STRATEGIES TO CONFRONTING THE HISTORICAL ERASURE OF THE NARRATIVES OF THE ORIGINAL PEOPLES OF BAIXADA SANTISTA

Abstract

This paper investigates the erasure of legends, characters, and stories belonging to original peoples in Brazilian culture, using the tale of the Ipupiara as a case study. The central objective is to analyze how this historical process of erasure manifests in the present and to propose strategies to spark the

interest of elementary school students in these narratives, which are an essential part of their own identity. The research is based on the comparative analysis of two distinct events that maintain a relationship of continuity: the account by Pero de Magalhães Gândavo in the 16th century about the mythical creature Ipupiara being killed by a bandeirante (pioneer/explorer), and the burning of the statue representing the creature in the Biquinha square in São Vicente, in 2016. The methodology includes a bibliographical review of Gândavo's work and the analysis of journalistic and documentary sources regarding the recent incident. The results demonstrate that the story of the Ipupiara, from its symbolic annihilation in the 16th century to the physical destruction of its representation in the 21st century, serves as a powerful example of the cultural resistance and the ongoing erasure of Indigenous narratives in the popular imagination. The conclusion points to the urgent need to combat this invisibility through education. By recovering and presenting these stories in an engaging and contextualized way, it is possible to reconnect the history of Brazil to its roots, valuing the cultural contribution of original peoples, and promoting a more inclusive and complete identityThe word ABSTRACT must be typed in capital letters and the text in lowercase letters, in italics, continuing on the same line in a single paragraph with Times New Roman 12 font and single spacing. There should be a space of 1 cm after the left margin and 10 mm before the right margin. The summary must contain a minimum of 500 characters and a maximum of 800 characters including spaces. The text must be coherent and concise, highlighting the most relevant points of the work and highlighting the main topics: introduction, objectives, methodology used, main results and conclusions. The abstract must be related to the title and keywords