The Kipaé’xoti and Siputerêna dances at ipegue village’s feliciano pio indigenous municipal school, Aquidauana, MS, Brazil

Abstract

In this work, we present the results of a qualitative research developed at the Education Course from State University of Mato Grosso do Sul’s Campo Grande University Unit, in 2011. The data was collected by doing rounds of conversation with 5 people from the Ipegue Village, located 60km from Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul. In this region, approximately 1.081 people from the Terena ethnicity live, This is considered the oldest community of the region, consisting of 7 villages and 14 recovered territories. It also aims to describe the teaching of Terena Dances: Kipaé’xoti e Siputêrena, the first mentioned being performed by men and the second, by women, both in the Village’s Feliciano Pio Municipal School and in the referred community. The teaching of these dances is a privilege, considering that the learning process is initialized by the family and community, in parties that occur in the Village. However, the community and the school don’t take this opportunity to teach the dances’ origins and meanings, as traditional Terena elements that need to be passed to the children. Another aspect that should be considered is that the Terena Language still consists of a fragmented way of being taught in schools, preventing the students from comprehending it. The realization of research led by indigenous teachers is a necessity so that the dances’ history can be inserted in education, and that the Terena Language doesn’t get fragmented – in the school’s curriculum - in vocal and written modalities, as prescribed by law number 11.6745, from 2008.