São Paulo – Qatar Foundation should sponsor the computerization of a native Brazilian school in the Djudjêko village, which shelters the Xikrin people, in the Parauapebas municipality, in the northern state of Pará. The information was supplied by the city’s mayor, Valmir Queiroz Mariano, who welcomed sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, the foundation’s chairperson, on September 17th for a visit to the village. Simão Jatene, the governor of the state of Pará, also welcomed Moza.
“Via the Qatar Foundation, the queen said she intends to enable computerization and internet access in order to improve educational work in the village even further,” Mariano told ANBA by email. Moza is the wife of Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who was the Qatari emir up until halfway through this year, when he handed power to his son.
The initiative of visiting the village came from Qatar Foundation, a government-owned organization that works to promote education around the world. “The purpose [of the visit] was to outline the municipality’s educational actions targeting natives, the educational system, and the cultural features of the community,” the mayor explained.
Mariano explains that although they have access to consumer goods, the Xikrin still preserve their language and culture. Living in the southeast of the state of Pará, they are divided into three villages: Cateté, Djudjêkô and O-odjã, with a combined population of 1,600. The village which Moza visited is home to 460 people.
The Moikô Xikrin primary school, which Moza visited, was delivered by the city hall on April 19th, which is Indian Day. “The school offers children’s and basic education, and education for young people and adults, including all subjects required by the Ministry of Education, plus specific subjects such as native Brazilian culture, identity and language, “says Mariano.
According to the mayor, 201 children aged 5 to 12 attend Moikô Xikrin, divided into 25-student classrooms. The teachers include 11 non-native people and seven interpreters, because the learning material is written in Portuguese.
“All classes are taught with assistance from a native interpreter. In order to emphasize our respect to native culture, the queen suggested that the learning material be adapted to the native language. It is important to bring culture to these communities so they will value their roots,” said Mariano regarding a suggestion from the sheikha.
The village visited by the Qatar Foundation chairperson is located 300 kilometres away from central Parauapebas, in the National Carajás Forest. Apart from the school, Moza also visited Casa de Guerreiro (the Warrior’s House), a meeting point for the natives, where they hold meetings and cultural manifestations of the Xikrin people.
As previously reported by ANBA, last week, Moza also paid visits to two schools on favela da Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
