The people of carvão: etnofotographic memory of four quilombola communities in the sertão do Cabugi of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Abstract

This essay aims to show, through photographs with an ethnographic perspective, general aspects of three Quilombola Communities located in the Sertão do Cabugi (semi-arid region of the State of Rio Grande do Norte) from 2015 to 2018. During this period, one was provided. consultancy in three of these communities (Cabeço dos Mendes and Curralinho in the municipality of Afonso Bezerra; and Livramento in the municipality of Angicos) resulting in their identification, recognition and certification in the category of Community of Remnants of Quilombos. This condition added to the fourth community (Aroeira, in the municipality of Pedro Avelino) already recognized four communities recognized in this region. There is still a debt with one of these communities: the América Family in Serra Nova in the municipality of Afonso Bezerra.

This new reality also resulted in the organization of four distinct meetings held in the communities themselves in 2018 and 2019 to discuss their common realities. One aspect that proved to be constant was the labor activity (and not lawful) of extracting wood and manufacturing charcoal. What kills hunger can also lead to jail! A traditional activity that is seen by Public Authorities as an environmental crime.

The attempt to criminalize traditional activities from the perspective of environmental law is a constant in the lives of traditional populations. We have the example of several cases of Casas de Candomblé, Umbanda and Jurema under the argument of noise pollution here in the courts of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The various cases in Brazil involving the initiation of children being argued for imprisonment and other insanities. In reality, there are other faces of institutional racism that affects the black population in Brazil.

The communities of Sertão do Cabugi have in charcoal production a story related to their survival and resilience in a region where agriculture cannot be counted on as a means of guarantee. The instability of the rains, combined with a history of deprivation, makes the People of Coal synonymous with resilience and obstinacy in staying alive in an environment of effective social unhealthy conditions.

The photos shown here aim to give visibility to everyday life, highlighting its resilience and achievements. In this way, I express my gratitude to the quilombola families of Sertão do Cabugi.