Between October 20 and 24, 2025, the Pitjiptjia Village, located in the Xipaya Indigenous Territory, hosted the 2nd Xipái Language Revitalization Workshop of the year. The gathering brought together teachers and other community members committed to strengthening and revitalizing their native language.
The workshop was led by Jãdatari Xipái, an Indigenous teacher dedicated to the revival of the mother tongue, and Nelivaldo Cardoso Santana, a professor at the Laboratory of Indigenous Language Policies (LAPLIN) of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). Under the theme “Sekamena Sesupïabï ba anu” (“Our language is our root”), the event aimed to deepen the study of Xipái morphology and develop teaching materials for use in Indigenous schools across the six villages that make up the Xipaya Territory.
The activities included moments of socialization, pedagogical reflection, collective planning, and experiences focused on teaching practice. The workshop concluded in a festive atmosphere, with a community gathering and a thematic bingo inspired by the language revitalization process, making learning both engaging and fun.
More than an educational initiative, the workshop represented a firm step toward rebuilding the linguistic and cultural knowledge of the Xipái people, strengthening the communities’ autonomy in teaching their own language. In the face of a long history of resistance and struggles against cultural erasure, the Xipái Language Revitalization reaffirms the strength of a people who continue to fight for their ways of being, speaking, and teaching, so that future generations may grow empowered by the roots of their culture.
The Juma Institute works not only to strengthen the Kaarimã Village but also to promote the appreciation and development of the entire Xipaya Indigenous Territory, recognizing that building a future grounded in ancestral knowledge, a standing forest, and a living culture is only possible through community. The initiative is supported by the Age of Union, an organization that makes essential actions like this possible, and by partnerships with the Indigenous Association Panakari (AIPAN), the Laboratory of Forest Management, Technologies, and Amazonian Communities, LAPLIN, and UFPA as a whole. Together, they reaffirm their commitment to preserving language, forest, and life, strengthening Indigenous leadership in writing their own stories.
