Horizontes (Mar 2013)
An event of (bi)literacy in indigenous language: reflections of a Terena linguistic policy
Abstract
This paper presents data from research with indigenous teachers at text production workshops in Terena language. Such workshops aimed to produce texts in this language in order to serve the production of teaching materials at schools. The adopted methodology followed the precepts suggested by Vóvio and Souza (2005) for research in the area of Applied Linguistics, which focus on the social practices of literacy. Sixteen indigenous teachers took part in the workshops. The data were analyzed from the assumption that (a) in bilingual contexts, languages do not occupy isolated compartments (Maher, 2007a), (b) there is a conjunction between literacy practices in the two languages in question (Hornberger, 1989 / 2003) and (c) literacy does not have the same meaning in different cultural contexts (Street, 2006). The results demonstrated that the biliteracy that emerged from the workshops of focused texts reflects a cultural Terena procedure that finds justification in this people’s identity constructions throughout history. Thus, writing emerges into a symbolic function of Terena Indianness, with political and combative force.
