Poor and miserable? prejudices against indigenous peoples in high rio Negro region (AM)

Abstract

In recent years, some politicians from three levels of federal states have been frequenting the upper Rio Negro region in an attempt to relax the policies of indigenous movements regarding the question of mineral exploration in indigenous lands. In their speeches, they use the prejudiced terms as poor and miserable in relation to the indigenous peoples who come from com-munities within the demarcated lands. As a counterpoint to these speeches, this article seeks to demonstrate that such terms, as well as concepts, did not exist in the native languages of the region. The state of poverty and misery does not exist either in indigenous communities, nor among those indigenous people who manage to establish themselves professionally in cities. It is, however, a situation faced by indigenous people who are attracted by the idea of having a good life in the city but are unable to overcome the countless obstacles they face and end up facing a degrading social and economic situation.