Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
of winning the 5
th
World Cup in 2002 (which we did). Others commented on their
desire to be professional soccer players, or at least get to go to a few important
matches, if they could save up the money.
Sônia Barbosa, a Guarani teacher at the
Área Indígena Guarani da Barragem,
located within the limits of São Paulo City, offered her map of Barragem, highlighting
the importance of both soccer and prayer to her people:
We were walking around the village and I saw two children inside a house. We
went by another house and it was already dark, but we could still see the people
inside eating fish. When morning came everyone went to the soccer field to
play ball, and then went to the prayer house. That's what we do everyday.
The next day I noticed people working on their arts and crafts [small animals
sculpted in wood] next to the fire. Here's my map.
Figure 4.15. “Guarani people pray and play soccer everyday.” By Sônia Barbosa, Área
Indígena Guarani da Barragem, 1999.
A heated discussion ensued about how often each community played soccer, what
rules they followed, and who their opponents were. “What does it all matter,” asked
Márcio Rodrigues, a Guarani teacher of the Krukutu Indigenous Area just outside
of the capital, “if we are the
campeões do mundo
[world champions]?” Márcio was
referring to Brazil's number 1 ranking position in the soccer World Cup. North and
South, rich and poor: the idea of soccer fields questioning established dichotomies
including nearby/far away, traditional/modern, and Indigenous/Brazilian begged the
