Esmat Receives Visit From Students From The Indigenous Intercultural Degree Course Of Uft

On Wednesday afternoon (January 15th), the Superior School of the Judges of the State of Tocantins (Esmat) welcomed students from the Indigenous Intercultural Degree course at the Federal University of the state of Tocantins (UFT). The degree meets a long-standing demand from indigenous peoples for a superior professor training and it is part of the National Program to Promote Equity in the Training of Basic Education Teachers – Equity Parfor.

During the visit, the students got to know the infrastructure of Esmat, including the library, study rooms, recording studio, computer labs and other sectors. In addition, they were able to appreciate the exhibition of the Indigenous Arts and Crafts Space Project and the photographic exhibition “Arandu”, which celebrates the wisdom and knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the state of Tocantins through images and handicrafts.

Reception by esmat

At the reception, Judge Wellington Magalhães, Deputy Director of Esmat and coordinator of the Permanent Program for the Socio-Political Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples of the Regional Electoral Court of the State of Tocantins (TRE-TO), highlighted the importance of the active participation of indigenous people in democracy and the occupation of public spaces. 

“If everyone sows a seed, we will reap a harvest. It's an honor to welcome you here. Knowledge gives power, and training is not just a technical process, but a way to guarantee rights and overcome years of exclusion and silencing,” he emphasized.

Ana Beatriz de Oliveira Pretto, Executive Director of Esmat, also welcomed the group. “It's an honor to welcome you for our first visit of 2025. Esmat offers training, specialization, master's and doctoral courses, and it will be a pleasure to count on your presence in the future. We believe that knowledge is the key that opens all doors, and your efforts today are an important step towards a bright future,” she said.

In her speech, Professor Reijane Pinheiro da Silva, coordinator of Equity Parfor, stressed the relevance of the course for indigenous education in the State. “We want to contribute to the superior education of indigenous teachers, promoting an exchange of knowledge between the communities and the university,” she said.

Professor Luciane Silva de Sousa stressed the importance of reflecting on indigenous rights. “The struggle of indigenous peoples is daily. It's not enough for the rights to be written down; action is needed to ensure that they are put into effect. The speech of Judge Wellington reinforced the discussions we had about the Article 231 of the Constitution and other issues that are central to the communities,” she said.

Testimonies

Among the students, Mariza Sibâdi Xerente shared her expectations. “I'm happy to acquire more knowledge and be able to take it back to my community. We need to recover what has been lost and put the necessary changes into practice,” she said.

Augusto Xerente stressed the importance of critical training. “The rights we have today are the fruit of the struggle of our ancestors. We need to ensure that these rights are realized and continue to fight for our communities to have access to education, health and territory,” he said.

The course on Indigenous Intercultural Degree is an initiative of UFT focused on valuing indigenous education and promoting equity. The program seeks to prepare professionals to work with excellence in their communities. With approximately 20,000 indigenous people from nine ethnic groups in the State, Tocantins has the second highest percentage of indigenous people living on demarcated land in Brazil, according to the Census of 2022. Initiatives like this reinforce the commitment to the training, inclusion and recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples.