“Rights are not negotiable” - Political Awareness among Indigenous Youth: A Tupinikin Protest

Abstract (English)

This article examines the development of political awareness among indigenous youth
through the discursive, corporeal, and spatial practices of the Tupinikin people, an indigenous
group from Brazil. We aim to shed light on how Tupinikin culture fosters political
consciousness as a form of emancipatory education.
In their discursive practices, Tupinikin youth organise political movements through meetings
within the aldeia (indigenous community in Latin America), facilitate discussions via digital
platforms such as WhatsApp, and engage in informal conversations in leisure spaces.
Through their corporeal practices, they express their ethnicity by incorporating traditional
attire, body painting, and accessories like the cocar (a feathered headpiece). Additionally,
they draw on indigenous traditions, such as the symbolic use of the spear in protests, to
communicate leadership. In their spatial practices, they demonstrate a profound
understanding of their land’s historical and cultural significance, recognising the need to
defend it as a vital aspect of their heritage and the future of their community. These spatial
practices are particularly evident in their protests against large corporations (VALE, Samarco,
and BHP), which include occupying state highways and controlling access as a means of
asserting territorial sovereignty. As Piatā, a 17-year-old protest leader, explained, “We are in
Tupinikin territory,” referencing a highway constructed within indigenous land without
proper consent. Our research highlights the central role of youth in cultivating political
awareness within their communities, starting in childhood and intensifying between the ages
of 16 and 20, when future leaders begin to emerge. As Piatā expressed, “This is my life, bro.
I’m proud to be here. I’m doing it for myself. I’m indigenous at heart, indigenous by blood.
I’m proud to be Tupinikin.” This study argues that the interplay of discursive, corporeal, and
spatial practices serves as a powerful form of knowledge production, essential for ensuring
the survival and autonomy of the Tupinikin people in the Global South.