Modernização e identidade territorial quilombola de Umarizal, Baião-PA

Abstract

The empirical field of study of this TCC is the quilombola community of Umarizal, in the municipality of Baião, state of Pará. The central question of the research was built around understanding the relationship between the introduction of elements of the modernization of the territory in this reality – such as the construction of the Tucuruí HPP, the opening of the Br422, the universalization of access to electricity, access to the internet and interaction with social media – and the construction of quilombola territorial identity in the context of that community, having as reference for the analysis the study of Samba de Cacete and the Quilombola Festival of Umarizal. In view of this, we ask: how does the community deal with the preservation of its traditions, cultural practices and ancestral values in the face of the changes announced with the "arrival of modernity" in its territory? The hypothesis we worked with was that the realization of these festivities has increasingly incorporated social media, pointing to a considerable role of these tools in mediating cultural practices such as festivities, rather than simply "losing" their traditions and identity. In terms of method of interpretation, the choice was for the principles of historical-dialectical materialism, incorporating into the analysis the role of history in understanding and explaining social structures and their influences over time. The nature of the research is qualitative and involved a bibliographic and documentary survey and fieldwork, with participant observation and semi-structured interviews. After organizing and discussing the data collected, it is possible to affirm that the elements of modernization of the territory, which are present in Umarizal, contribute to the valorization, reinforcement and projection of the territorial identity of this community, mainly because black women and black men, by recognizing themselves as quilombolas, build from there a whole process of appropriation of part of this modernity. such as the internet and social media, a process in which they place themselves in the position of subjects of territorial and spatial rights. It is much more a true process of appropriation of the elements of modernity that have historically been installed in their territories, an appropriation that is carried out from the context of the quilombo of Umarizal and that has played and continues to play a crucial role in the mediation, reproduction and consolidation of this identity, by promoting connectivity and the diffusion of cultural practices. such as Samba de Cacete and the Quilombola Festival