatura indígena; teoria literária; história da literatura brasileira; literatura brasileira contemporânea.
Theorizations about literature by indigenous authors in Brazil: from objects to subjects of literature and theory
ABSTRACT: Based on theoretical references on literary production by indigenous authors in Brazil, we intend to reflect on the presence (or the absence) of indigenous authors in prominent spaces of knowledge production throughout the country’s history. Based on these references, a general scheme will be proposed for showing how Literature played (and still plays) an ambiguous role in the relationship between official Brazilian culture and its indigenous populations: as mere objects of literary discourse, indigenous people are often silenced and ridiculed through crude stereotypes; however, from the moment they start to claim the place of subjects producing literature, these structures are denounced and confronted. Taking into account the analysis of some extrait by indigenous authors, including Ailton Krenak, Kaka Werá Jecupé, and Eliane Potiguara, we defend the idea that literary production by indigenous authors operates a series of transformations within Literature itself, raising deep questions about the modern borders and hierarchies between writing and orality, word and graphism, signature and anonymity, individualism and collectivity, innovation and tradition.
KEYWORDS: Indigenous literature; literary theory; history of Brazilian literature; contemporary Brazilian literature.
