Urban Indigenous Peoples in Brazil

Challenges, Public Policies, and Decolonial Perspectives

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8966/2026/92197

The 2022 Brazilian Demographic Census revealed that over 60% of the Indigenous population lives outside officially recognized territories, with the majority residing in urban areas. This trend stems both from voluntary displacements in search of better living conditions and from the expansion of urban centers over traditionally occupied Indigenous lands. This study analyzes the fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples in urban contexts, based on bibliographic and documentary research, highlighting the main challenges to the implementation of public policies. It also incorporates empirical reflections on the case of the Igalha Village (Ilhéus, Bahia), contributing to the debate on Indigenous urbanity in Brazil. The findings indicate that institutional invisibility and the absence of targeted policies compromise the full citizenship of these populations, demanding intersectional, territorially grounded, and culturally sensitive approaches. Moreover, the study reveals a process of territorial reconfiguration, through which Indigenous peoples reaffirm their identity and resistance in the urban landscape.Keywords: Indigenous Rights; Decoloniality; Ethnic Identity.

Keywords: Indigenous Rights; Decoloniality; Ethnic Identity.