PARTICIPATORY MAPPING WITH INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS: THE EXPERIENCE ON CHAPADA DO Á, ANCHIETA – ESPÍRITO SANTO – BRASIL
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Roquete, M.E.T.; 2Girardi, G.
1UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO ESPÍRITO SANTO Email: trmariaelisa@gmail.com
2UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO ESPÍRITO SANTO Email: gisele.girardi@ufes.br
Abstract
Participatory mapping is currently understood as a social practice in itself and not as a simple tool, aims not only to produce a final map but has as driving force the mapping process. As relevant as the process, the participation of social actors is fundamental and must start from the construction of the purposes of the mapping project. This form of social practice with use of maps is one of the arenas for attention of contemporary critical cartography, more explicitly the mapping as resistance. In this paper an experiment in participatory mapping with indigenous populations on the coast of the Espírito Santo - Brazil is presented. It’s about the Chapada do Á community located in the municipality of Anchieta (ES) who self-identified indigenous, Tupiniquim ethnic group. There live about 70 families who descend from a single family trunk in a communal way of living, in 10.6 acres that remained of their traditional lands. In present days its territory is in a context of struggle arising from the conflicts generated by attempts to implement steel companies in the region. Despite the local economic and political forces pressing with various strategies, the community remains resistant in relation to the possibility of loss of their territory. To contribute with an instrument that could expand the possibilities of mobilizing the community to their struggles as well as use the experience as a basis for a discussion of methodological kind was constituted an investigation whose results we intend to present in this paper. The experience was developed by 24 months and was inserted on a set of research and actions of anthropological and geographical character by researchers at the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo and the Associação dos Geógrafos Brasileiros/Vitória at that community. Several stages were executed, such as preparatory meetings with the community, building a first version of the map, validation of information collected in the ground by the locals, the initial confrontation with other mapping sources and cartographic databases, completion of the process and the product presentation and discussion with the community. Many kinds of cartographic production's resources were used. At the same time we proceeded to an ongoing reflection on the role of each of the actors involved, including the facilitator. It was concluded that one of the biggest obstacles faced in conducting participatory mapping was on technical tools domain. The training of community members to master the methodology and tools of the mapping process is crucial because it allows them to act as lawyers and technicians for their own and other communities. In the present work the tools such as software and GPS were handled by the facilitator, but an effort was made to make the process as transparent as possible, eg, through projection and correction of data in the presence of the participants. Spatial data and maps generated at the community level are intermediate products of an articulated and long-term process. In this sense there was a continuous exposition for all participatory mapping participants about the benefits and risks of participation. Participatory mapping allowed to expand the multiplicity of voices around the same object and involved the exercise of negotiation between social actors, including researchers. It allowed the community an enlargement of the territorial knowledge exchange between generations, knowledge enhancement and the strengthening of the community in relation to conflict with economic and administrative sectors.
Keywords
participatory mapping; indigenous people; map as resistance