“Nós, os potiguara do Catu”: emergência étnica e territorialização no Rio Grande do Norte (Século XXI)

Abstract

In the beginning of the 21st century, in Rio Grande do Norte, many communities have declared themselves as indigenous and started to charge the warranty of their rights as citizens towards Brazilian State. According to IBGE/RN, the number of indigenous people in the State is equal 2.597. Therefore, the studies of that phenomenon (the indigenous rise) has been limited to the anthropologic analysis area, remaining absent of historiography analysis. We can infer such absence, until certain point, it‟s due to the studies developed by local intellectuals during the 20th and first years of 21st century. We analyzed some works dedicated to Rio Grande do Norte‟s History in order to understand how it was built what we can call “indian missing thesis” in the state. Thus, we analyzed historically the rising process, the construction of identities and the traditions of Potiguara do Catu (Goianinha/Canguaretama – RN). Finally, we examined the construction of space by those subjects (from an effective cartography) considering a set of material and mystic possibilities that are part of this indigenous identity affirmation process.