BRAZILIAN INDIGENOUS SIGN LANGUAGES

MAPPING SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION

Abstract

Brazilian Indigenous sign languages are in a context of linguistic and cultural vulnerability, marked by a reduced number of users and a scarcity of records and documentation. In this scenario, attention turns to the dissemination of scientific productions related to these languages, highlighting the relevance of ethnic-racial information within the field of Information Science. This discussion becomes even more relevant in light of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), which reinforces the need to value, preserve, and strengthen Indigenous languages in social and academic contexts. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the scientific production on Brazilian Indigenous sign languages from 2005 to 2024, through the perspective of ethnic-racial information. The adopted methodology consists of a narrative systematic review with a qualitative and quantitative approach. To construct the research corpus, a survey was conducted in the journal databases of the National Institute of Deaf Education (INES) and the Database in Information Science (BRAPCI). The results indicate that the analyzed scientific productions within the journals of the INES focus on three main axes: education, sign records, and the identities of deaf Indigenous people. It highlights the importance of deepening studies on these languages to expand the debate within Information Science by discussing Indigenous sign languages from the perspective of ethnic-racial information, broadening reflections on linguistic and cultural diversity, and providing greater visibility to the experiences of deaf Indigenous individuals.