Memórias da pesca artesanal na vida das mulheres ribeirinhas em Esperantina - Tocantins

Abstract

This work aims to understand, based on the life stories of riverside women who work with artisanal fishing in the city of Esperantina-TO, the representations arising from their experiences with the Tocantins River, as well as the gender relationship experienced by them. To carry out this study, a qualitative approach was used with a focus on Oral History methodology. The interview scripts were constructed aiming to understand the importance of artisanal fishing on the Tocantins River, the different meanings and representations that this activity acquires in the memories of fisherwomen, and, in this way, the different identities that are constructed around and with the Tocantins River. . For these analyses, the perspective of Cultural History, Oral History and their relationship with Memory were used as theoretical support. Three interviews with fisherwomen who work in the Esperantina region and are linked to the Z-21 Fisherman's Colony are analyzed. The study made it possible to understand that the craft of fishing is learned very early, from childhood and/or youth, generally with family and friends, and is a learning process passed down from generation to generation. Furthermore, due to the difficulties encountered in the profession, fisherwomen report that some of their daughters and sons fish only for leisure. It was also evident that the Tocantins River is a definitive aspect in the identity of these fisherwomen, being the main means of survival for their families. It was also concluded that there was a change in fishing life in Esperantina, which is attributed to the construction of hydroelectric plants, which caused changes in the natural cycles of the river's waters, leading to a scarcity of fish and causing a major impact on income generation and in the lives of fisherwomen. The study contributes to the construction and preservation of Esperantina's memory, in particular, to reflections on the importance of the Tocantins River for those who live around it and to the appreciation of the memories and activities of fisherwomen in the researched region.