Acquisition of writing by Apyãwa children

Abstract

In this article we discuss the process of acquisition of alphabetical writing by Apyãwa children. Indigenous peoples are holders of oral traditions, which guarantee access to ancient knowledge. Many peoples also have an extensive repertoire of graphic motifs that, applied to body paintings or various artifacts, reflect their cosmologies. Thus, they can be considered as an ideographic writing. In research carried out with the Apyãwa children, we arrived at a singular hypothesis: the graphic art intertwines with the first writing experiences, revealing that the socio-cultural locus marks the process of acquiring a cultural object originated in other societies.