In one of the most threatened regions of the Brazilian Cerrado, art joins the voices of women who are mobilizing to transform this place.
Farmers, peasant women, women from the Northeast of Brazil, and "Cerrado activists." These are the women, residents and resilient figures of Western Bahia, whom Conchita Silva, also a defender of the Cerrado biome, portrays in her work that honors the struggle of these protectors of nature. The project "Recording Resistance: since the 70s, I prefer…" was one of those selected by the call for proposals from the Secretariat of Culture, Sport and Leisure of the Municipality of Correntina, 830 km from Salvador. With the funding obtained, Conchita will continue to give visibility to the guardians of ancestral knowledge and cultures.
“The courage, representativeness, and affirmation of the multiple identities of these women encouraged me to listen to and record who they are and to contribute, through art, to the visibility of their roles in the struggle and resistance of the Correntina territories, with their faces and voices recorded in woodcuts,” says Silva about the work, composed of woodcuts and street art such as posters and wheatpaste posters.
A visual arts student and granddaughter of traditional farmers from the Gerais region, Conchita also says that the inclusion of the word "prefer" happened because it is an expression frequently manifested by the characters. "I prefer... I prefer not to die, but I prefer to die fighting" is one of the statements written in handwriting on the woodcut depicting Dona Ana, a family farmer from the municipality of Correntina and one of the characters in this work.
Resistance comes from women and art.
Correntina, located in western Bahia, is one of the regions most threatened species of the Brazilian CerradoSince the arrival and rampant expansion of Agribusiness in the 70sThe region has become embroiled in socio-environmental conflicts, primarily violence against the local population related to land grabbing and the concentration of water resources for large-scale projects. According to the news portal Mongabay, based on the Official Gazette, the The Cerrado region of Bahia lost almost 2 billion liters of water per day. for agribusiness during the Covid-19 pandemic.
There are hundreds of traditional peoples and communities and family farmers in Bahia who depend on the Cerrado's biodiversity to survive. They are also the ones who organize and lead movements fighting for their territories and the conservation of biodiversity and water resources. The Arrojado River is a strong example. One of the most degraded by corporate activity, it is a symbol of identity for the geraizeira communities, fundo and fecho de pasto communities, quilombola communities, and so many others who learned from their ancestors that to live, it is necessary to keep the Cerrado alive.
Organized through movements and organizations, the populations of Western Bahia have already led several uprisings against the chaotic offensive of large commodity-producing companies. The "Water Revolt" was one of them and achieved national media attention. However, there are those who are important in these struggles but whose voices remain silenced. "We always hear that women are the most affected, that they are the ones who organize the most, but when we look, the leading role is always taken by men. That's why I want to bring the perspective of women, to amplify their voices in the struggle," says Conchita.
The women of Rio Arrojado
Besides Dona Ana, other peasant and riverside women are depicted in woodcut prints to tell their stories and those of their people. “Here everyone is peaceful, nobody wants war. We only want our rivers preserved, that’s all. Nobody will die of thirst on the banks of the Arrojado River, nobody!” This phrase, which marked the struggle of the people of Correntina, is from the rural teacher Marinês, and is combined with the carefully drawn lines of Conchita.
Dona Nena, a Black peasant woman, as she likes to politically describe herself, also takes on artistic forms, and her struggle and that of her children for the Cerrado is imbued with the dye derived from umburana wood. Nena spent ten years washing clothes in the Arrojado River valley, and today, this health worker also considers herself a defender of the Cerrado and the riches that the biome brings to her community and society.
Aliene, a native of the Cerrado region and riverside community, also bears traces and poetry of struggle in the smile of her. Daily, this resident of Correntina fights to defend her family's right to remain in their territory, ensuring that future generations have the right to exist with the waters and the Cerrado alive. Alongside her representation, one can read the text by the poet and fellow resident and daughter of the Cerrado, Jaqueline Honório: “And we will not allow this cry to be forgotten. We will not allow this cry to die. Because we will not allow our people to die.”
Conchita's work shows that the struggle of women in western Bahia reflects a reality that accompanies Brazil's trajectory. How can we not recall the legacy of Carolina Maria de Jesus from Minas Gerais when hearing the stories and learning about the history of Bahian women? Dona Ana, Dona Nena, Marinês, and Aliene are present in every corner of Brazil. They are the ones who are in motion to keep the Cerrado, the Amazon, the Caatinga, and all our biomes standing. And they are the ones who deserve to have their voices echoing throughout the country and the world. Voices that speak in defense of preserved territories, of life, and of who we are.
Where this struggle gains strength: Cerrativistas
Conchita, Aliene, and Dona Nena are part of the "Cerrativismo – Training People and Organizations to Conserve the Cerrado in the Western Region of Bahia" Project, an initiative of ISPN with the 10envolvimento Agency and the Association of Lawyers for Rural Workers (AATR). The project mapped and brought together various leaders of traditional peoples and communities in the region and provided tools to strengthen the actions of these leaders, their networks, and their struggles for the conservation of the Brazilian savanna and its peoples. It provided a series of political, environmental, and social training sessions. Through this process, the leaders were further empowered to defend the Biome and strengthened their networks and struggles for the conservation of the Brazilian savanna.
The Cerrativistas project is funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF/IEB) and also involves the participation of various associations and organizations in the field.