international technical cooperation project … · number of speakers may reach twenty thousand...

International Technical Cooperation Project between FUNAI Museum of the Indian and UNESCO Documentation of Brazilian Indigenous Languages and Cultures

International Technical Cooperation Project Documentation of Brazilian Indigenous Languages and Cultures

Brasilia, DF September 2008


A. Context 1. Description of the sector 2. Country’s strategy for the sector 3. Previous or in-course technical assistance 4. Institutional framework for the sector – institutional and operational limitations

B. Project Justification

1. Current situation 2. Expected situation 3. Project beneficiaries 4. Implementation strategy and institutional coordination 5. Reasons for UNESCO’s technical assistance 6. Special considerations 7. Counterpart capacity of the national institution

C. Development Objective D. Immediate Objectives, Results and Activities E. Input F. Risks G. Obligations and Prerequisites H. Project Reviews, Reports and Evaluation I. Budget J. Disbursement Schedule K. Legal Framework L. Annexes

Schedule of project reviews, reports and evaluation Execution schedule Logical framework by immediate objectives Term of reference for consultants


INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROJECT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF BRAZIL AND THE UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL,

SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION PROJECT NAME: Documentation of Brazilian Indigenous Languages and Cultures PROJECT NUMBER: to be assigned by UNESCO after approval ESTIMATED DURATION: 36 months EXECUTING AGENCY: Museum of the Indian / FUNAI INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR COOPERATION: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO TOTAL PROJECT AMOUNT: R$ 4.642.932,00 (US$ 2.063.525 as of November 2008) SOURCE OF FUNDING: Museum of the Indian / FUNAI PROJECT SUMMARY: The project aims to carry out the documentation of about 20 endangered

indigenous languages and cultures, thus improving their safeguard, as well as to create a cohesive team of indigenous and non-indigenous researchers aquainted with documentation goals, methods and technology, with a view to consolidating this new research field in Brazil.

On behalf of the Government of Brazil Name: Marco Farani Position: Designated Director of the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation On behalf of the Executing Agency Name: Márcio de Freitas Meira Position: President of FUNAI On behalf of UNESCO Name: Vincent Defourny Position: UNESCO Representative to Brazil


A. Context 1. Description of the sector Languages are the repository of native, millenary traditions and knowledge, as well as a vehicle for their transmission from one generation to another. The extraordinary cultural and linguistic diversity that still exists in Brazil, especially in the Amazon region, is endangered. And its documentation requires immediate and collective effort. Current estimates place the number of indigenous languages spoken in Brazil between 150 and 180. This number may surprise the general public, but it is low compared to estimates that there might have been over 1,200 languages when Europeans arrived 500 years ago.1 Along five centuries of conquest and colonization, about 85% of those languages were lost, taking with them entire cultural configurations and diversified knowledge. In the world scenario, particularly in South America, Brazil still holds one of the greatest linguistic densities and biological diversities. It is also where the lowest demographic concentration per language is found. Think of how many languages are spoken by an estimated population of 400,000 people, distributed among approximately 200 ethnic groups. It is known that they comprise forty-one families, two linguistic branches, amounting to a dozen isolated languages (Rodrigues, 1993; Stenzel, 2006; Brackelaire and Azanha, 2006) besides two “Creole” ones. The number of speakers may reach twenty thousand (Guaraní, Tikuna, Terena, Macuxi and Kaigang), fewer than five, or even one single speaker. The average is fewer than 200 speakers by language.2 But even among the few languages still spoken by many people, there is none to be considered “safeguarded”, in other words, none that will probably still be used on a daily basis and transmitted from one generation to another by the end of this century. On the contrary, there are many cases of languages spoken or remembered by a few people, usually elders, which will almost inevitably disappear in a few years. Unfortunately, such languages are frequently the least known, and descendants of those last speakers often dramatically request their recording and rescue. Thus, there are no “safe” indigenous languages in Brazil: they are all minority and dominated languages, spoken within settings subject to increasing, fast and deep transformations. The situation of languages in Brazil is akin to the worldwide scenario. An article by linguist Michael Krauss (1992) intensified international mobilization toward languages at risk of disappearing. He estimated that 90% of the world’s languages would be at risk in the 21st century if preventive measures were not taken. Since the late 90s UNESCO, through its Culture and Communication and Information Sectors, has been developing broad programs to protect language diversity. As languages disappear, science loses sources of knowledge of human language and of the ancient and recent past of indigenous peoples. A country (and mankind as well) loses an essential part of its intellectual heritage, identity and memory. However, the most affected are indigenous communities themselves, since a

1 Rodrigues, Aryon Dall'Igna. (1993). “Línguas Indígenas: 500 anos de descobertas e perdas.” Ciência Hoje, 16 (p. 20-26); Stenzel, Kristine S.

(2006), “Lenguas y tradiciones orales em la Amazonia brasileña”, In: Lenguas y tradiciones orales de la Amazonia. Diversidas em peligro? UNESCO, Casa de las Americas (71-120); Brackelaire and Azanha (2006), “Últimos pueblos indígenas aislados em América Latina: reto a la supervivencia”. In: Lenguas y tradiciones orales de la Amazonia. Diversidas em peligro? UNESCO, Casa de las Americas (315-363).

