Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the cultural processes that the indigenous peoples in Brazil are experiencing, and their endeavour to be accepted within the realities of their own lives and within their own identity. The debate around the discourse of "authenticity" will also be brought up for discussion.

Paper long abstract:

In order to exist under the growing pressure of the dominant society indigenous groups in Brazil increasingly adopt western cultural means and strategies as courses of action, and modern communication technologies to empower and protect their groups and cultures. This often leads to critical reaction from the non-indigenous society, which objects to cultural variations, and questions or observes these changes with irony. My research on the utilization of the Internet by the Brazilian indigenous peoples is strongly linked to the subject of "indigenous identity". In my paper I will discuss the cultural processes that the indigenous societies in Brazil are experiencing, the difficulty of the Brazilian indigenous peoples to stand up to the dominant society and their endeavour to be accepted within the realities of their own lives and within their own identity. The debate around the discourse of "authenticity" will also be brought up for discussion.