Savages in the Bastille: Indigenous Agency at Colégio Princesa Isabel (Goiás, 1871-1888)

ABSTRACT

The article analyses indigenous agency at Colégio Isabel, founded in 1871 in Goiás, with the aim of producing cultural interpreters who would facilitate the civilization of native populations. Inspired by the perspective of cultural mediation, we analyzed official documents, articles published in periodicals, traveler reports, and maps from students at the institution, finding that, contrary to what the authors who wrote about this topic claim, indigenous students did not lose their cultural identity. On the contrary, they experienced this experience on their own terms, as spaces for creating and recreating identities, contradicting the expectations of the founders of Colégio Isabel.

Keywords:
Colégio Isabel; indigenous agency; cultural interpreters; Goiás