2 Leite, Yonne & Franchetto, Bruna. (2006). “500 anos de línguas indígenas no Brasil.” In Cardoso, Suzana A.M., Mota, Jacyra A., Mattos and Silva, R.M. (orgs) Quinhentos Anos de História Lingüística no Brasil. Salvador: Secretariat of Culture and Tourism of Bahia State (p. 15-61). — Moore, Denny and Gabas Jr., Nilson. (2006). “O futuro das línguas indígenas brasileiras.” In Amazônia 500 Anos. Louis Forline, Ima Vieira & Rui Murrieta (orgs). Belém: P. E. Goeldi Museum. (p. 333-354).


language and its variations represent a key element of a people’s identity and a vehicle of millenary traditions and knowledge, self-esteem and perpetuation will. 2. Country’s strategy for the sector Since the discovery period, Europeans began investigations that supported theories and typologies about languages found in the territories being settled. In Brazil, the Portuguese concentrated on the languages of the coast, where Tupí-Guaraní was predominant. Preserved documents include grammars and catechisms of three languages that have disappeared: Tupínambá, Kariri and Manau. Nowadays we can still be surprised at the clarity and details of Jesuit Tupí grammars, which allow us to appreciate the phonological, morphological and syntactical systems and processes of Tupínambá and ancient Tupí languages. On the other hand, the classification of recorded facts according to categories of Greek-Latin grammatical tradition is currently rejected. The intent was to conquer the indigenous language, using the missionary undertaking as an instrument to overcome paganism. Later on, Romanticism literature transfigured (and disfigured) Tupí language and conveyed to the national Brazilian imagination a generic indian stereotype that still pervades common sense, school history, films and TV soap operas. Such studies paved the way for linguistics, which would become a proper science in the second half of the 19th century. During that period travelling scholars joined the missionary, directly or indirectly accompanying new conquering expeditions: Koch-Grümberg, Steinen, Capistrano de Abreu and Nimuendajú, to mention the most important ones. Roughly systematic grammatical notes were accompanied or illustrated by text collections and alphabetic transcriptions of oral tradition enactments of several indigenous peoples. A corpus was beginning to be built, consisting mostly of narrations, which would again be transfigured to nurture national folktales featuring emblematic characters such as Macunaíma. Currently, Gospel-teaching is still the basis of missionary linguistic interest, which is the case in the work of many faith missions led by the North-American Summer Institute of Linguistics – SIL, nowadays called International Linguistic Society. SIL played an important role in the implementation of indigenous linguistic research in Brazil from the late 50s to the 70s. It also held prominence in the international linguistic scene up to not long ago. Notwithstanding, laic linguistics gradually disentangled from the missionary landmark, unfolding into the development of descriptive and explanatory models and the application of its knowledge into projects designed to provide honorable survival of indigenous languages. A survey carried out by Storto and Moore in 1991 showed that approximately eighty to one hundred languages had been given some kind of description, but almost half of them had no documentation. Authors considered that 10% of those languages had satisfactory grammatical description. There were only 12 PhD in Brazil dedicated to studying such languages, and only eight universities included indigenous languages in their post-graduation programs. SIL worked on 40 languages, but did not contribute to the training of any Brazilian researchers. Fifty-nine languages were being researched by non-missionary linguists; a 36% increase between 1985 and 1991. From 1987 to 1991, the Program for Scientific Research of Brazilian Indigenous Languages (PPCLIB) of the National Research Council (CNPq) provided scholarship support to field research and intensive courses. Results of the survey carried out by Bruna Franchetto in 1995 indicated the existence of about 120 researchers (80% active; a dozen missionary researchers in academic connection with Brazilian institutions). An increase in the participation of college students and post-graduates could be seen, whereas SIL’s activities seemed halted. Between 1991 and 1995, there was an apparent increase of about 40% to the number of researched languages.


At that time, Franchetto noted that among approximately 180 indigenous languages, a few more than 30 had satisfactory documentation or description; 114 had some kind of description about phonological and/or syntactical aspects; and the others remained unknown. This rough estimate included the results of SIL’s action, which were then published. On the other hand, indigenous groups already notice the “danger” their languages are undergoing. Therefore, they are interested in revitalizing them. In such situations, Indians try to interact with linguists that can dedicate to documenting their language. In spite of recorded advances, Brazil has a long-term need for researchers dedicated to studying indigenous languages. 3. Previous or in-course technical assistance In 2004, the first cooperation experience between UNESCO and the Museum of the Indian, through the Regular Programme, resulted in the publishing of a CD-ROM on Basic Vocabulary of Indigenous Languages. The work covered 10 indigenous peoples and included data on demographic, social and cultural aspects of those peoples, besides audio-visual speech recordings. In April 2008, the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics – MPI, the DOBES program technical centre, located in Nijmegen, Holland, signed a cooperation agreement. MPI contributed to the acquisition and installation of the first server with LAT (Language Archiving Technology) at the Museum of the Indian, whose operational system (Linux) has a multiple hard-disk system ensures data backup if one of them fails. This server already has collections on three indigenous languages spoken in the Alto Xingu region (Mato Grosso state) and results of DOBES’s pioneer projects: Kuikuro (Karib, Bruna Franchetto, National Museum/UFRJ); Trumai (isolated, Raquel Guirardello, MPI Nijmegen & Goeldi Museum) and Awetí (Tupí, Sebastian Drude, Berlin Free University & Goeldi Museum). New databases are being or may be included in the Museum’s server. And there are plans to expand the cooperation with MPI for the installation of other collections. This potential expansion is connected to the implementation of this Project, as will be seen below. 4. Institutional framework for the sector – institutional and operational limitations Linguistic Documentation is a growing research and technology field that has interdisciplinary links with technological development and, innovatively, with areas of linguistic research itself (its several branches and theoretical strands), ethnology, history, archaeology, among others. There is evidence that linguistic documentation, given its emphasis on interdisciplinarity, international cooperation, speaker community participation and digital technologies, may be able to raise the status and knowledge of indigenous languages to a higher stage. In Brazil the documentation field began to be developed about seven years ago through an exemplary cooperation activity joining researchers from Brazilian institutions and leading international programs, especially in Europe. Two international programs have been developed in recent years, with the purpose of sponsoring and stimulating projects for documentation and revitalization of endangered languages: the DOBES program (Dokumentation Bedrohter Sprachen), of Volkswagen Foundation, Germany (www.mpi.nl/DOBES), and the Endangered Languages Documentation Program – ELDP, sponsored by the Lisbet Rousing Charitable Fund and administered by the School for Oriental and African Studies, London University (www.hrelp.org/grants).


