Epistemological Boundaries: Kalapalo Students' Experiences in Higher Education

• Grant number: 24/18648-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology - Indigenous Ethnology
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Roberto Guerreiro Júnior
• Grantee: Veronica Monachini de Carvalho
• Supervisor: Nicholas Clinton Laluk
• Host Institution: Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (IFCH). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/01537-4 - Kagaiha etu: the production of city life and the kalapalo person, BP.DR

Abstract

This research investigates the experiences of Kalapalo people who leave their indigenous villages in the Xingu Indigenous Territory to pursue technical and higher education in urban centers. The study aims to understand how these educational trajectories impact their personal identities, cultural practices, and connections with their communities. Specifically, it explores how the experiences of higher education influence the maintenance and transformation of indigenous knowledge and identity. This research also examines the challenges and opportunities encountered by Kalapalo students as they navigate between their traditional upbringing and academic environments in cities. In addition to contributing to the broader discussions on indigenous education, identity formation, and knowledge circulation, the research will include an internship at UC Berkeley, under the supervision of Professor Nicholas Laluk. During this period, I will engage with his research group focusing on decolonization and Indigenous studies, which will provide a critical foundation for writing the thesis.