STRATEGIES TO CONFRONTING THE HISTORICAL ERASURE OF THE NARRATIVES OF THE ORIGINAL PEOPLES OF BAIXADA SANTISTA

This paper investigates the erasure of legends, characters, and 
stories belonging to original peoples in Brazilian culture, using the tale of the 
Ipupiara as a case study. The central objective is to analyze how this historical 
process of erasure manifests in the present and to propose strategies to spark the 
interest of elementary school students in these narratives, which are an essential 
part of their own identity. The research is based on the comparative analysis of two 
distinct events that maintain a relationship of continuity: the account by Pero de 
Magalhães Gândavo in the 16th century about the mythical creature Ipupiara being 
killed by a bandeirante (pioneer/explorer), and the burning of the statue 
representing the creature in the Biquinha square in São Vicente, in 2016. The 
methodology includes a bibliographical review of Gândavo's work and the analysis 
of journalistic and documentary sources regarding the recent incident. The results 
demonstrate that the story of the Ipupiara, from its symbolic annihilation in the 16th 
century to the physical destruction of its representation in the 21st century, serves 
as a powerful example of the cultural resistance and the ongoing erasure of 
Indigenous narratives in the popular imagination. The conclusion points to the 
urgent need to combat this invisibility through education. By recovering and 
presenting these stories in an engaging and contextualized way, it is possible to 
reconnect the history of Brazil to its roots, valuing the cultural contribution of 
original peoples, and promoting a more inclusive and complete identityThe word 
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