O Indian's day is celebrated annually in the April 19th in Brazil to remember the historic date of 1940 and it is not considered a holiday. This day serves to reinforce the identity of the Brazilian indigenous people in current history and culture.
In order to preserve the traditions and identity of these people who suffered so much, the Day of the Indigenous, date that arose so as not to let the new generations forget our roots that form our people.
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O Indian's day was created in 1943 by President Getúlio Vargas, through decree law number 5.540. When the first Inter-American Indigenous Congress took place.
The objective of this congress was to bring together indigenous leaders from different regions of the American continent and ensure their rights.
The event almost fizzled out on opening day. But it was successful on the 19th. So the indigenous leaders put distrust and fear aside and appeared to discuss their rights in a remarkable meeting.
At the international level, the United Nations (UN) also created the International Day of Indigenous Peoples (9 of August) to raise awareness among governments and the world population about the importance of preserving and recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples.
The indigenous reality these days is very different from the past, in the same way that children today do not dress as their grandparents did 50 years ago.
Indigenous peoples also do not dress as before, they have their own traditional clothing and graphics with which they make body paintings, but nudity or non-nudity does not define being indigenous or do not. Every culture is dynamic, always in constant motion, changing and adapting over the centuries
When we observe an Indian village on television or in magazines, we can see that the way of life of the Indians is very different from ours, isn't it? It really is, but with interesting aspects that are worth knowing!
The Indians live in a very organized and harmonious way. Each tribe has a chief, who is the chief, and a shaman, who is a kind of doctor for them. The shamans know everything about illnesses of the body and spirit and also which plants and herbs can be used in each case.
The village where they live is called taba and there are two types of houses in it: the simple ones, where only one family lives and are called ocas, and the collective houses, which are called malocas.
The houses are built with a mixture of clay and their structure is supported by pieces of wood. To make the roofs, the Indians use braided straw or large leaves from trees.
This form of construction is cheap and safe for some regions without many climatic variations, so it is used in some places in Brazil, mainly in the Northeast and in the Amazon. These are the wattle and daub houses.
Perhaps one of the best known characteristics of the Indians is their body painting. Each tribe has its drawings and its paints, some are extracted from seeds, others use clay and still others use a paint for children and others for adults.
Is every day an Indian day? Yes, because it's no use just remembering the Indians for just one day. They are part of our history and have a lot to teach us.
But, precisely because they are important, a date was set aside in the annual calendar to commemorate the Indian Day, which is April 19th. Want to know why this day? Well, on that date, in 1940, the 1st Indigenous Congress of Latin America was held in Mexico, with the objective of disseminating indigenous culture throughout the entire region. America and also for governments to create standards for the quality of life of indigenous peoples, who still suffered from discrimination against white men.
To work this commemorative date in the classroom, let's suggest some suggestions:
Other suggestions:
Mask for girl:
Mask for boy:
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