Connection with nature and environmental perception: A study with indigenous children in the Federal District
Environmental education; School environment; Connectivity with nature; Ethnic identity; indigenous child
We are living in a period of climate crisis,
extreme droughts, devastating floods, rising
global temperatures, and environmental
disasters. Studies show that the more a person
feels connected to nature, the more they will be
aware of environmental issues and the more
likely they will be to engage in environmental
protection. The indigenous worldview reveals a
deep respect for nature and an integration
between human beings and nature, which serve
as inspiration to non-indigenous people. It is
known that indigenous knowledge is transmitted
orally from generation to generation by adults of
each ethnic group. However, indigenous children
who live in urban areas, attend regular schools,
and interact with non-indigenous children and
adults are subject to other influences that can
affect their environmental perception and their
view of nature, as well as their relationship with
it. Thus, education, and particularly
environmental education, plays an important role
in valuing nature and knowledge that respects
and values it, as well as in carrying out
educational activities that allow them to
experience life with and in nature. Given the
importance of connecting with nature for the
development of individuals who are more
committed to environmental issues and the
protection of planetary biodiversity, among other
factors, the urban lifestyle that increasingly
isolates people in built environments, as well as
the worldview that permeates indigenous
communities, the importance of research that
seeks to understand how indigenous children are
educated in a formal and regular school process
emerges. This research aims to understand the
environmental perception of indigenous children
and how they relate to nature and the school
environment. To this end, we intend to develop a
qualitative research structured based on the
transdisciplinary method in a public school in
the Federal District/DF, which serves indigenous
students from Aldeia do Noroeste, located in the
Plano Piloto of the DF. Given the lack of studies
of this type with children, especially indigenous
children, we hope to contribute to the
understanding of this web of complex
relationships, as well as inspire pedagogical
practices that foster ethnic identities, ecological
values, and connection with nature.