The traditional territory of the Guarani is located in the castern part of Paraguai, the mission region in Argentina, the northern part of Uruguai and in Brasil parts of Mato Grosso South and in southern and easthern regions. In Brazil, from the fifties onwards, the Guarani were classified ethnic graphically in three groups: Kaiová, Xiripá, and Mmbyá
The Mbyá, now predominant in the sowthern States and along the coast of Brazil, have named themselves "Nhandeva", which means "Our people" or "the real Guarani person".
Besides the apparent tolerance and diplomacy of the Guarani we can add certain characteristics of systematic contact that produce, in this tribe, specific habits aiming at preserving their traditions and establishing relations with the dominant society.The Guarani Mbyá, because of former intense contact characterized by cultural and fysical persecutions, developed variores mecanisms in order to maintain and live their cultural and religious traditions, guaranteeing the continuation of the tribe and ethniticity.
Their methods did not exclude an inevitable living together with the white people, with whom they always tried to maintain a friendly relation. The demonstration of respect towards foreign habits and religions, the way of clothing according to that of the people in the region, meant more than merely submission to a continous process of acculturation, namely a a strategy of autopreservation.
In this way, under a cloth that covers profound diferences, the Guarani tried, though never giving up their condition of indians, to defend themselves from new wounds, with tolerance and intentional obscurity.
In three villages of the States of Rio de Janeiro some 500 persons live. Theses communities do not live isolated for they are reladed with intrinsic bonds of relationship, religion, politics and economy to the other villages of Guarani, mainly those along the coast of the country, between the States of Rio Grande do Sul and Espirito Santo.
The bonds and the reciprocity between the groups of the varions villages maintain and guarantee the necessary mobility for phisical and cultural reproduction of Guarani Mbyá society, in which the territorial conception and social space of all the villages are considered one cammon territory. In this way, the preservation of each village, independent fom the actual aerea destined to the Guarani, or from the present population, is fundamental in maintaining the dinamics of these relations.
In the municipality of Paraty remain almost 500ha of native land, demarcated, where the Guarani try to rebuild aspects of their former world. However, because of the degradation of the surrounding areas of the Atlantic Forest, it is difficult to recover the original relations between indians, animals and flora.The Guarani Mbyá posses a long history (from the 16 th Century) with distorting contacts, made up mainly by gradual confiscation of their territory. This century, because of economic and development pressures, the Guarani lost areas they will never be able to retrieve. Their destiny was lost in order to build new motorways, but all the same the Guarani managed to maintain the villages as strategic and vital points that permit the maintenance of the configuration of their space and presence along the mountainrange of the Sea and Atlantic Forest.
GUARANI VILLAGES OF RIO DE JANEIRO
At present three Guarani villages are situated in the States of Rio de Janeiro: two in the municipality of Paraty and one in the municipality of Angra dos Reis.
| VILLAGE | QUARTER | MUNICIPALITY | AREA (HECTARES) |
| Araponga | Patrimônio | Paraty | 223,61 |
|
Parati-Miri (Tekoa Porã; Marãey) |
ParatiMirim | Paraty | 79,19 |
| Bracui | Bracui | Angra dos Reis | 2.105,99 |
The Guarani names of the villages are given by the present predominant family group and offer a message to the community.
"Tekoa Porã Marãey" means "Guarany location beautiful and eternal".
"Tekoa Sapukai", according to their chief, means: where one gives help and solidarity to the Guarani people.
Pictures: Inês Ladeira.
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