Traditional Peoples and Communities

Culturally-specific groups

Traditional peoples and communities are defined in Decree 6,040/2007 as culturally-specific groups that have their own forms of social organization. The territories and natural resources belonging to these peoples are necessary “for their cultural, social, religious, ancestral and economic reproduction, for the use of knowledge, innovation and products generated by tradition.”

Among these ethnically-specific groups are indigenous peoples and quilombolas, whose data are surveyed by the 2022 Census. It is by means of this study, only, covering the entire national territory, that it is possible to have a more complete and more detailed portrait of these groups.

According to the IBGE, which follows national and international norms, a quilombola or an indigenous person is the one self-identified as such. The question on ethnic identity for indigenous populations was first included in the 1991 Census and was repeated in the following editions (2000 and 2010).

In the Census conducted in 2010, the survey was improved in relation to this population, with the inclusion of questions on ethnic belonging, indigenous languages spoken and the adoption of the Portuguese language.

The question on color or race was moved from the sample questionnaire (in the housing unit section) to the universe questionnaire (total housing units), and that improves the capture of this characteristic. It was the first time these topics were surveyed. This inclusion means an evolution in demographic, ethnic and linguistic characterization of the indigenous population and generated demand for more detailed information about indigenous and quilombolas.

Another advance was the comparison of the population in officially delimited indigenous lands with the population outside these areas, by means of the compatibilization of census mesh and the boundaries of these localities. That also allowed, for example, the release of data relative to these peoples separated by Major Regions, federation Units and municipalities.

The 2020 Census was also the first with a georeferenced questionnaire in rural areas, which made possible asking a question whenever the enumerator is working in official indigenous land with ones reporting another color or race rather than the indigenous one. The informant was asked: do you consider yourself indigenous?

Previous consultation

In order to prepare the technical Project of traditional peoples and communities, public consultation was carried out with indigenous and quilombola organizations, in four face-to-face steps and, during the pandemic, the meetings became virtual. With representatives of indigenous peoples, there were two steps between 2018 and 2019, besides the participation in public hearings in seven localities in the country.

Enumerators will have meetings with community leaders of all indigenous and quilombola localities before data collection starts, so that information on this public consultation will be even more comprehensive. Then the Census will be introduced to all the leaders and they will have the chance of clearing doubts about the survey.

The technical project for traditional peoples and communities, which is based on six pillars (questionnaires, census mapping, training, sensitization, data collection and coverage guarantee and release of results), besides having the participation of these ethnic groups, counted on interinstitutional cooperation, like the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), the Special Secretariat of Indigenous Health (Sesai), of Palmares Cultural Foundation, of the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality Policies and of the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra).

Quilombola population will be represented by the Census for the first time

Defined by Decree 4,887/2003 as “ethnic groups, according to self-identification criteria and their own historical background, having specific territory relations with presumed black ancestry related to resistance against historically-acknowledged oppression”, quilombola communities will be represented for the first time in a Census edition for the first time.

For quilombola communities, quilombola territories are considered those delimited by INCRA and by state land institutes. Quilombola settlements identified by the IBGE and other localities non identified in enumeration areas forming quilombola Areas of Operational Interest (AOI) were also mapped. Together with sources, the Institute counted 5,972 quilombola localities in the country.

Like in the questionnaire directed to indigenous peoples, the approach to quilombolas will have specific questions opened in the questionnaire when the enumerator is in a a quilombola area previously mapped by the IBGE.

The question displayed on the DMC (mobile data-collection device) will be, “Do you consider yourself a quilombola?” If the answer is “Yes”, the informant must inform the name of their community. These answers will show the number of quilombolas in the country and to what communities they belong. And it will be possible to disaggregate Census results on quilombolas, so that information will be compared with that about the entire population.

Indigenous approach questionnaire

Another innovation in the 2022 Census is the indigenous approach questionnaire. It must be administered in the meeting with community leaders preferably before the start of data collection. The informant is the political leader of the group and, in case of absence, the enumerator must consider nominating a vice-leader or someone else that can answer, giving priority to indigenous teachers or healthcare agents belonging to the community and appointed by it.

The questionnaire will have the identification of data on infrastructure, natural resources, education, health and habits related to that village or community. The objective is to help data collection in the group, by bringing the enumerator characteristics that must be considered in the methodological adaptations of the household questionnaire. That procedure also helps obtain relevant information about the social and territorial reality of the community.

Specific census mapping for traditional peoples and communities

For the 2022 Census, census mapping for traditional peoples and communities had to be adapted. Among the changes are the possible identification of indigenous persons out of the officially-delimited territories and the presence of communities and quilombola territories.

In the case of indigenous populations, enumeration areas were defined as those officially-delimited by Funai and housing clusters, which are contiguous areas full of housing units, mapped by the IBGE.

Other localities not defined in enumeration areas were called Areas of Operational Interest (AOI) and include those characterized by the dispersion of occupied housing units or of those where it was not possible to confirm the presence of indigenous population. The AOI will define coverage of the question “Do you consider yourself indigenous?” for residents who, in these areas, do not identify as indigenous in the color/race question. This definition occurs given real time geospatial verification via GPS at the moment of the interview.

In order to build a solid and trustworthy census Mapping for enumeration, it was necessary to count on the cooperation of indigenous and quilombola organizations, who sent to the IBGE, by means of their leaders and in years preceding the Census, a lot of relevant information relative to the location of their communities. Administrative records from other public agencies and civil society organizations who supported mapping directly.

All this information was analyzed and consolidated by means of high-resolution satellite images, which helped refine information. This resource was essential for the construction of census mapping, mainly in the areas where peoples have a high level of mobility, that is, where they change locations from time to time.

Guides and interpreters

Community guides are those who will accompany the enumerator in visits to all the housing units in the indigenous and quilombola areas whenever necessary. They will show the best paths to follow, the best visiting hours and the codes of conducted to be adopted.

These guides can also be civil servants from IBGE’s partners in the Census operation, mainly FUNAI and SESAI.

Interpreters in indigenous lands will work as communication mediators between the enumerator and the informant and, therefore, facilitate communication and interpretation of the questionnaire. Their presence is also required in the approach meeting.

Special health protocol

The enumerators who will work in Indigenous Territories will follow a protocol jointly approved by FUNAI, SESAI and the IBGE, taking into consideration all the measures defined by the Federal Supreme Court, including full vaccination against COVID-19, testing and, in some specific cases, social distancing.

Special training

Before data collection, professionals who will work in the fields of traditional peoples and communities will have an extra day of training on approach methods and to learn more about the code of behavior that is more adequate to that territory.

Training of data collection teams has to do with concepts related to the Census methodology towards indigenous and quilombola populations, the use of specific maps for these areas, codes of conduct in these traditional territories and guidelines for administration of the Indigenous Approach Questionnaire and to apply methodological adaptations listed for household questionnaires.

Data collection teams will also have an Enumerator’s Manual – Traditional Peoples and Communitiesand a Guide to Approach Indigenous and Quilombola Leaders.