Between Between Voices and Frontiers

Testimony, Resistance, and Centrifugal Forces in the Narrative of Eliane Potiguara

Abstract

Literature is a space for historically marginalized groups' self-expression, such as indigenous peoples, allowing them to present their worldview without the mediation of scientific and/or institutional discourse. With this in mind, the aim of this study is to analyze an excerpt from the work O vento espalha minha voz originária, by Eliane Potiguara, regarded as a significant female and feminist voice in the defense of indigenous rights. The theme is justified by the need for greater visibility of indigenous authors in universities, so that such recognition may be extended to basic education and society at large. This research focuses on the tradition perpetuated by indigenous women and the testimonial nature of their narratives, as well as the process by which indigenous literature often gains international recognition before being valued nationally. This dynamic is understood through Bakhtin’s concept of centrifugal forces, which explain how the dissemination of discourse across different social and cultural spheres affects its recognition and visibility. Supported by the contemporary indigenous literary movement and bakhtinian theory, the study highlights the construction of a lyrical-political "I-we" that emerges as both political activism and cultural expression. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative, linguistic-discursive approach, aiming to contribute to the visibility of indigenous literature and, more specifically, to emphasize the power of Eliane Potiguara’s work as a space of intersection between tradition, resistance and self-affirmation of indigenous peoples.