According to data presented by Denny Moore in IPHAN’s Electronic Bulletin in 2007, several international documentation projects were in progress in Brazil, involving 17 languages:

Language Family/Branch Linguist Institution DOBES sponsorship Kuikúro Karib Franchetto National Museum Trumái Isolated Guirardello MPI/Goeldi Museum Awetí Tupí Drude Berlin Free University / Goeldi Museum Kaxuyána Karib Meira Leiden University / Goeldi Museum Bakairí Karib Meira Leiden University / Goeldi Museum Mawé Tupí Meira Leiden University / Goeldi Museum Kaxinawá Pano Camargo CNRS ELDP sponsorship Puruborá Tupí Galucio Goeldi Museum Sakurabiát Tupí Galucio Goeldi Museum Ayuru Tupí Demolin Brussels Free University / USP Salamãy Tupí Moore Goeldi Museum Apurinã Aruák Facundes UFPA Ofayé Macro-Jê Ribeiro Chicago University / UFG Kaduvéu Guaykurú Sandalo UNICAMP Karo Tupí Gabas Goeldi Museum

Enawé Nawé Aruák de Resende National Museum

NSF sponsorship Piratapúya Tukano Stenzel National Museum

Besides these projects, which focus rather on documentation than research, there are minor ones sponsored by national sources or by the Endangered Languages Fund – ELF. Partial results of these projects demonstrate that this field has unquestionable potential for in-depth documentation of existing native languages and cultures. Moreover, it can further enhance the interface between technological development and human sciences in an field where Brazil takes an outstanding position in the international scenario. The Museum of the Indian, a federal technical/scientific institution dedicated exclusively to indigenous cultures, holds an ethnologic collection that gathers over 235 thousand recordings of Brazilian indigenous peoples, comprising arts crafts, texts, images, films and audio recordings, besides specialized publications. The information preserved in some segments of this collection represents an indispensable research source, including glossaries, grammar drafts, legends, histories, dictionaries, annotations and other linguistic materials, mainly from the important Rondon Commission’s archive.


B. Project Justification 1. Current situation

As described above, the main data on the current situation of indigenous language preservation in Brazil are the following: – Out of approximately 180 indigenous languages, a few more than 30 have satisfactory documentation or

description; 114 have some kind of description about their phonological and/or syntactical aspects; and the others remain unstudied;

– Existing recording and documentation initiatives are unable to cover the whole universe to be researched

and supply the demand from indigenous communities as they are few, too scattered around the country and often meet unfavourable institutional circumstances

– The demand for documentation by indigenous groups is growing, especially in the North, and is far

beyond the capacity of the few researchers and centers prepared for this kind of work; – Databases on existing cultures and languages at the Museum of the Indian or in possession of

researchers do not have adequate treatment and condition for provision to researcher and indigenous communities;

– There is a lack of wider and deeper knowledge on the country’s languages for designing adequate and

efficient cultural public policies – New principles, methods and technologies supporting linguistic documentation cannot yet be applied to

large-scale experimentation and implementation in the country. This scenario presents an opportunity for an urgent large-scale project to document indigenous cultures and languages, responding to the demands of indiegenous groups and applying newly conceived and ground-breaking techniques. 2. Expected situation The Project is expected to carry out a thorough documentation of 20 endangered indigenous languages, selected among a universe of 35 priority ones. Documentation processes should be sufficient for consolidating the methodology for linguistic documentation among Brazilian researchers and for disseminating it to the indigenous communities involved. Speakers of the documented languages should be able to utilize built databases, as well as to feed them new data. It is mostly expected that the documentation process and results will enhance the value of the language as an essential factor for preserving diversity and promoting union among these groups. In the medium and long term, the project should have a replicating effect, as its core target group includes numerous young indigenous persons that are highly trained and commited to the transmission of their cultures and should work as teachers at the villages’ schools. The Project is also expected to enable the systematization and safeguarding of the main linguistic and cultural documental collections currently dispersed throughout the country, and to foster the contribution of new collections to the Museum of the Indian.


3. Project beneficiaries Contemporary linguistic documentation aims primarily to benefit communities, by revitalizing their languages and cultures, an indispensable requirement for stable bilingualism and multilingualism, and the only sustainable way to preserve diversity. It is not by chance that the demand for documentation by indigenous groups is far greater than the capacity of the few researchers and centers prepared for this kind of work, especially in the North region. A key element for current achievements is active participation of members of the respective communities, which has also established a new model of indigenous research designed to train documentation researchers. Two examples illustrate the situation: the documentation of Kuikuro (Southern Karib, Alto Xingu), started by Bruna Franchetto, Carlos Fausto and Mara Santos (UFRJ), was carried out by the Kuikuro community itself, after the official closing of the DOBES project. Several videos produced by the Kuikuros won national and international prizes. An exhibit at the Museum of the Indian, elaborated with their participation, approaches the complex and enriching relation between new technologies and traditional memory recordings. Another example is the work of Ana Vilacy Galucio (Goeldi Museum), who produced an innovative bilingual book, with a CD-ROM containing narrations of the Sakurabiat people. Today, the indigenous peoples appreciate their language as never before. Another work by the same researcher, recovering Puruborá language, helped unify that people, previously scattered throughout different cities of Rondônia state. In order to bring immediate feedback to indigenous communities, the Project will train at least one indigenous researcher specialized in linguistic documentation for each language to be documented, provide digitalized material, elaborate didactic and paradidactic materials, among others. Access to the Museum of the Indian’s collections and others to be incorporated, duly treated and systematized by the project, will supply the demand of indigenous communities for recovery of recordings that help them document and revitalize their cultures. Beyond mere beneficiaries of its results, the project expects to have indians’ direct participation and intervention in different phases of the work, with a view to improving collection recordings, producing new information, and generating significant databases for their socio-cultural universes. The second group of direct beneficiaries is the scientific and academic community, as the Project is intended for introducing and diffusing new knowledge and technologies still under experimentation and barely diffused in the country. The Museum of the Indian will safeguard and diffuse its collection, and enhance its linguistic documentation capacity, consolidating itself as a reference in the field, particularly for indigenous communities. Moreover, the project’s international visibility, resulting from the essential scientific cooperation required for the execution and achievement of its large-scale objectives, may strengthen the country’s position as an executor of leading social, cultural and technological policies, and raise opportunities for future south-south cooperation. 4. Implementation strategy and institutional coordination Given the complexity of the theme, before describing the implementation strategy it is important to present methodological considerations. The first one concerns precisely the concept of linguistic documentation.


