Quilombola Identity and Heritagisation in Povoado do Moinho

Abstract

Povoado do Moinho is a rural quilombola community in the city of Alto Paraíso de Goiás. Situated in the northeast of the Brazilian state Goiás, its ecotourism potential is starting to be recognized after many years being known solely for the extreme poverty that plagued the region. In an attempt to understand the Povoado for an educational project, we reflect on the recent certification of this territory as a quilombo the symbolic implications of assuming a quilombola identity, and its potential contribution to develop a fair trade in food products and local crafts. We also reflect on its importance for local tourism development and the importance of access to formal education by local residents. Based on action research, we seek to understand symbolic games that capitalize social relations in the territory as well as to reflect on how these relations should permeate the construction of an educational process that seeks to empower its subjects.