Traditional Knowledge at School: Ethno-education, Culture and Heritage

Abstract

Since the 1988 Constitution Brazil recognizes as formed by different social groups and seeks to protect this diversity by ensuring, among others, the right to differentiated education. In this perspective, the ethno-education is based on a university action in the Brazilian Amazon. Transdisciplinary, it is realized in the formation of educators, built collective and collaboratively. We favor the formation of educators sensitive to traditional knowledge. We emphasize their autonomy and leadership in developing shared with students and members of the community on projects that strengthen local knowledge while learning community. Inspired by ethnography they elect aspects of traditional culture to investigate. The participating schools are located at quilombolas, riverine people and indigenous communities. Here we highlight the case of Katxuyana. In one of their villages follow school projects in ethno-education. In this case the school is locus of teaching/learning experiences not based only on the transmission of program content. The themes of the projects it is imbricated to daily life: hunting and fishing, body painting, handcrafts. From them we built with educators reflections on collective processes of teaching/learning. Our concern is that the school ethos while new practices, can serve the ways of life of these people. This educational process contributes to the cultural development and social life of communities worked.