Enir Terena Indigenous Culture Memorial Square/Photos: Gabriela de Deus
This week Cidadania Viva started a videocast about the Terena Art produced in Campo Grande/MS. During the interview with Plastic Artist Bryant Soares and Artisan Azenaty Souza, we talk about the Enir Terena Indigenous Culture Memorial Space as a reference place in Campo Grande for the celebration of indigenous art.
Memorial Hall
Located in the Marçal de Souza Urban Village, more specifically at 131 Galdino Pataxó Street, the Cacique Enir Terena Indigenous Culture Memorial is a place that invites visitors to learn a little more about the productions of the original peoples from all over the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The square is very inviting for visitors, when we visited several children were playing around the square and it was a pleasant day. In one of the spaces in the square we found a permanent exhibition with pieces from the Terena, Guarani, Kadiwéu and Kinikinau communities. Right at the entrance we noticed a nativity scene with the central figures wearing indigenous headdresses.
Indigenous Crib
In the center of the exhibition we find some works in self-portrait, the figure of Marçal de Souza in prominence. Born in the Ponta Porã region, he was a leader of the Guarani-Nhandevá ethnic group responsible for denouncing the expropriation of indigenous lands, illegal logging, enslavement and trafficking in indigenous girls. The centrality of his figure demonstrates the responsibility that the site carries: a space of resistance and perseverance of memories.
Memorial Central Section
Next to the work of Marçal de Souza, is the figure of Enir Terena, leader of her people, she had a strong performance in the demands for public policies for the indigenous population. The Memorial presents some interesting information about Enir Terena, such as her special interest in the ethnic groups that migrated from the interior of the state to settle in the outskirts of Campo Grande. As far as I could understand, the history of Enir Terena and the history of the Marçal de Souza Urban Village are intertwined, and it was in this struggle that she dedicated herself to the creation of the memorial of indigenous culture. She is also remembered for being the first Brazilian indigenous woman to win the title of chief in 2012.
Model representing the Enir Terena Indigenous Culture Memorial Square
The space is also used for marketing pieces produced by artists from the Urban Village or indigenous people from outside the Village. The creativity of the artists draws much attention, vases, animals, paintings, human figures, are some of the pieces displayed for sale. In addition, the space also hosts a series of events and workshops organized by the community itself. To understand the uses of this space is also to understand that there is a much greater purpose in the art produced than mere contemplation.
Artistic pieces for sale
When we enter this place we are also invited to reflect on the social inequalities that the indigenous people of the state face, in particular the migration issue. The migration of indigenous people to urban centers has increased the level of social and economic vulnerability that these populations already face. Before I got to know Campo Grande I did not know any Urban Village. The dynamics produced in the memorial demonstrate how the Urban Village itself was conquered through much collective struggle and this needed to be remembered, edified and personified somewhere. This space for me therefore represents a place of reflection on the struggle for adequate public policies for the indigenous population that has been excluded or even marginalized in the city.
Artistic pieces for sale
Follow the Memorial's Facebook page to learn about the events and workshops that take place and are produced in this space: https://www.facebook.com/memorialdaculturaindigena/
Translated by Louise Azambuja
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