O Museu do(s) Índio(s): a transplantação amazônica dos Mundurucu e povos Caribe para o Agreste paraibano

Abstract

The Museum of the Indian, located in the Convent of St. Anthony in the city of Lagoa Seca-PB, houses an important artistic collection of the Munduruku and Karib peoples, founded by Franciscan religious in 1996. Its existence is thanks to the process of territorialisation that took place in 1906 and 1964 by the missionaries, which resulted in the exhibition of 1,200 pieces. The present study aims to make an analysis of the impacts caused by the collection in the region, taking into consideration the existence of indigenous groups in the state, whose process of ethnic emergency is configured in a conflictive construction of identity, taking into consideration the stereotyped image maintained by many, in opposition to the image of an idyllic Indian, proper to the Amazon region. The discussion is based on the assumption that, in the case of the struggle of local ethnic groups, which lack part of their territory and cultural contrastivity, due to their situation of old contact, lack a space in the museum that highlights their existence and struggle, thus, being able, to contribute to the visibility of local groups.