This paper aims to explore the articulation between genetic ancestry research and social constructions of ethnic identity in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It will do so by analysing the social life of a research project conducted at the UFRGS that established genetic continuity between the contemporary Gaúcho population and the assumedly extinct indigenous Charrua. In the course of time, this idea of genetic continuity has taken on different incarnations, within varying contexts, and affirmed with differing levels of certainty. This paper will focus on the social and genetic conditions that have enabled the establishment of such continuity, as well as the affirmation of the genetic distinctiveness of the Gaúchos. Finally, it will explore the social impacts of this research, in particular its articulation with constructions of a differentiated regional identity.
Charrua; Gaúchos; genetics; identity politics
