The transformation of chambers into villagers

the Directory of Indians in Ceará, circulation and identity rework

Abstract

The history of occupation and domination of the territory of Ceará is one of great violence against native peoples. In order to survive, the Indians developed a series of actions, negotiating, fighting, adapting and re-elaborating their visions and realities, accumulating experience and political culture, which was essential for maintaining their identity and their collective lands. The Pombalino Directory had a great longevity in Ceará and, even with its official revocation, it remained a model in the management and treatment of the indigenous population until the mid-nineteenth century (SILVA, 2005). This bibliographical review article aims to demonstrate how Ceará’s historiography about the period presents different strategies of indigenous peoples for the maintenance of their lands and interests. From these readings and with the crossover of sources presented by the authors, it is possible to understand how the indigenous people responded to this reality. This text highlights the movements of circulation and displacement of the Indians through the territory of Ceará, as a form of resistance in search of better material conditions, activating support networks and multi shaping their identities in favor of their interests.