Cartas Guarani. O uso presente de papeis do passado

Abstract

In this introductory note we present two letters, related to the land problem, written by Guarani Indians of the State of São Paulo in the early twentieth century. These letters indicate the contours in which operated the process of occupation and dispossession of indigenous lands in the State of São Paulo in the early decades of the republican period. Considering the contemporary situation of Guarani Indians in the Brazilian coast, the two letters not only refute the position of those who vehemently deny the historical continuity of the Guarani occupation in the Ribeira Valley region but also reveal the Guarani’s long history in the “fight” for the preservation of their traditional territories on the coast of the State of São Paulo.

Keywords

• Guarani
• Indigenous writing
• Indian villages
• Territorial claims