Research Projects
Luiz Paulo Ferraz, a PhD candidate in History from Brazil, spent the summer of 2023 traveling through various Brazilian cities. His journey involved interviewing Indigenous leaders, their allies, and government officials while examining historical documents in private and public archives. All this is part of his research for his dissertation, tentatively titled "Becoming 'the Real Climate Leaders:' The Rise of Brazilian Indigenous Peoples as Environmental Defenders in the Global Political Arena." Luiz Paulo's work looks at how Indigenous and environmental issues overlapped during the Brazilian military dictatorship era (1964-1985) and its aftermath, and how this influenced debates on Indigenous and environmental rights both within and outside of Brazil. Next, Luiz Paulo plans to visit Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and other cities in the Amazon region to further his dissertation research.
Luiz Paulo recently presented a paper in São Luís, a city in the Amazon region, at the major historians' conference in Brazil. The paper, Bach de Cocar: a Trajetória dos Los Indios Tabajaras entre a Música Clássica e a Popular (1942-1979), follows the journey of a guitar duo formed by Natalicio Lima (Mussapere) and Antenor Lima (Herundy) from the Tabajara Indigenous people who were the first artists from Brazil to feature on the American Billboard Hot 100 list. The musical duo made their home in the US in the 1960s, participating in many TV shows and playing nationwide and abroad. They also actively contributed to the success of the American Indian Community House in New York. Despite their international success, Los Indios Tabajaras was not well known in Brazil. The paper, based on research, interviews, and archives, delves into their impact on both Brazilian and international music scenes. For those interested in listening to one of their songs, Luiz Paulo recommends checking out their song "Acara Cary" on platforms like YouTube, Deezer, and Spotify.