Linguistic and cultural documentation must not be mistaken for description, which is basically the analysis of the structure and operation of a language or society and its presentation in the form, for example, of a grammar (descriptive), dictionary or ethnography. The documentation objective is to record the existing diversity of cultures and languages within their settings, creating digital collections for multiple purposes and users. Digital collections accessible to speaker (or former speaker) communities enable long-term preservation of actual diversity, involving individual and collective memory, traditional knowledge, oral arts, and vocal and instrumental music. Recordings must be in digital format and subjected to annotation including at least the transcription and translation of expressions, so that materials can be useful to future generations. They must also be organized, classified and described in a structured manner before they are deposited in safeguarded digital collections that can ensure availability for 20 to 50 years. All original recordings and annotations will be kept by national institutions, and copies in adequate, accessible format will be delivered to the communities involved. It is essential to define clear access rules, which may include varying restrictions concerning intellectual and image rights, as well as the speakers’ choices regarding, for example, culturally and personally sensitive contents. This type of undertaking requires appropriate equipment and software that takes into consideration, among other aspects, the conditions of the fieldwork, which is carried out mostly in places with no electricity and little or no infrastructure. The majority of programs and applied technologies have been developed specifically for those purposes. ELAN (Eliciting & Annotation), the most popular program, allows for precise multilevel annotations not only of linguistic data on endangered languages, but also of any type of audio-visual recordings. Over the past four years, the DOBES3 program has been developing the Language Archiving Technology – LAT, to build structured digital collections, allowing for organization, description, cataloguing, disposition and regulated access to multimedia data related to annotations. Considerations having been made, the Project implementation strategy is described below. The first measure is to define the universe of languages to be documented. Therefore, 35 languages considered endangered were identified based on a combination of criteria. This number represents only part of the native heritage endangered and at risk of disappearing. Criteria used for selecting the 35 languages include: 1. Small number of speakers within a population in the process of becoming monolingual in Portuguese; 2. Small absolute number of speakers (up to 500 people); 3. Generational halt in the use of native language(s) and/or reduction to its/their domains and settings

and/or loss of oral traditions and knowledge transmitted in native language; 4. Sufficient motivation of the indigenous group to carry out a documentation project, with concomitant

reinforcement or recovery of the language; 5. Good quality research and/or documentation work started or in progress; 6. Endangered institutional and/or individual collections containing recordings and research materials. Based on those criteria, available surveys and expert information from researchers working on linguistic documentation in Brazil and abroad4, have been gathered. They generated the following list:

3 http://www.lat-mpi.eu 4 The numbers related to the population of each ethnicity were obtained from Ricardo, Beto and Ricardo, Fany (orgs.), Povos Indígenas no Brasil

2001-2005, São Paulo: Instituto Socioambiental, 2006. Such figures must not be mistaken for the number of speakers.


Language Family/Branch State(s)

Population Speakers Observations

Aikanã Isolated RO 200 Apiaká Tupí-Guaraní MT 192 Probably 2

only

Akuntsu Tupari RO 7 Arara + Ikpeng Karib PA/MT Arara: 200; Ikpeng:

320 2 peoples speaking variations of the same

language Arikapú Jabuti (Macro-Jê?) RO 2 Banawá Arawá AM About 100 Içana Baniwa Arawak AM 5,000+ Desana Tukano AM About 1,500 Djeoromitxí Jabuti RO 50 Dow Nadahup AM 83 Fulni-ô Yatê, Macro-Jê PE The only surviving language in the Northeast Kanela-Apaniekra

Timbira, Macro-Jê MA About 400

Kanoê Isolated RO 95 5 Requiring urgent documentation Karajá, Javaé and Xambioá

Macro-Jé TO 2,532 + 1,208 + 269 Javaé and Xambioá are highly endangered; good working conditions.

Kayabi Tupí / Tupí-Guaraní MT 1,000 Increasing presence of Portuguese while the language is being abandoned; good working conditions.

Kisêdjê (Suyá) Macro-Jê MT 334 Good working conditions

Krenak Macro-Jê MG 40 10 Latundê Nambikwara RO 19 Makurap Tupí RO 381 70 Maxakali Macro-Jê MG 1,270 Nadöb Nadahup (Makú) AM 400 Ninam Yanomami RR 90 Oro Win Txapacura RO 56 5 Pareci Arawak MT 1,300 Patamona Karib RR Poyanáwa Pano AC 403 ? Rikbaktsa Macro-Jê MT 1,100 Shawãdawa Pano AC 10 elders Tenharim Tupí-Guaraní AM 700 Tuparí Tupí RO 338 Tuyuca Tukano AM 830 Xetá Tupí-Guaraní 3 Yawalapiti Arawak MT Fewer than

10

Yawanawa Pano AM 500 200?


