Ure Reka and Nhadereko

life ways among the Asurini and the Guarani

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8966/2026/72689

This paper discusses the ‘life directions’ called Ure reka among the Asurini of Xingu and Nhandereco among the Guarani, considering the epistemological correlations observed by both peoples, chosen by Indigenous intellectuals to conduct a discussion, including a non-Indigenous interlocutor, with the intention of contributing to the current debate on knowledge among native peoples. This vital knowledge for understanding Indigenous lived experience guides paths through directives poorly grasped in the ‘world of white people,’ which does not admit knowledge that differs from the dominant canons in their societies. The text was constructed by the authors through a conversation circle, during which we exchanged ideas that are woven among diverse arguments that transformed the discussion into an academic essay. The essay presents to readers the value and observance of paths as a possibility for balance in Indigenous collectives, with the intention of presenting other ways of understanding the world.