The indigenous councilors, the council of Messejana and the formation of the Brazilian national state

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the political culture of the indigenous councilors of the Messejana Indian village and their relationship with the city council during the formation of the Brazilian state in Ceará. These leaders have worked in the village senate since the promulgation of the Directorate of Indians in the 18th century, but their prerogatives were usurped in the name of the citizenship provided for in the 1824 Constitution. Prioritizing the documentary production of the Messejana city council, this article analyzes the indigenous positions during the liberal vogue and how the degradation of their rights tooked place with the formation of the Brazilian national state.

Keywords: indians; city councils; political culture; independence of Brazil; citizenship