Perspectives on Indigenous Cultural Heritage in Brazil: The Recognition of Sacred Places by IPHAN (2006-2016)

• Grant number: 24/07316-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Fundamentals of Architecture and Urbanism
• Principal Investigator: Flávia Brito Do Nascimento
• Grantee: Beatrice Perracini Padovan
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research examines the protection of indigenous sacred places in two safeguarding processes conducted by the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (IPHAN): Cachoeira de Iauaretê - Sacred Place of the Indigenous Peoples of the Uaupés and Papuri Rivers (2006) and the Sacred Places of Alto Xingu - Sagihengu and Kamukuaká (2016). The study investigates how the notion of sacred places was adopted in these cases, considering intersections between territory and culture that are essential to the way of life of indigenous peoples. The inclusion of indigenous cultural assets reflects advancements since the 1988 Constitution; however, the persistence of institutional structures that separate material and immaterial, natural and cultural heritage highlights tensions in the recognition of indigenous cultural heritage. The research methodology is based on the analysis of written and audiovisual documentation of IPHAN's protection instruments-immaterial registration in the Book of Places and the listing process (tombamento)-as well as interviews with staff and researchers involved in the preservation processes. The research investigates valuation categories and the perspectives of the preservation institution, analyzing how the notion of sacred places was applied in the two cases. Furthermore, it seeks to understand whether the registration and listing instruments meet indigenous worldviews and demands, considering the conceptual, ontological, and epistemological challenges involved. (AU)