Identity under construction

the role of territory in the Cruz Da Menina quilombola community in Dona Inês/PB

Abstract

Abstract: Based on data from the ethnographic research “Cruz da Menina: processes of struggle and quilombola ethnic reaffirmation in Dona Inês/Paraíba” (2021/23), we will discuss ethnic relations and territorial dynamics through the life narratives of the residents/ those from the quilombo collected during fieldwork. The territory and its process of territoriality are fundamental aspects for the recognition of the community, whose origin is given by the exclusion of families from the northeastern backlands due to a common factor, blackness. This work seeks to present the role of the territory in the construction of the quilombola ethnic identity of Cruz da Menina, understanding the process of territorialization and its dynamics.

Keywords: Ethnic identity; territory; Quilombo Cruz da Menina; Paraíba.