Catu dos Eleotérios

The historiography concerning Rio Grande do Norte attests to the disappearance of indigenous populations in RN. However, the researches either contain an explanatory gap on the situation of the indigenous emergences in Rio Grande do Norte or attest the total disappearance of the Indian, explaining it through a complete extermination or acculturation and mestizaje. The objective of this work is to contribute to repositioning the Indian in the scenario of the history of Rio Grande do Norte over the last 30 years, using data on the announced indigenous demand of the Eleotérios do Catu indigenous ethnic group. Ethnogenesis validates the presence of a current indigenous history, considering culture as dynamic and always in constant movement of re-elaboration of values and signs through political relations. In this way, the references that define the identity of a given human group are directly linked to culture, transmitted through tradition, daily life, rituals, festivals, dances, and even silences.