Abstract
Since 2008, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) has annually allocated ten places for students from indigenous communities in its undergraduate courses, as part of its affirmative action policy. The presence of these subjects, historically absent from the university space, represents an enriching moment for both students and the institution itself, but it also brought with it many challenges. The article analyzes the university experiences of some Kaingang students at UFRGS – an ethnic group that represents 85% of indigenous students entering the institution. More specifically, it examines how they followed the content of their undergraduate courses and how they related to non-indigenous colleagues and teachers. The results show the difficulties in the use, reproduction and appropriation of the academic knowledge faced by the indigenous in the task of becoming university students, as well as the type and quality of relationships established with peers and teachers. We conclude that the learning process of the student’s craft is more arduous and slower for indigenous students, considering: the low expectations of entering higher education; the precarious educational background of these subjects; the lack of intercultural dialogue at the university and the prejudiced and discriminatory situations experienced within the UFRGS.
Keywords
indigenous students; higher education; affirmative actions; learning