By Maria Flor G., 9

A child’s question was what led Daniel Munduruku, 55, to write down stories from his indigenous village. Today, after a career of 23 years, he has published 52 books, most of them for children and young adults.

Junior reporter Maria Flor G., 9, interviewed the writer about his work, his childhood, and his life in the city and in the village. The conversation took place during the national meeting of schools affiliated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO – Rede PEA), which took place in September, in Ouro Preto, in the state of Minas Gerais.

During the conversation, Daniel talked about being bullied in a school outside the village because he was different from the other children who studied there. Daniel has degrees in philosophy and education. In his books, lectures and classes, he talks about the importance and the diversity of indigenous people. Check it out.

When did you start writing stories?

I published my first book in 1996. Before writing, I was already telling stories. One day, a child asked me where they could read the stories. I didn’t know what to answer, because I had heard the stories I told in the village when I was a child, but I didn’t know they had never been written down. I discovered that they hadn’t, which is how I had the idea of writing them. I started to do that, but I didn’t become a writer immediately, because writing is something we learn, no one is born a writer. I started becoming a writer, and today I think I am one.

What is the main goal for your books?

To “unbend” people’s thinking. I have the impression that people at this age [children and young adults] do not understand indigenous life very well, and that is why they sometimes think in a prejudiced way. When I write, my idea is to present another story, and through it, help children think differently and positively about indigenous people.

How was your childhood?

I have happy memories from my childhood in the forest. I lived in the village until I was nine. I ran, played, swam in the river, shot with a bow and arrow…. it all ended when I started school. At school I started noticing people’s prejudice in terms of beauty. They thought I was ugly, but I always thought I was good looking and was proud of who I was. When I went to the city – because that is where the school was -, the school would say that being born in a village was a bad thing, and that I was backward and wild. This made me really sad.

Is your name really Munduruku? What does it mean?

Munduruku is the name of my people; it means “red ants”, because the Munduruku people are warriors, just like the ants. If you mess with an ant, it does not cause you harm, but if you mess with an anthill, it can kill a person. The same happens with the Munduruku: if you mess with the entire group, it will form massive strength. So, we end up using the name of our people as our name. Munduruku is not my official name, but it is on my ID card. It’s an “artistic” name that I use so people know where I am from. I am not Daniel, the indigenous person, I am Daniel, the Munduruku. That way, I have origins, I belong to a group of people.

What is the main teaching your indigenous family has passed on to you?

One of the things I always carry with me, which comes from my grandfather, is to live in the moment and to not want to be somewhere else. This teaching helps me not to become vain or think that I am a well-known person. It gives me a sense of belonging. I belong to a group of people, so what I do is not for me, but for my people. I am not famous, it is my people who are becoming famous. This allows me to work without thinking that all of this is happening because I am better than others, the best writer… but I really am the best looking (laughs). Why should we think that we are a big deal if we will all not be here some day? We have to live in the present to be happy every day.

Questions

1)Which statement about Daniel Munduruku is not correct?

a) Aside from writing, he teaches and gives speeches.
b) Despite having experienced prejudice in school, he continued to study.
c) His childhood in the village was sad because he worked a lot.
d) His main goal when writing is to teach indigenous people’s stories to children.

Correct answer: C

2) Which indigenous people do you know? Share something about them.

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