Contact Strategies: Histories of Native Autonomy in Brazil.

This article focuses on Heather Roller's book *Contact Strategies: Histories of Native Autonomy in Brazil*, which explores the complex and strategic ways Indigenous peoples in Brazil have shaped their interactions with non-Indigenous arrivals from the eighteenth century to the present. Roller combines oral histories with critical readings of colonial documents to reveal Indigenous groups, such as the Mura and Mbayá-Guaikurú, as active agents who initiated contact on their own terms rather than passive victims or unaffected survivors. The book examines shifting Indigenous strategies across historical periods, including colonial transitions, rebellions, and economic booms, and connects these histories to contemporary issues like land disputes and resource extraction. Overall, the work highlights Indigenous autonomy and creativity in navigating colonial and postcolonial challenges in Brazil.