Fulni-ô-Tapyua “Candangos” and Mohawk “Skywalkers”: a study of indigenous migrant workers in Brazil and United States

• In Event: Racial and Ethnic Minorities Section Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table One: Historical Sociological Perspectives on Race and Racism

Abstract

The center-west of Brazil and the northeast of United States have a history of indigenous men migrating to urban settings to work in construction sites. At the forefront of this paper are the histories of the Fulni-ô-Tapyua “Candangos” and the Mohawk “Skywalkers". Although they are very distinct in terms of space and time, culturally and historically, we argue that some things bring them close. This article explored these distances and approximations. It resulted from an attempt to draw a parallel between these two different, but similar migrant workers experiences in terms of what Carlson, Kennedy, & Day (2023) called indigenous complexitivity, connectivity, and dynamism. In the 1950s and 1960s Brasília was coming to exist from a state initiative that aimed modernize the center-west of Brazil and leverage the country’s position in the global stage. Although there were an increasing number of jobs, especially in construction, they were poorly paid and had no stability. In this context, the Fulni-ô-Tpyua adopted the strategy to prioritize and focus on negotiating with the state for the recognition and demarcation of their territory in Brasília, empowering themselves through land rights. In the 1800s and 1900s, New York was facing severe economic hardship, rising crime, and urban decay. It was a challenging period, with the need for political and social repair, which led to machine and wealthy dominance while workers suffered long hours and hazardous conditions at stagnant wages. However, New York was already a powerful metropole with rapid industrialization and urban growth. In this context, the Mohawk adopted the strategy to prioritize and focus on social and economic gains, empowering themselves through social recognition, wage labor, and union protection.

Author

• Carolina Freitas, Bridgewater State University