The Quilombo Cariongo, located in the municipality of Santa Rita (MA), made history by becoming the first quilombo community in Maranhão to build a Quilombola Territorial and Environmental Management Plan (PGTAQ) Developed through participatory means and based on priorities defined by the territory itself, the plan was presented to the community, leaders from other quilombos (maroon communities), and representatives of institutions, solidifying itself as a political, social, and historical landmark. It is a pioneering plan in the state, being the first to be constructed after the... decree 11.786 / 2023 which establishes the National Policy for Quilombola Territorial and Environmental Management.
For the family farmer Maria Filomena TeixeiraAccording to the 47-year-old, the plan's meaning represents the struggle and resistance of a people. "The plan is like a flower garden that we will continue to care for so that it flourishes.""She said, emotionally, during the presentation."
A plan born from the community and the struggle for territory.
The construction of the PGTAQ It arose as a direct demand from the community during the activities of the Cariongo Agroecological Backyards Project, within the scope of Forest + Amazon Project – Communities modality, an initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), carried out in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and implemented by ISPN in the territory.
More than a technical document, the plan consolidates decades of resistance into a... A strategic instrument for territorial planning and defense., articulating territorial protection, environmental conservation, sustainable production, cultural appreciation, Quilombola education, and strengthening of social organization.
According to the PGTAQ consultant, Thiago dos SantosThe participatory process was essential to give legitimacy to the document. "Community participation was fundamental to the construction of this instrument because it allowed us access to a collective memory and documents that attest to the community's organization as a quilombo (maroon community).", highlighted.
Historical roots and Quilombola resistance
The history of Quilombo Cariongo dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when Sebastian CariongoA descendant of enslaved people, he arrived in the Itapecuru Valley region in search of land to live on and produce. In 1915, he acquired possession of the territory through his own labor, initiating a continuous occupation based on traditional farming, collective use of the land, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge.
Over time, the Quilombo Cariongo has built its own forms of social organization, based on solidarity, communal work, collective agricultural production, cultural expressions, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge. However, this permanence has never been without conflict. The community has historically faced processes of invisibility, pressure from farmers, attempts at land grabbing, and restrictions on access to natural resources essential for survival.
The water supply situation in the quilombos of Maranhão is marked by precariousness and water insecurity. According to data from the 2022 IBGE Census, the majority of the quilombola population living in titled territories faces inadequate sanitation and water supply infrastructure. In rural areas, 94,6% of quilombola people live with precarious basic sanitation, including limitations in access to water.
A significant milestone in Cariongo's recognition journey was the issuance of the Self-Recognition Certificate by the Palmares Cultural Foundation in 2006, which officially reaffirmed the community's quilombola identity and strengthened its fight for territorial rights. Subsequently, anthropological studies by INCRA recognized the approximate extent of 3.267 hectares as traditionally occupied territory, reinforcing the legitimacy of the quilombola claim.
Faced with these threats, the quilombo strengthened its political organization, creating the Association of Rural Agro-producers of Vila Cariongo and the Committee for the Defense of the Rights of Quilombola Peoples of Santa Rita and Itapecuru-Mirim, in addition to the construction of the Prior Consultation Protocol, approved in 2022.
Racial inequality, territory and invisibility
The reality experienced by Cariongo reflects a national scenario. Data from IBGE Census 2022 They indicate that more than 1,3 million quilombola people live in Brazil.with approximately 90% reside in lands without land titles.Maranhão has the highest concentration of quilombola communities in the country, around a thousand communities. But only a small portion of these territories have been granted land titles.
According to ISPN project coordinator Ana Tereza Ferreira, the PGTAQ is more than just a technical document; it's a collective construction process that gave a voice to local leaders, women, youth, and elders of the Cariongo Quilombo.
"The result was a Plan that valued the convergence of technical expertise with local knowledge and that reflects the needs, dreams, and resistance strategies to protect the territory and strengthen autonomy."He says.
Five pillars to guarantee the future of the territory.
The PGTAQ of Cariongo was constructed from historical research, document analysis, and participatory diagnosis, which identified Strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats of the territoryThe plan organizes concrete actions in five thematic axes, aligned with National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Quilombola Communities (PNGTAQ), established by Decree No. 11.786/2023. The policy focuses on supporting the territorial and environmental management of quilombola communities, strengthening the protection of territories and cultural heritage, encouraging the sustainable use of socio-biodiversity, and promoting socio-environmental development, well-being, and climate justice, ensuring better living conditions for current and future quilombola generations.
Among the guiding principles of the Plan are territorial integrity and environmental conservation, focusing on land titling, protection of water resources, and combating land grabbing; sustainable production, health, and food security, including agroecology, access to drinking water, and strengthening public health; cultural appreciation, with an emphasis on Afro-Brazilian religious practices, cultural expressions, and spaces of memory; education and training, advocating for a differentiated Quilombola education; and social organization and governance, with the strengthening of community participation, especially among young people.
The agronomist Marluze Pastor, who attended the workshops during the plan's development process, highlighted the document's political nature. “The plan is the community saying what it wants from the State. It reveals territorial and environmental injustices and the lack of access to basic rights, such as water. It's a way of showing that these communities exist and need to emerge from invisibility,” she explained.
Ruthiane Pereira, coordinator of the Maranhão Program, highlights the importance of the plan in guaranteeing land tenure security in the territories, as well as being an instrument for visibility and access to public policies."The PGTAQ is a document of political autonomy that aims to protect the legacy of the peoples and also protect the environment, its natural resources, traditional knowledge, in addition to ensuring the sustainability of the communities. says Ruthiane.
Voices that build the plan
The voice of Sebastião Cariongo, founder of the quilombo, seemed to resonate in the words of those who live the history of the place today and were present at the presentation of the plan. From the beginning of the 20th century to the present, some issues have not changed. Cariongo continues the fight for the legitimacy of his territory and has been reaffirming community strength, seeking his memory, oral tradition, and the heritage of his ancestors.
To Antonia Cariongo"The launch of PGTAQ represents a collective achievement."It was a moment of joy. We consolidated our management plan, opened doors to public policies, and strengthened our resistance, also serving as encouragement for other quilombos.”, He stated.
The president of the Union of Quilombola Communities of Uniquituba, Heliane Frazão, sees PGTAQ as a benchmark.This is a milestone that we will take to other communities, so that they too can develop their plans and document their way of managing the territory.. "
The president of the Residents' Association, Maria Natalia Silva Alves , reinforced the ancestral nature of the process. "The entire community contributed. Women, leaders, and elders. It was a deep dive into our history. This plan is yet another tool in the struggle to keep our quilombo standing.. "
“The content must reach governments and various institutions to come to life and be a catalyst for policies that Cariongo has already made clear are necessary. And that it serves as a model for a transformative movement in the quilombos of Maranhão,” says the Executive Coordinator of ISPN, Fabio Vaz.
For leadership Auxiliadora FrazãoMaking the PGTAQ public is also an act of struggle and strengthening of quilombola identity. "He respects the legacy of our ancestors and affirms our history.”He concluded.