Around 2 indigenous students gathered in the Jaraguá village, in the Potiguara Indigenous Land (PB), between October 16 and 20, 2023, to participate in the X National Meeting of Indigenous Students (ENEI). With the theme Analysis and Situation of Indigenous Presence in Higher Education in the Last Decade, the event aimed to share knowledge and experiences about higher education with an emphasis on exchanges between undergraduate and postgraduate students, professionals in the field of education, indigenous leaders and government representatives, in order to reflect on access to university for indigenous people over the last 10 years.
ENEI is the largest event for Indigenous students in the country, bringing together reflection, mobilization, re-existence, reaffirmation of Indigenous identity, and a space for empowering youth in the national higher education landscape. It discusses topics such as Indigenous health, Indigenous school education, rights, the role of Indigenous women, and scientific research in dialogue with traditional knowledge.
During the five-day meeting, several strategic topics were discussed, such as: i) Analysis and Current Situation of Indigenous Presence in Higher Education in the Last Decade; ii) Indigenous Presence in Higher Education – Demarcating Territory; iii) Formal Scientific and Ideological Barriers for Indigenous Researchers in the Academic Field: What is Science?; iv) Access and Retention of Indigenous Students in Higher Education (Undergraduate and Graduate Programs); vii) Challenges for Resuming Indigenous Affirmative Actions in Higher Education; viii) Accessibility and Mental Health of Indigenous Students; ix) Indigenous Universities in Brazil. In addition, presentations of research by Indigenous students were presented.
The event also featured the participation of leaders representing the indigenous movement and the current government, such as: Eloy Terena – secretary of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples; Arlindo Baré – president of the Plurinational Union of Indigenous Students (UPEI); Rosilene Tuxá – coordinator of Indigenous School Education at the Ministry of Education (MEC); Braulina Baniwa, coordinator of the National Articulation of Indigenous Women Warriors of Ancestry (ANMIGA); Lúcia Alberta de Oliveira, director of the National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), among others.
School dropout and reception in a university environment
ISPN was represented at the event by anthropologist and technical advisor for PIPOU (Indigenous Program for Permanence and Opportunities at University), Iury Tikuna, who highlighted two issues that stood out during the discussions. The first concerns the high dropout rates among Indigenous people, from primary to higher education.
"The numbers are worrying, and the lack of support, of various kinds, in the school environment is one of the main reasons for this dropout. At universities, the greatest demand is for the Ministry of Education's (MEC) Permanence Grant, however, the data shows that the grant alone is not enough to guarantee the presence of Indigenous peoples in higher education," he said.
According to Iury, in addition to the financial issue, another critical point observed is the lack of welcoming strategies by HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) in relation to indigenous students, especially with regard to pedagogical, psychological and social support.
"Despite these concerns, we observe that there are significant numbers of Indigenous people accessing various Higher Education Institutions, which indicates that affirmative action is breaking down barriers and promoting minority participation in policies for access to education, health, and other policies," said Iury Tikuna.
The students' reflections indicate that access to higher education is currently advancing in indigenous communities and thus, increasingly, indigenous peoples see the importance of pursuing a higher education course.
“As indigenous peoples, we are here to demonstrate that we are also demarcating universities, because we no longer want a Brazil without indigenous people.”, emphasized Rosineia Baniwa, who is a student of Pedagogy at the University of Campinas (Unicamp) and a scholarship holder in the PIPOU Program.
Those present also pointed out that the retention policy needs to extend beyond federal educational institutions to include state and private universities. This ensures a sense of justice and equal rights in higher education institutions under the jurisdiction of states and the private sector.
ENEI 2024
During the event, it was confirmed that the University of Brasília (UnB) will host the 11th National Meeting of Indigenous Students (ENEI), scheduled for August 2024. The Association of Indigenous Academics of UnB (AAIUnB), the Coordination of the Indigenous Issue of UnB (COQUEI), and other partners of UnB and supporters of the indigenous issue will be involved in the organization.
The PIPOU Program
"Being at ENEI and hearing directly from Indigenous students, their demands, and their challenges only demonstrates the importance of initiatives like PIPOU. We want more programs like ours to spread across diverse sectors of society and join forces in this movement to strengthen Indigenous retention in universities." reflected Iury Tikuna.
PIPOU was created to support Indigenous undergraduate students in their academic journeys through higher education. Students face numerous difficulties, such as lack of financial resources, lack of support, and pedagogical challenges in studying subjects, among others, which end up being obstacles and often result in school dropout. PIPOU offers program scholarship recipients a stipend of R$1,200 per month and a laptop, in addition to promoting academic writing workshops and discussion groups on Indigenous peoples' rights. This is an ISPN initiative with financial support from Vale.