Hegemony and Indigenous Education Programs in Mexico and Brazil (1940-1970)
This article describes the education programs of indigenist agencies in Brazil and Mexico between 1940 and 1970. It provides an overview of the influence that these programs have had on the formation of State hegemonies, broadly considered, and their extension to Indigenous peoples during this period. The schools of the National Indigenist Institute (INI) in Mexico, and even more those of the Indian Protection Service (SPI) of Brazil, have put an emphasis on the teaching of the national language in their programs, and have contributed to the creation of the idea of « mestizo » national identity, while centering their mission on the « development » and « integration » of Indigenous peolples within the nation. In both countries, religious missions have played a role in Indigenous education, notably through the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). In Mexico, the participation of bilingual cultural promoters acting as « cultural intermediaries » between indigenist institutions and the communities has played a key role in the formation of State hegemony. In Brazil, teachers were non-indigenous, and their impact was less significative.