Thirty2 Degrees

The Asurin of the Tocantins is also known by Asurin of Trocar (name of the aboriginal area), and by Akuwa-Asurin. However, anthropologist Lcia Andrade verified, in the decade of 80, Akuwa started to have a pejorativa connotation, being used to assign brave indians of the weeds, indians, that is, without much time of contact. Asurin tupi-guarani is falantes of a language of the family. According to Harrison (1980), some dialetais differences between the language exist asurin spoken by the group of Trocar and the group of the Pacaj. In 1962, the members of the group of the Pacaj were essentially monolngues, while asurin resident in the PI Trocar already said Portuguese, learned with the employees of the rank and its families, and with the neighbors of the river Tocantins.

Currently practically all asurin say with fluency the Portuguese, being that the young and the children communicate themselves almost that exclusively in this language. Here we see the domination in the culture in what it says respect to the language, being that asurin practically does not say its proper language, motivated for the economic and social necessity of if relating with the whites and for the invasion of the medias in its homes, publishing notice of its interest and alienating the mind it young indian. Oldest they look for to keep alive this tradition, as we will see more ahead. But future, who will guarantee that the language asurin will continue alive? To say of the valuation of the culture asurin is necessary to know its ideology and its beliefs. Asurin considers that Mahira, our old grandfather, was creator of the human beings and the responsible one for the instauration of the order in the Land. It co-ordinated the physical ordinance of the world, hardening, with the aid of the tapir, the surface of the land that was soft; separating the Sky of the Land; rescuing the night that was possessed for the owl etc.