It’s time to (re)define: Spatial intervention to make the Kaingang visible in the city of Chapecó

Abstract

The Kaingang indigenous population has inhabited the space that comprises the heart of the municipality of Chapecó-SC, State of Santa Catarina in Southern Brazil, since before the formal foundation of the city. However, due to the urbanization process, this community has seen its history and relationship with the city made invisible by actions, originating mainly from the government. In order to contribute to the transformation of this context, a system of free spaces for intercultural dialogues was prepared collaboratively with the indigenous community, which proposes to tell the history of the city from the perspective of its traditional people and to redefine urban public spaces through spatial interventions at different scales. The methodological strategies adopted include bibliographic research, exploratory visits, oral history reports, a poem of wishes and participant observation, valuing the role of the Kaingang community in the design process. This paper presents the results of this project and highlights the possibilities for historical and cultural valorization through urban interventions. It is believed that spatial actions can re-signify both the places and the human interactions resulting from the experience of these spaces.