The second measure, which must be carried out in parallel to the linguistic documentation so as to support and optimize it, concerns the treatment and provision of documental collections. Therefore, priority collections were selected from the Museum of the Indian’s collection that bore relevance to the Project objectives, and from approximately thirty other collections on indigenous languages and cultures belonging to personal and institutional collections, most of them already donated or made available to the Museum, among other dispersed ones yet to be gathered. Collections belonging to the Museum of the Indian Image, text, cartography, audio and three-dimensional collections on indigenous peoples Desana, Baniwa, Bororo, Guaraní, Kanela, Karajá, Kadiwéu, Kayapó, Kuikuro, Krenak, Maxacali, Nambikwara, Pareci, Parintintin, Xavante and Yawanawa, besides others contained in different archival collections, such as: the Indians’ Protection Service (SPI), Rondon Commission (CR), National Indians’ Protection Council (CNPI), Brasil Central Foundation (FBC), National Indians’ Foundation (FUNAI) and private personal collections (Pedro Lima, Milton Guran, William Crocker, General Ismarth, Zelito Viana, Jesco, Helmut Sick, Gustaaf Viger, etc). Personal and institutional collections on indigenous languages and cultures – Apalai (PA) – Lucia van Welthen (MPEG); Protásio Frikel – Asurini (PA) – Regina Muller (UNICAMP) – Avá-Canoeiro (GO+TO) – Mônica Veloso Borges (UFGO) – Enawenê-Nawê (MT) – Ana Paula Ratto Lima (UFRJ) – Guaraní (MS) – Anna Ribeiro; Desidério Aytai – Guaraní-Mbyá (RJ) – José Ribamar Bessa Freire (UERJ) – Ikpeng (Xingu) – Charlotte Emmerich, Frantomé Pacheco (UFAM); Cilene Campetela – Kadiwéu (MS) – Filomena Spatti Sandalo (UNICAMP) – Kamayurá (Xingu) – Lucy Seki (UNICAMP) – Kamayurá, Kuikuro, Yawalapiti (Xingu) – Milton Guran – Karajá, Javaé, Xambioá (GO+MT+PA+TO) – Marcus Maia (UFRJ); Helena Cavalcanti-Schiel – Karitiana (RO) – Luciana Raccanello Storto (USP) – Katukina (AC+AM) – Luiz Antonio Costa (UFRJ) – Kaxinawá (AC) – Elsje Maria Lagrou (UFRJ) – Kayapó (PA+MT) – Milton Guran – Kayapó (PA+MT) – Vanessa Lea (UNICAMP); Maria Amélia Reis da Silva (British Columbia University);

Andrés Pablo Salanova (Ottawa University) – Kuikuro (Xingu) – Bruna Franchetto, Carlos Fausto, Mara Santos (UFRJ) – Marubo (AM) – Pedro Cesarino (USP) – Maxacali (MG) – Rosangela Pereira de Tugny (UFMG) – Mehinaku – Thomas Gregor (Vanderbilt University) – Munduruku (PA+AM+ MT) – Lucia van Welthen (MPEG); Protácio Frikel – Nambikwara (MT) – Anna Ribeiro; Desidério Aytai (MT); Joana Miller (UFRJ) – Nambikwara (MT) – Joana Muller (UFRJ) – Pareci (MT) – Glauber Romling da Silva (UFRJ); Sonia Coqueiro (Museum of the Indian); Romana Costa – Pirahã (AM) – Marco Antonio Gonçalves (UFRJ) – Tapirapé (MT) – Yonne F. Leite (UFRJ); Walkiria Neves – Tiriyó (PA) – Luiz Donisete and Denise Grupioni (USP) – Wajãpi (AP) – Dominique Gallois (USP) – Xavante (MT) – James Robert Welch (Fiocruz); Rosana Costa (UFRJ) – Xavante, Karajá and Bororo (MT) – Anna Ribeiro; Desidério Aytai – Yanomami (RR) – Bruce Albert (IRD); Milton Guran


Based on this set, a universe will be defined for treatment by the project, according to the following criteria and others that might be considered pertinent to each specific situation: 1. Representativeness of the collection concerning the thematic line of the surveyed indigenous ethnic

group; 2. Degree of preliminary organization of the collection (authorship, ethnicity, date, place, etc.); 3. Assurance of the authorship of donated documents (i.e. photographs) and the donor’s entitlement to the

property or custody of the material; 4. Importance of the documents’ contents; 5. State of conservation of the sources, in order to allow their treatment, digital reproduction and availability

in the database. The basic strategy is to seek, always in collaboration with the indians, to qualify the Museum’s collection based on their direct intervention, in order to generate a digital documents database for direct access by indigenous communities to both the existing data and that to be produced from the indigenous perspective and knowledge throughout the collection reconstruction process. This part of the project will be carried out in partnership with indigenous peoples and their organizations, as well as with other scientific and cultural institutions. The indians will be trained and given the means to record by themselves whatever they consider relevant to their culture and society, acting as subjects rather than objects of study. This will be a definitive change of direction for the Museum of the Indian, whose production will then be destined to Indians themselves, thus reversing the classical logic of development of products destined to non-Indians. It is important to highlight the extensive replicating effect of the research and documentation model to be adopted at the documentation of collections and languages. By training young indigenous researchers and producing information with their participation, the communities will acquire tools to carry on the register and transmission of ther linguistic and cultural heritage to future generations, increasing the means of ensuring their safeguard in the medium and long terms. Moreover, the built databases will work as a source of content to schools in indigenous areas in Brazil, establishing an institutional space in the communities for sustaining the activities started by the project. Indeed, the main targets of the training and documentation activities are young indigenous persons who are commited to the transmission of their cultures and work as local teachers. Fellowships for the training of researchers will supply specialized school teachers and provide accurate data about their culture and languages on which to base their pedagogical work. On the other hand, the training, the established databases and the preliminary support infrastructure to be set up should also allow the establishment of local cultural centres, where applicable, or should provide contents to existing centres in the communities. To ensure the continuity of the project’s activities, the budget of the Museum of the Indian was increased with R$1.500.000 and a partnership with the Banco do Brasil Foundation will provide the equipments to be donated to the communities. From the outcomes of the project’s activities, the communities will then be able to determine how to use the available resources. The methods developed will also enhance the communities’ capacity to carry out other activities funded by national and international sources.


