Kayapó cosmopolitics and linguistic attitudes: the Brazilian national anthem in the Mẽbêngôkré language (Jê family)

Abstract

This article reflects on linguistic actions for the valorization of the Mẽbêngôkre-Kayapó language and worldview. To this end, the “Brazilian National Anthem in the Mẽbêngôkré Language”, written by Mokuká Kayapó and published by the Indigenous Cultures Documentation Project of the Indian Museum in 2011, is analyzed. The study has a socio-anthropological approach, carried out through bibliographic survey and informal conversations with bilingual collaborators (Portuguese - Mẽbêngôkre), with a field carried out from 2020 to 2022. The central argument is focused on the Kayapó reactions against the years of contact with the kubẽ (non-indigenous) in defense of their physical safety and socio-cultural appreciation. As a result, the role of language/language as an episteme of Kayapó speech and cosmopolitical act is revealed.