Historical perspective, ethnicity and historicity for the understanding of the Kinikinau

Abstract

The Brazilian indigenous group Guaná-Aruak called Kinikinau was considered extinct in the first half of the 20th century – in theory. This article shows that new or renewed conceptions in Anthropology allowed new approaches to the indigenous people, including their perceptions and adopting a historical perspective, thus enabling a reconstruction of their experiences beyond the one-way view and voice of history. The “disappearance” of that group, like in many similar cases, is a historical and theoretical product shattered by their presence in Brazilian society – invalidating all pessimistic prognoses as to their permanence. The article points out the theoretical and methodological resources that allow giving visibility to ethnic groups otherwise considered extinct, on the basis of the experience of a written part of Kinikinau history – which demanded a dialogue between the fields of History and Anthropology, renewed from the decade of 1970 onwards.

Keywords: Indigenous History, historical perspective, ethnicity.