BOA VISTA DOS NEGROS: INTERRACIAL AND INDIVIDUAL PATH RELATIONS
Interracial Relations; Seridó; Good View of the Blacks; Trajectories
ABSTRACT
Until the first decades of the twentieth century, the absence of systematic studies on quilombola communities prevented the visualization of the ethnic-racial plurality of the Seridó sertão. With public policies favoring ethnic emergencies, the issue of interracial relations began to be the object of anthropological and historical research, deconstructing the narratives constructed by regional elites. Continuing these investigations, the present paper proposes to take up the problem from the local dynamics: the relations that the quilombola community of Boa Vista dos Negros has with its neighbors, the representatives of the local elites, such as farmers, ecclesial authorities and policies. From a perspective that associates anthropology with history, the aim here is to explore quilombola memories in dialogue with those produced in neighboring communities. For this, in addition to collecting the oral tradition and participant observation, it needs to explore the notary, parish and public administration sources to better understand the reality studied. Thus, the interracial relations observed at the local level will be analyzed from the trajectory of a key character, Teodosio Fernandes da Cruz (1864-1954), historical leadership who is recognized as the main mediator between the quilombolas and the surrounding society. Resistance strategies are evidenced to maintain the integrity of the territory and access benefits. The progress of the research has revealed that the focus community keeps internally memories that reveal another local history. There is also evidence of the ability of quilombolas with regard to approximations and distances with surrounding villages, so that discrimination and any other forms of oppression are avoided.