The Quilombo of Abacatal

Resistance in Times of Pandemics

Abstract

The present work is based on interviews conducted with female leaders of the Quilombo of Abacatal, located 8 km from the center of the city of Ananindeua, in the metropolitan region of Belém, Pará. Since its origin in 1710, the quilombolas of Abacatal have faced ongoing conflicts in their struggle to remain on their territory. The quilombo covers an area of just over 508 hectares, comprising approximately 150 families and around 500 inhabitants. Our conversations with these leaders were part of the activities aimed at producing and disseminating scientific knowledge within the extension project "Pandemics in the Amazon", carried out by the Department of Anthropology (DAN) and the Graduate Program in Social Anthropology (PPGAS) at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM). The interviews were conducted in two sessions, and the interview presented here is based on the second session, granted by Amanda Cardoso, a community health agent in the quilombo. Our methodology consisted of a semi-structured, online interview with audiovisual recording via Google Meet. Among the topics addressed, we discussed the quilombolas’ resistance to public-private enterprises encroaching on their territory, the impacts of the pandemic, and the significance of female leadership within the quilombo.