EXARC Journal (Aug 2020)
The Development of the 1st Cultural Exchange of Traditional Knowledge and Experimental Practices of the Peruaçu River Basin
Abstract
Located in the North of Minas Gerais the Peruaçu National Park’s contains much of the fauna and flora of the second most devastated biome in Brazil, the Cerrado. The Park also incorporates geological formations and one of the most important archaeological sites from the state: rock paintings made by ancient indigenous groups dated 12,000 BP. Twenty-one years after the creation of this natural conservation unit, nature is no longer in danger. However, the enhancement of traditional communities in the surrounding areas has not accompanied these localised improvements, which has been focused predominantly on nature conservation. The research developed in the region shows that the traditional communities currently resident in the territory manifest traces of prehistoric occupations with lifestyles similarities such as the use of the natural toá in ornamental paintings, the same paint used in rock painting in the National Park, and a continuity of the ceramic production. With the objective of the enhancement of cultural heritage from traditional communities, strengthening the connections among them and valuing ancestral techniques of ceramic production that have been forgotten, the Pequi do Cerrado Institute promoted the 1st Cultural Exchange of Traditional Knowledge and Experimental Practices of the Peruaçu River basin. This exchange was structured in an experimental workshop model with four main actions: analytical framework; practical activities in pottery; visits to the Peruaçu National Park; Institutional feedback. Besides listing the potentials and discussing the difficulties of the potter communities of the Peruaçu River basin in the perpetuation of their traditional knowledge the workshop promoted complementary information which aimed to better understand the past and compared the researchers’ experiences with those of ancient times. The main message is that traditional knowledge from existing communities in the Peruaçu region must be urgently incorporated into scientific studies.
