Domingos_Ferreira

A Brazilian educator who created the first mass literacy program in the Amazon region using indigenous languages

Domingos Ferreira (1902-1972) was a visionary educator from Pará state who revolutionized literacy efforts in the Amazon basin. As director of the Amazon Literacy Commission from 1938-1955, he developed the Multi-Lingual Teaching Method that used indigenous languages like Tupi and Yanomami alongside Portuguese. His 1941 pedagogical manual became the standard for Amazonian education, raising literacy rates from 12% to 47% in 15 years.

Ferreira established the first teacher training college in Belém (1945) focused on multilingual education, graduating over 800 educators. His work with the Kayapó people preserved their oral traditions while teaching reading/writing skills. The UNESCO 1968 report Amazonian Educational Models credits him with pioneering community-based education strategies still used today.

Despite facing opposition from colonial-era missionaries, Ferreira's methods influenced Brazil's 1960s literacy campaigns. His memoir Letters from the Forest (1965) documents his experiences. The Ferreira Literacy Centers network, established in 1973, continues his mission in remote Amazon communities.