What is this history about?

Bibliographical research on papers in History about indigenous childhoods in Brazil

Abstract

This work aims at discussing how indigenous children and childhoods have been approached in History researches in Brazil. We presented the results of a bibliographical research carried out in this area, comparing them with three other areas of knowledge (Psychology, Education, Sociology). The bibliographical research was conducted by firstly selecting highly rated national journals in those four areas, resulting in 177 selected journals, from which 25 are from History. Subsequently, eight descriptors were searched in the paper abstracts. As a result, the total of 6.479 papers appeared and were related to childhood(s) and child(children), among which only 37 (0,57%) report researches on/with indigenous children. Regarding History, among 398 papers appeared in the general search, only 6 papers approach the youngest indigenous population. A detailed quantitative analysis on the publications demonstrated that History academical production is incipient. The thoroughly reading of the History articles evidenced that its majority reports empirical researches, considering indigenous children as agents in their cultural, social and political contexts. The study themes were: indigenous pedagogical practices, dreams and songs (as orientational practices for interaction with children), generational passage rituals, indigenous children custody by adoption institutions, and indigenous childhood during the colonization process. The Anthropology contribution to the History approach was also evident, which reinforces the necessity of interdisciplinarity on Childhood Studies, specially in the study of childhood with/on the indigenous children.