Vozes indígenas na saúde: os desafios e as potencialidades nas trajetórias dos profissionais indígenas da área da saúde egressos das Universidades Estaduais do Paraná

Abstract

The presence of indigenous professionals in the health sector occupying positions such as doctors, nurses, dentists, among others, can be considered something unprecedented in Brazil. Many of these subjects entered higher education through Affirmative Actions at public universities in the country. Such indigenous professionals

may have found opportunities to enhance their voices within the various socio- occupational spaces in the health area to consider, public and/or private spaces

working inside or outside indigenous lands. In line with this, this dissertation presents the results of a research that aimed to identify and analyze the challenges and potentialities in the trajectories of indigenous health professionals who graduated from the State Universities of Paraná. As a methodological contribution, the study used exploratory research with a qualitative approach, bibliographic review, documentary

survey, field research and data collection through a questionnaire with a semi- structured script, and content analysis technique. The theoretical foundation

permeates the critical vision based on the Epistemologies of the South, Decolonial Studies and the perspective of Good Living. Through these viewpoints, the intention was to give visibility to the daily presence of these professionals in the institutions where they work, considering their dual ethnic-community and professional belonging, and the strengthening of their identities. The narratives of the research subjects indicate the need for public health policies for indigenous peoples who value respect for cosmologies, and reflect the emergence of indigenous professionals in fields of action in the health area, in order to strengthen and expand implementation of their constitutional rights.