O protagonismo indígena dos Paiter Suruí no cenário amazônico contemporâneo do desenvolvimento

Abstract

The thesis analyzes the historical, social, and cultural trajectory of the Paiter Suruí people, with an emphasis on the challenges and strategies related to territorial management, cultural valorization, and economic sustainability. Its central objective is to examine the mechanisms of continuity and change in the perceptions and practices of the Paiter Suruí in the face of political, social, economic, and environmental processes experienced in the region. Specifically, it seeks to analyze how the Paiter Suruí assimilate external transformations and develop strategies for physical, cultural, political, and environmental survival; to what extent economic activities have produced continuities or changes in Paiter Suruí ethnoknowledge; and the role of development projects derived from the Paiter Suruí 50 Year Plan in promoting sustainability. The methodology combines bibliographic research, document analysis, and case study, based on territorial and environmental management plans, business plans for handicrafts, tourism, and forest products, as well as ethnographic accounts and experiences in the villages. The results indicate that, although monetarization and religious influence have generated tensions and transformations in social life, the Paiter Suruí have developed innovative ways to integrate traditional knowledge with market practices and public policies, demonstrating that management instruments strengthen community governance, sustainable income generation, territorial protection, and the preservation of cultural identity. Thus, the Paiter Suruí experience constitutes a model of ethnodevelopment that integrates economy, environment, and culture, providing support for public policies and inspiring other indigenous communities.