In order to accomplish the several phases of the linguistic documentation and documental collection treatment, the Project will be supported by the following structure: CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE It will consist of five to ten members, doctors in linguistics or related areas, Brazilian and foreign experts of international renown, with relevant scientific production and experience in documentation. It will also include a researcher from the Museum of the Indian. The Committee shall ensure scientific standards are followed by the project as a whole and by the documentation sub-projects. The Committee will be summoned and heard whenever required. The logistic resources required for operation will be provided for by an existing agreement between the Museum of the Indian and the Banco do Brasil Foundation. SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION A Scientific Coordinator will run this instance, being responsible for the evaluation and supervision of the project’s scientific quality and consistency along its several phases – equipment and technology specification and selection, training contents, eliciting, annotations, lexical compilations and documentation sub-projects. The logistic resources required for operation will be provided for through the Agreement between the Museum of the Indian and Banco do Brasil Foundation. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT OF LINGUISTIC DOCUMENTATION A consultant engaged by the Project will be responsible for elaborating a detailed planning of the Project; assisting in team training and training conception and accomplishment; assisting field researchers; assisting in the treatment of existing linguistic collections and others coming from documentation sub-projects; diffusing results, activities and materials produced by the Project and sub-projects; and carrying out scientific assessment of sub-projects. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT OF DOCUMENT COLLECTIONS A consultant engaged by the project will be responsible for assisting in team training and for the training itself; planning and implementing activities related to the technical treatment of different collections, observing their specific features; supervising digitalization works and database information feeding; assisting in the diffusion of the project’s outputs; and evaluating the production of various teams. TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT OF LINGUISTIC DOCUMENTATION A consultant hired by the project will be responsible for providing technical assistance to teams during their training course; in the conception of the standard structure for collections at the Museum of the Indian server; in the creation of individual collections; and in the definition and operationalization of the access to archived materials; as well as for maintaining and updating the Museum of the Indian’s server. LINGUISTIC DOCUMENTATION SUB-PROJECTS (about 20 sub-projects along 3 years) These projects will be under the responsibility of consultants hired through the project and indigenous fellowship holders. They will be in charge of the documentation of selected indigenous languages, including all of its phases, among them the training and definition of access rights to different user groups. DOCUMENTAL TREATMENT SUB-PROJECTS (about 15 documental collections treated along 3 years)


Thise component will be under the responsibility of consultants hired by the Project and indigenous fellowship holders. They will be in charge of the treatment of selected text and audio-visual collections, including overall follow-up of technical processing activities, among others specific to each type of document. ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT This staff will be responsible for the Project administrative and accounting management, logistic organization of participant and professor travels, and provision of required stationery and infrastructure. This function will be performed by the Museum’s staff, with assistance from staff hired with support from Banco do Brasil Foundation. 5. Rationale for UNESCO’s technical assistance The need to face issues concerning indigenous languages has become absolutely pressing due to the speeding globalization process, in which languages and their complex implications in terms of identity and social integration, both globally and locally, hold strategic importance. The pace at which languages disappear is increasing, leading to immeasurable losses of linguistic and cultural diversity worldwide. By tackling this issue, enhancing lingusitic diversity and supporting oral traditions, the project is in line with the UNESCO’s 2008/2009 (34C/5) programme, namely Main Line of Action 2 - Safeguarding living heritage, particularly through the promotion and implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is also aligned with Strategic Objective 1 of UNESCO Brasilia’s Strategic Framework, aimed at incorporating and mainstreaming UNESCO’s legal instruments into the country’s cultural policies. Besides, several international normative texts and declarations have provided worldwide recognition of the importance of linguistic issues. A few examples include: • United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966); • Vienna Declaration, of the World Conference on Human Rights (1993), which ensures “persons

belonging to minorities the right to use their own languages” (article 19); • UN General Assembly Resolution 56/262 (Part II), on the protection and preservation of all languages; • UN Secretary-General’s Report on 58th Session (2003), about measures to protect, promote and

preserve all languages, which includes UNESCO’s contribution; • Declaration of Principles, approved by the World Summit on the Information Society in 2003, which

emphasizes (Paragraphs 52 and 53) the promotion of linguistic diversity; • UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). In a similar vein, UNESCO has adopted a series of legal instruments concerning this issue, namely the Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960), the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and its Action Plan (2001), the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Recommendation for the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyber Space (both in 2003). Among several activities developed by UNESCO, between 2002 and 2003 the Organization requested from an international linguist group the development of a set of criteria, to determine the vitality of languages and, thus, identify their needs and guide the designing of safeguarding policies and measures. This action is called “Language Vitality and Endangerment”. In addition, the Organization has adopted a series of operational measures, such as the publishing of a World Atlas on Endangered Languages (in 1996 and


2001, with a third edition scheduled for 2008), which became an important reference in the subject, contributing to raise the interest and visibility of endangered languages. Finally, UNESCO considers that the preservation of traditional knowledge related to the preservation of biodiversity strongly depends on safeguarding the languages that function as its vehicle. In order to achieve the commitments of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2002), States Parties have established a series of progress indicators, among them “the status of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices”. In this direction, UNESCO has been developing an indicator called “Status and Trends of Linguistic Diversity and Numbers of Speakers of Indigenous Languages”, which, by collecting data and applying questionnaires, shall map the course of linguistic diversity around the world. 6. Special considerations Though previously mentioned in other topics, two aspects must be emphasized, given their importance to the project’s execution: the participation of the Banco do Brasil Foundation (FBB) and the relation with universities. FBB’s participation will almost fully exempt the international cooperation project from logistic, service contracts and procurement of goods and equipment. The few remaining items on the project (small number of travels, documental treatment sub-contracts, equipment resources) aim only to prevent potential halts, in case resources from FBB are temporarily reduced for administrative reasons. Researchers – linguists and anthropologists – connected to Brazilian universities will also play an important role in the project. However, given the diversity and dispersion of linguistic documentation studies and research in the country, no major role can be assigned to any of them. The richness and novelty of such experience lie precisely in the possibility of bringing universities together towards new methods of cultural and linguistic documentation, resorting on those with the greater knowledge or contact with the addressed indigenous people on each case. 7. Counterpart capacity of the national institution The Museum of the Indian will provide the human resources required for administrative functions, particularly those of research and documentation sectors, including researchers and specialized technicians with master’s and doctor’s degrees in Museumology, Archivology, History, Anthropology and other areas in Human and Social Sciences. The team will have direct participation in the project, whether in the accomplishment, follow-up and supervision of processing works of documentation and ethnographical materials gathered from other researchers, or in the collection, complementation or updating of cultural information on collections with indigenous communities. In addition, the Museum will mobilize the network of academic researchers working in its projects, aiming especially to set up the Consultative Committee and Scientific Coordination, and select researchers to engage in field research. Another input from the Museum will be the documental collections to be included in the databases of the documentation system, as well as the collections of researchers interested in keeping them at the Museum. C. Development Objective


