Quilombo Abacatal-aurá, quilombo community in Ananindeua, Pará, Brazil
Quilombo Abacatal-aurá is a community in Ananindeua founded over 300 years ago around a sugar mill estate. Today, around 150 families live on more than 580 hectares of officially recognized land that they received through government titles in 1999 and 2008.
The community began around 1710 as a refuge for freed and escaped slaves and their descendants who kept their traditions alive. Official government recognition in 2012 confirmed its status as a place with Afro-Brazilian roots and heritage.
The community keeps its traditions alive through music, crafts, and dance that reflect their way of life and connection to their ancestors. A local band called Toró-Açu has been teaching children about their history through songs since 2016.
Visit the community by making prior contact with local leaders to learn about their history and daily life firsthand. The nearby rivers and surrounding land provide a sense of how residents maintain their traditional way of living and connection to nature.
The community faces ongoing pollution from nearby garbage sites and sewage that threaten their rivers and environment. This daily struggle reveals how they persistently protect their land and way of life despite external pressures and development threats.
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