Indian education in eighteenth century Amazon: the lay option

Abstract

This article deals with the underlying pedagogical content to the indigenous politics formulated by the Portuguese metropolis, for the Indians of the Amazonian Valley, in the second half of 18th century. Such politics consubstantiate in the Law of the directory of the Indians, it had for objective the regulation of the freedom granted to the Indians in June six of the 1755 and the constitution of a civilization project. Without refusing catechization, such project gave primacy for the lay character by promotion of interethnical marriages, by the teaching of Portuguese language and by introducing agricultural work.