AS MATEMÁTICAS MOBILIZADAS PELAS SÁBIAS MÃOS DAS ARTESÃS AKWÊ-XERENTE DURANTE A CONFECÇÃO DAS CESTARIAS DE CAPIM DOURADO

Abstract

This research, developed within the scope of the research line in Science and Mathematics Teaching, Scientific Dissemination, and Informal Spaces, with financial support from the Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES), explores the mathematics employed by indigenous Akwê-Xerente artisans during the creation of basketry using Golden Grass fibers. The study is grounded in the principles of Ethnomathematics, as established by scholars like D'Ambrosio, to understand how the mathematical knowledge of these artisans can contribute to Mathematics education. The research seeks to answer the following question: How can the mathematical knowledge mobilized by Akwê-Xerente artisans be integrated into the teaching of Mathematics? The general objective is to comprehend the mathematical knowledge employed in the creation of these crafts. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative, ethnographic approach based on Angrosino (2009) and Guber (2012), characterized by immersion in the context of the Akwê-Xerente artisans in the state of Tocantins. The participants of the study are the artisans themselves, and data were collected through participant observation, narrative interviews, and analysis of the crafting processes of Golden Grass artifacts. Data analysis was conducted based on the principles of Comprehensive Analysis proposed by Bertaux (2010). The findings reveal that the sociocultural practices of these artisans demonstrate a repertoire of mathematical knowledge that emerges during the crafting process. This knowledge offers potential for the development of contextualized and culturally relevant pedagogical practices in indigenous schools, thereby strengthening Mathematics education by drawing on the community’s traditional practices.