Brazilian Telenovela and Intercultural Communication: The Representation of Indigenous Peoples from 1960 to 2016

Abstract

This article discusses the results obtained in a research on indigenous representation in Brazilian telenovela, from 1960 to 2016. The objective was to observe the representations through narratives, dramatic arcs, and images, seeking to capture the dialogue between the narratives produced about the indigenous people in Brazilian soap operas and the events relevant to indigenous agendas in the historical context in which each production was broadcasted.

The representations of other cultures in television fiction, whether foreign or regional, are marked by an intercultural communication that seeks to do more than accept differences, recognize them, and harmoniously integrate them. Interracial and interethnic representations are undergoing very positive transformations in soap operas, but it does not seem that the same is happening with the representations of indigenous peoples. What can be observed about intercultural communication between indigenous and non-indigenous people from fiction?

From a dialogical perspective, we seek some answers. Insisting on the hypothesis that the Brazilian telenovela reflects and refracts reality, we aim to understand whether there are patterns for constructing characters and narratives about indigenous people in six decades. This article intends to deepen the discussion of the results obtained in the light of studies on intercultural communication from the articulation of the dialogical perspective with reflections on communication, identity, and culture. We conclude that the representations of indigenous characters and peoples have not been updated in the soap opera; on the contrary, when they were neglected, compositional patterns were identified that perpetuated differences, inequalities, stereotypes, prejudices, and distortions about indigenous peoples and their struggles.