ON THE HEIGHTS OF QUILOMBO

OBSERVATION, RESISTANCE AND EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE SERRA DO EVARISTO

Abstract

The historical process of formation of quilombola communities is characterized by discrimination and exclusion, and they generally face a socioeconomic reality of relative isolation from the Brazilian population as a whole (Correia et al., 2021). But for Mestre Nego Bispo (2015) “the day the quilombos lose their fear of the favelas, the favelas trust the quilombos and join the villages, all in confluence, the asphalt will melt!”.

The photographs presented in this essay were taken in a quilombola territory located in Serra do Evaristo, in Baturité-CE, during a territorial research experience. The Quilombo is located about 90 km from the capital Fortaleza. The community is in a region that is difficult to access, 9 km from the headquarters, at latitude 4.37579 and longitude 38.916504 and an altitude of 535.83 m above sea level (Braga, 2021). In February 2010, the Palmares Foundation issued the certificate of self-definition of the remaining quilombo community, with general register number 012, registration number 1.264, fl. 79. With approximately 180 families, accounting for 800 people (Braga, 2021), when entering the territory and living in the community, it can be seen that the population's main means of subsistence revolves around planting, growing and selling bananas.

By traveling to the territory and being able to live and interact with the quilombolas, it was opportune to develop the observation technique, which consists of the anthropologist taking with him all his baggage of personal experiences and theoretical reference to the territory to deal in first person with the objectives of the research (Lima, 2024). The observation technique is crucial because it is a rich and contextualized approach to understanding everyday experiences, social interactions and learning processes (Mónico, 2017). By adopting this ethnographic approach, we immersed ourselves in the quilombola community, observing them in their daily activities, games, rituals and relationships. Through participant observation, it became possible to capture significant nuances of the quilombola way of life, contributing to a more holistic and sensitive appreciation of the realities faced in the territory.

We therefore sought to record not only the visual aspects of everyday life, but also the social, cultural and symbolic dynamics that permeate the space. This visual record reflects the ethnographic encounter as a dialogical and sensitive process, in which the anthropological gaze is constructed in interaction with the narratives and knowledge shared by the community. Thus, the images are intended to invite reflection on how photography can act as a tool in the dialog between the researcher and the cultural realities that make up the quilombola universe.