The project aims to foster the documentation of endangered indigenous languages and cultures and the preservation linguistic collections, thus ehancing their safeguard and consolidating this upcoming field of knowledge in Brazil. D. Immediate Objectives, Results and Activities Immediate objective 1 – To enhance the capacity of the indigenous and non-indigenous researcher community for documentation of indigenous languages and cultures. Result 1: Indigenous and non-indigenous researchers trained and familiar with the goals, methods and technology of linguistic documentation and processing of documental collections

Activity 1.1 – To conceive and implement training in linguistic documentation methodology.

Activity 1.2 – To conceive and implement training in image/sound recording, capturing, transcription and annotation technologies, aiming to qualify the indigenous and non-indigenous researchers of sub-projects.

Activity 1.3 – To conceive and implement training in technologies for preservation and processing of documental collections.

Activity 1.4 – To conceive and elaborate models and instruments for language/collection research and documentation, for training activities, sub-project development, and work follow-up and evaluation.

Result 2: Documental collections relevant to the documentation of indigenous languages and cultures treated and made available

Activity 2.1 – To select priority collections, based on criteria to be jointly defined by the Project Consultative Committee and Scientific Coordination. Activity 2.2 – To implement the technical processing of selected iconography, sound and film collections, involving, depending on each collection’s status, phases such as research, identification, arrangement, description, annotation, indexing and information input into database recordings available on the Internet, and elaboration of inventories on treated collections. Activity 2.3 – To implement the technical processing of text collections, involving, depending on each collection’s status, the analysis, identification, diagnosis and elaboration of documental recordings, proposition of thematic descriptors, data systematization and input into database, and elaboration of research instrument. Activity 2.4 – To implement the reproduction of materials, involving, among other procedures, the digitalization of ethnographic documents, original iconography and text documents, digital capturing of sound items, production of respective digital representations, and provision of access to the Museum of the Indian’s database. Activity 2.5 – To prepare collection dossiers for redelivery to indigenous communities. Activity 2.6 – To identify indigenous languages and their contents in each treated collection.


Activity 2.7 – To implement the incorporation of collections on indigenous languages and cultures into the Museum of the Indian’s server. Activity 2.8 – To conceive the website for depositing digital representations of researched objects and treated collections, all of which duly contextualized, into the Museum of the Indian’s electronic database and sharing the linguistic documentation process.

Result 3 – Indigenous languages and cultures documented

Activity 3.1 – To establish the chronology of documentation processes and select priority languages, based on criteria to be jointly defined by the Project Consultative Committee and Scientific Coordination. Activity 3.2 – To obtain authorizations from selected indigenous communities. Activity 3.3 – To develop bibliographic studies and material surveys of public and private collections on indigenous languages and communities. Activity 3.4 – To accomplish recordings and collect lexical data in field research activities. Activity 3.5 – To carry out a socio-linguistic survey of indigenous communities. Activity 3.6 – To analyze and process the lexical data and materials collected in field research activities. Activity 3.7 – To accomplish the transcription (orthographical and phonological) of recordings with time references. Activity 3.8 – To translate transcriptions into Portuguese, enriching them with linguistic and/or cultural comments. Activity 3.9 – To accomplish detailed annotation (phonetic, phonological, morphological and syntactical) of a selected sample of the material. Activity 3.10 – To organize and input primary and secondary data and metadata into the Museum of the Indian’s digital collection. Activity 3.11 – To compile a basic lexicon. Activity 3.12 – To accomplish basic annotation of sessions containing speech events. Activity 3.13 – To elaborate grammatical descriptions. Activity 3.14 – To redeliver collected materials to indigenous communities. Activity 3.15 – To complete the digital corpus and descriptive grammar. Activity 3.16 – To produce materials for diffusion and use by the community.


Activity 3.17 – To determine, jointly with the involved communities, access rights to different user groups.


E. Input Component 10 – Staff International consultant travels = R$ 4,000.00 x 8 = R$ 32,000.00 Domestic supervision travels = R$ 1,500.00 x 60 = R$ 90,000.00 Component 20 – Sub-contracts 01 Scientific Management and Linguistic Documentation consultant, as specified by Term of Reference – 01: Total cost = R$ 167,400.00 (contract value up to R$ 55,800.00 for each year of Project implementation) 01 Scientific Management and Documental Treatment consultant, as specified by Term of Reference – 02: Total cost = R$ 157,320.00 (contract value up to R$ 52,440.00 for each year of Project implementation) 01 Information Technology consultant, as specified by Term of Reference – 03: Total cost = R$157,320.00 (contract value up to R$ 52,440.00 for each year of Project implementation) 14 Consultants specialized in documental treatment, as specified by Term of Reference – 04: Total cost = R$ 1,486,800.00 (14 contracts up to R$ 35,400.00 for each year of Project implementation) 20 Non-indigenous researchers on linguistic documentation, as specified by Term of Reference – 05: Total cost = R$ 1,206,000.00 (20 contracts up to R$ 20,100.00 for each year of Project implementation) Serivice contracts for the support to documental treatment (scanning, digital photography and others) = R$ 120.000,00 ( R$ 40.000,00 per year) 02 Monitoring and Evaluation consultants x 06 months (split over three 2-month intervals) = R$ 60,000.00 Note: experts and researchers will be hired under fee contracts, as specified in the terms of reference. Component 30 – Scholarships, Seminars and Training Support to 03 annual training activities x R$ 15,000.00 x 03 = R$ 135.000,00 Training fellowships to 20 indigenous researchers on linguistic documentation and documental treatment x R$ 400.00 x 24 months = R$ 192,000.00 Component 40 – Equipment, Facilities and Publications Purchasing of equipment and publications (electronic or printed) to support training and research activities – R$ 110,000.00 Component 50 – Operational Expenditures and Contributions Expenditures on communication, mail, public services, financial contributions and banking fees – R$40,000.00


