The River is Our Father

                                                     
                                                         THE RIVER IS OUR FATHER

From the mid 1500’s until 1888, when slavery was abolished in Brazil, the Quilombo peoples, who had the fortune to escape their bourgeoisie masters, hid in fear in the country side.  Yesterday we drove 10 hours to the city of Santa Maria de Boa located in the west of the state of Peramebuco along the San Francisco River. There are three Quilombo communities that can be found within a thirty minute drive from the city. The road to these communities is along a winding gravel dusty road. The three communities, Sonnote, Inhanum and Cupira have between 500 -750 inhabitants each and were settled over three hundred years ago. The  land in this area is semi arid with sandy rocky soil and low growth trees and shrubs.

Our group of seven accompanied with representatives from the national groups EQUIP and  MAB (Movement of the People affected by Dams) travelled to west of the state to meet with these communities. The National Government of Brazil, the state of Peramebuco and private companies are pushing for economic development and have indicated that they want to build two massive hydro dams along the San Francisco River within a short distance of each other.

The push to develop this massive development will have major adverse effects to all communities along the San Francisco River. The communities will be destroyed, homes dislodged and lands flooded by the waters of the proposed dams. There are many conflicting statements associated with the proposed developments including undisclosed terms of references, lack of public input and a total lack of conscienceness about the need of the desperately poor of this area. This push for development is further exasperated by the wealth disparity between the rich and poor of Brazil where 1% of the population control over 50% of the land.  In a country where the existence of a middle class is sadly lacking the distance between the economically wealthy and the poor is enormous. We have been advised there is a lack of public policy by government for any preferential treatment for the poor.

Bookmarked between these circumstances are three vibrant communities. As like most Brazilian communities there is little of any public support for basic community and social infrastructure. We have seen this over and over again through our travels along the country side. However, we have noted that the social and familarial infracture of these communities is strong and vibrant. We have seen and heard that outside of these communities the rich take care of themselves and the poor are left to fend for themselves. The infrastructure paradigm is inconsistent with the spirit of the peoples we have met continuously during our visits over the last ten days. Stand from a distance and you see a broken and underdeveloped infrastructure however stand out side the door steps, sit at the kitchen tables and in the community halls and you get to the interiors of a beautiful humanity.

Elders of one Quilombo led us on a procession to a shrine to the Virgin Mary

The opportunities we have been blessed with to sit, speak, play, listen and hold the most wonderful peoples can not be imagined. We have heard their stories of injustices, saw their smiles, felt their pains, ate the food from their lands and dined at their tables. We have walked through their sacred spaces and felt their extensive and highly established cultures. These are peoples with a lot less material wealth than North Americans and the Brazilian rich but hold an enormous spirit found in the hearts and smiles of the children, youth, adults and elders.

What is the plight of the Quilombo people? The government in partnership with the  wealthy business plan to destroy the Quilombo homes, lands and communities, flood all including the farms that they cultivate, the lands their animals graze and the San Francisco River where they fish. There will be a complete destruction of the land that nourish their children and the cultural heritage that they have developed. There is a grave fear that the Quilombo are again under seige. The Quilonbo peoples found these lands many centuries ago and the decandents  that we met are resolved that these cultivated and nourished lands will not be sold, destroyed or taken for the benefit of the rich. The Quilombo peoples with whom we established friendships maybe poor materially however they exude the riches of humanity. As an elderly amazing story teller indicated to our group, we will not let anyone destroy this river that is our Father.

Because of this journey the spirit of the Quilombo will now lie within us.

SANDY GIBBONS

Wherever the Rio San Francisco passes through the semi-arid sertao,
it creates the potential for an fertile oasis