Ancestral Knowledge: Dr. Adneryson Moreira speaks to ON Jornal about earning a PhD abroad with a thesis on Indigenous Mythology

State school teacher, Adneryson Moreira do Nascimento has achieved the title of PhD in Educational Sciences with a thesis that dives deep into the depths of indigenous mythology. Defended before na international board (UnInter), the work received the highest possible grade and was praised for its “social relevance”. 

In addition to being a teacher, he is a researcher, author, and PhD in Educational Sciences, focusing on interculturality, ancestral knowledge, and pedagogical practices contextualized to the Amazonian reality. His academic and professional journey is dedicated to valuing the cultural identity of the Amazon, humanistic education, and the integration of scientific knowledge with traditional wisdom. 

In this exclusive interview, Dr. Adneryson explains how the cosmology of original peoples can transform public education and strengthen regional identity.

ON Jornal: What motivated you to choose indigenous mythology as the core of an international doctoral thesis?

Dr. Adneryson: As a public school teacher in state of Amazonas, I have always observed a gap between the formal school curriculum and the socio-cultural reality of the students. In the classroom, I noticed that many Amazonian students knew more about foreign mythologies than the indigenous narratives of their own territory. 

This contrast sparked a pedagogical and scientific restlessness in me: why is the ancestral knowledge of the Amazon, which possesses philosophical, symbolic, and epistemological depth, still treated only as folklore or “legends”?.

A turning point was seeing that urban students showed genuine curiosity when local cultural content was introduced, significantly increasing engagement and a sense of belonging. Thus, the choice of theme was born from teaching practice, the Amazonian reality, and the academic need to legitimize traditional knowledge in the scientific and educational fields. 

ON Jornal: What was the challenge of presenting the ancestral knowledge of the Amazon to an international board (UnInter), and what was their perception?

Dr. Adneryson: Presenting Amazonian ancestral knowledge in na international academic context was both na epistemological challenge and a cultural responsibility. The main challenge was translating the symbolic, historical, and pedagogical complexity of indigenous mythology into scientific language without stripping away its essence.

The board showed great interest in the originality of the research, especially the proposal to recognize ancestral knowledge as legitimate sources of educational and intercultural knowledge. 

ON Jornal: How can indigenous mythology be brought into the lesson plan without being seen merely as a “legend”?

Dr. Adneryson: The pedagogical transposition of indigenous mythology requires na interdisciplinary, critical, and contextualized approach. It is not about replacing scientific content, but about expanding the understanding of knowledge by integrating different epistemologies.

In practice, a teacher can work with indigenous myths as:  Ancestral Philosophy: values, ethics, and worldview; Historical and Cultural Source; Instrument for Environmental and Social Reflection and Literary and Symbolic Resource: building critical thinking. 

When presented with pedagogical foundations, myths stop being seen as mere folkloric narratives and begin to be understood as systems of thought loaded with logic, ethics, cosmology, and ecological wisdom. 

ON Jornal: How does indigenous mythology contribute to an urban student’s sense of belonging to the Amazonian identity?

Dr. Adneryson: Public schools in Amazonas mostly receive urban students who often live in symbolic detachment from the forest and original cultures. Inserting indigenous mythology into the educational process directly contributes to the reconstruction of cultural identity.

When a student understands that indigenous myths express profound views on nature, spirituality, ethics, and community, they stop seeing Amazonian culture as something distant or exotic. On the contrary, they begin to recognize it as part of their own historical and social formation. 

ON Jornal: Your thesis focuses on “Teaching Practice.” What were the main barriers or resistance you identified among educators when trying to implement ancestral knowledge in the formal curriculum?

Dr. Adneryson: The main barriers were primarily formative and cultural. Many educators were still trained in a Eurocentric perspective of knowledge, where ancestral wisdom is seen as oral tradition without scientific value.

Additionally, there is pressure from the formal curriculum and standardized testing, which limits a teacher’s pedagogical autonomy. However, when teachers realize that this knowledge dialogues with philosophy, ethics, the environment, and identity, there is a significant shift in perception and acceptance. 

ON Jornal: You mention that your thesis is an instrument of “interculturality.” How can this approach help combat prejudice and ethnocentrism within public schools in Amazonas?

Dr. Adneryson: Interculturality is essential for the Amazonian reality because we live in a territory marked by ethnic and cultural diversity. By inserting indigenous mythology as a pedagogical resource, students recognize original peoples not just as part of the past, but as producers of knowledge, philosophy, and worldviews.

This directly contributes to reducing prejudice, ethnocentrism, and cultural invisibility. The school becomes a space for valuing Amazonian identity, promoting respect, empathy, and historical consciousness.

ON Jornal: The maximum grade and the board’s praise for “social relevance” indicate that this work goes beyond academia. How do you plan to give this knowledge back to the community of the State?

Dr. Adneryson: My commitment has always been that the research would not be restricted to academic circles. I intend to return this knowledge through ?Continuing education for public school teachers. Educational lectures and the production of textbooks and accessible scientific articles.  Pedagogical projects aimed at valuing Amazonian culture in schools.  Development of classroom materials that bridge the gap between theory and teaching practice. 

ON Jornal: As a PhD and researcher in the state system, how do you see the relationship between high-level academic research and the daily life of the public school today? Does the doctoral title help shorten that distance?

Dr. Adneryson: Yes, without a doubt. A doctoral title should not be seen as a status, but as a scientific and social responsibility. In practice, it strengthens the credibility of the teacher-researcher within the public system and expands the capacity to develop projects based on scientific evidence.

High-level research must dialogue with the reality of the classroom, especially in the Amazon, where educational challenges are specific and complex. 

ON Jornal: What impact do you hope to have on the formation of future generations of Amazonians now that your work has gained this international seal of recognition?

Dr. Adneryson: I hope to contribute to the formation of a generation of students who recognize and value their Amazonian cultural identity. International recognition gives visibility to the education produced here in the Amazon.

My goal is for young Amazonians to feel they belong to their own history, culture, and territory, developing cultural self-esteem, critical awareness, and social protagonism.