Component 80 – Managing Costs Payment for services effectively rendered by UNESCO during Project implementation, corresponding to 5% (five percent) of project execution, under components 10 to 50


F. Risks Given its novelty and object – indigenous languages and cultures – the Project presents risks that are taken into consideration in this document and for which the following mitigating measures are proposed: • Non-availability of human resources: there may be difficulty in finding academic researchers and even

available indigenous consultants, especially bilingual ones; • There may be difficulties in handling LAT/LAMUS technology, which is still commanded by only a few

researchers. There may also be failures in on-field equipment operation and even physical damage to collected materials due to moving and transportation conditions;

• Logistic problems are expected, due to means of access to research sites and the seasonal nature of

cultural practices to be documented; • Regarding selected languages, difficulties may arise from political issues (the community does not agree

to or expresses no interest in the documentation), language/culture vitality (speakers do not remember words or expressions), lack of speakers, or insufficient knowledge of the language structure.

In order to cope with such risks, the Project proposes the following: • The managing structure laid out in topic 4, Implementation strategy, proposes that the Project be followed

up by a Consultative Committee consisting of renowned researchers, with national and international connections, to which atypical or non-consensual situations will be taken for consideration.

• Collaboration with the Max Plank Institute – MPI, which may provide consultants to solve technology

issues whenever necessary; • The international cooperation with UNESCO, which shall mobilize foreign experts whenever required; • Strict Project planning, which will include prior viability analysis of each language documentation, based

on contacts with researchers, field information from FUNAI and governmental and non-governmental institutions;

• The selection of a 20-language sub-group among the 35 priority ones, which will allow for replacement of

those proven unfeasible; • Startup dates always scheduled upon meetings with indigenous communities, proceeding only with those

that present basic conditions required for the work; • A training scheme for all work stages, whether field and recording activities or data input and technology

use; • Direct financial and administrative support from the Banco do Brasil Foundation to the Museum, ensuring

access to all necessary equipment and easily manageable means of covering the costs of transportation, housing, miscellaneous purchases, etc.

Notwithstanding all such precautions, documentation initiatives may still fail. However, this might be expected to happen to only a very small portion of the activities.


G. Obligations and Pre-requisites

FUNAI Museum of the Indian will be responsible for providing the financial resources required for Project accomplishment, as well as the human and material resources necessary for its administrative management. By means of an agreement signed directly with the Museum of the Indian, Banco do Brasil Foundation is responsible for providing the resources required for the entire Project logistics, including travels and housing for researchers on field work, consumption materials and equipment. H. Project Reviews, Reports and Evaluation The Project will be subjected to tripartite review meetings, to be held with representatives assigned by FUNAI Museum of the Indian, the Brazilian Government through the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation (ABC) and UNESCO, annually and at the Project closing. At the tripartite meetings, the National Coordinator shall elaborate and submit to ABC and UNESCO an evaluation report on the Project development (Progress Report), discussing adopted methodology, implementation process, difficulties encountered and results achieved (Impact Evaluation). Other reports may be requested during the Project execution period. The preliminary version of the final report shall be presented to the parties at least one month before the final tripartite meeting date.


I. Budget

COMPONENTS Total 2008 2009 2010 2011 10. PROJECT PERSONNEL 15-01 Travel 122.000,00 6.000,00 40.000,00 40.000,00 36.000,00 Component Subtotal 122.000,00 6.000,00 40.000,00 40.000,00 36.000,00 20. SUBCONTRACTS 21-01 Subcontracts 3.762.840,00 74.660,00 1.254.280,00 1.254.280,00 1.179.620,00 21-01 Evaluation subcontracts 60.000,00 20.000,00 20.000,00 20.000,00 Line Subtotal 3.822.840,00 74.660,00 1.274.280,00 1.274.280,00 1.199.620,00 30. TRAINING AND TRAVEL 31-01 Fellowships 192.000,00 64.000,00 64.000,00 64.000,00

34-01 Training 135.000,00 45.000,00 45.000,00 45.000,00 Line Subtotal 327.000,00 0,00 109.000,00 109.000,00 109.000,00 40. EQUIPMENT AND PREMISES

44-01 Publication 10.000,00 2.000,00 4.000,00 2.000,00 2.000,00

45-01 Equipment 100.000,00 10.000,00 40.000,00 30.000,00 20.000,00 Line Subtotal 110.000,00 12.000,00 44.000,00 32.000,00 22.000,00 50. Miscellaneous 53-01 Satationery / Fees, taxes and contributions / Miscellaneous

40.000,00 2.000,00 10.000,00 15.000,00 13.000,00

Line Subtotal 40.000,00 2.000,00 10.000,00 15.000,00 13.000,00 Total lines 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 4.421.840,00 94.660,00 1.477.280,00 1.470.280,00 1.379.620,00 80 - Overhead (5%) 221.092,00 4.733,00 73.864,00 73.514,00 68.981,00 TOTAL 4.642.932 77. 401 1.345.344 1.337.994 1.377.792

J. Disbursement Schedule

Month/Year Oct/2008 Mar/2009 Mar/2010 Mar/2011 Value R$ 700.000 R$ 1.314.310 R$ 1.314.310 R$ 1.314.310

international technical cooperation project … · number of speakers may reach twenty thousand...

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