Política de promoção de esporte e lazer para os povos indígenas do Ceará: uma análise a partir dos jogos indígenas

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the sport and leisure policy of the state of Ceará directed toward Indigenous peoples through the analysis of the Indigenous Games of Ceará. It is a qualitative research study that adopts an in-depth evaluative approach, structured around four analytical axes: Content Analysis, Context Analysis, Trajectory, and Territorial and Temporal Spectrum. To this end, a documentary analysis was conducted using public notices, regulations, and implementation reports of the Games. In addition, two field studies with participant observation were carried out during the 2024 and 2025 editions of the event, as well as 19 semi-structured interviews with athletes, leaders, and organizers. The interviewees were selected through the snowball sampling method, and their statements were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The in-depth evaluation of the policy content revealed the absence of other sport and leisure programs, actions, or policies specifically directed toward Indigenous peoples in Ceará, beyond the Indigenous Games themselves. The policy content proved insufficient to encompass subjective issues and to significantly include Indigenous peoples in the construction of the texts, the elaboration of meanings, and the management of the Games. The analysis of the context and trajectory of the Indigenous Games policy in Ceará made it possible to identify competing political forces and the personal interests of some actors involved in its implementation. The support of municipal governments proved fundamental for the execution of the Indigenous Games of Ceará. The policy trajectory is marked by institutional racism and non-Indigenous influences in the management of the Games. The analysis of the temporal and territorial spectrum of the Indigenous Games of Ceará highlighted that sport and leisure policies depend on the guarantee of territorial rights. There is no sport and leisure, nor Indigenous Games in the villages, without Indigenous peoples having physical and symbolic control over their territories. The Indigenous Games of Ceará contribute to the maintenance of Indigenous territories and promote access to sport and leisure; however, they are not guaranteed without prior access to territory. It is necessary to overcome technicist and tutelary management models to ensure Indigenous protagonism in the formulation and implementation of policies, confronting the colonial legacies that still shape public administration. The study considers that the Indigenous Games are fundamental for strengthening the identity and culture of the Indigenous peoples of Ceará and constitute an important form of resistance.