O mapeamento participativo como processo de visibilidade: o caso do quilombo Fazenda Santa Justina/Santa Izabel em Mangaratiba (RJ)

Abstract

Participatory Mapping is a methodological tool that enhances the visibility of the spatialities and territorialities of a group or community, where the mapped subjects become the authors of their own maps. By recording social markers, maps create a geographic framework that serves as both a reflective and awareness-raising tool about the place and lived space, both among individuals and in communication with external agents. Since the late 20th century, participatory mapping has been employed in urban planning projects and rural diagnostics. Academic research on the topic, across various fields of social and environmental sciences, often describes socio-environmental conflicts affecting traditional communities or uses the tool to document historical heritage. However, there are few accounts of the group’s involvement in the mapping process itself. The primary aim of this research was to analyze the role of participatory mapping in the affirmation of the Quilombo Fazenda Santa Justina/Santa Izabel within its territory. This quilombo is situated in the Costa Verde region of Rio de Janeiro, encompassing the grounds of two former plantations that once belonged to the family of comendador Breves, the largest trafficker of enslaved Africans in the 19th century. In 2019, the land is owned by a real estate company that threatens to expel around 70 families of family farmers who have resided there for generations. Organized as a quilombo-descendant community certified by the Palmares Cultural Foundation in 2016, they were undergoing a land titling process with INCRA at the time of this research. The research was conducted through field visits and participatory workshops, which culminated in the creation of the participatory map of the quilombo. To provide a clear understanding of the quilombo locations across the state, a survey of certified communities was conducted, and thematic maps were produced to spatialize the quilombos in the state as of 2021. The research results range from a geographic framework of the spatial distribution of Rio de Janeiro's communities to the spatiality of Mangaratiba's quilombolas, offering visibility at the local level, connecting with various public agents, from the municipal to the global scale. It is anticipated that the products generated will serve as educational tools in future research, community empowerment initiatives, and educational activities within the territories