O vocabulário alimentar, tabus culinários e merenda na educação escolar Mebêngôkre

Abstract

Analyze the relationships between the traditional food vocabulary of the Mebêngôkre (Kayapó) people, their culinary taboos, and the school meals offered within the context of Indigenous education. The study seeks to understand how language, traditional food practices, and public school meal policies intersect in the daily lives of Indigenous communities, emphasizing the school as a space for dialogue between traditional knowledge and institutional practices. This qualitative, ethnographic research is based on participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The fieldwork was conducted in the Kendjãm Village, located in the Mekragnoti Indigenous Territory, in the municipality of São Félix do Xingu, Pará, at the Pykatire Indigenous Elementary School. Interviews were carried out with Chief Pykatire, the Indigenous cook Mrykrã Kayapó, and other members of the school community, as well as through the documentation of food-related vocabulary and cultural practices. The study reveals that the Mebêngôkre food vocabulary constitutes an element of intangible cultural heritage, expressing ecological, spiritual, and social knowledge connected to agriculture, hunting, fishing, and gathering. Furthermore, it highlights how traditional food practices and culinary taboos play a vital role in maintaining cultural identity and spiritual balance. The findings indicate that integrating traditional foods into school meals strengthens the relationship between the school and the community, promotes intercultural education, and reinforces Indigenous identity. Thus, the study contributes to the advancement of a differentiated Indigenous education that recognizes the centrality of language, culture, and territory as fundamentais pillars of the Mebêngôkre people’s autonomy and resistance.