The (re)existence of indigenous peoples in the depths of Bahia’s backlands: a brief social linguistic history

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the socio-historical and linguistic dynamics of Indigenous peoples in the north backlands of Bahia. The research adopts a bibliographic and descriptive approach, grounded in the principles of Social Linguistic History, a branch of Historical Linguistics. The methodology employed involves the analysis of bibliographic sources to explore the historical process and understand the formation of the backlands of semi-arid Bahia, taking into account the historical intersections from the colonial period to their current configurations. The violent impact of the colonization process led to the suppression and erasure of the historical and sociocultural elements of Indigenous peoples, highlighting the decline in linguistic diversity and the damage inflicted on Indigenous languages. This study aims to understand the resistance, organization, and legacy of Indigenous peoples in the Bahian semi-arid region, considering the significance of the languages belonging to the Kariri family and the imperative to safeguard the linguistic and cultural diversity that characterizes them. However, it is important to emphasize that there is still much to be investigated and protected, and it is our ongoing responsibility to explore and respect Indigenous peoples’ linguistic, historical, and cultural heritage.