Laroyê: entre encruzilhadas de memórias e histórias afroindígenas na Amazônia Parintinense - trajetórias de mães de santo (1988–2025)

Abstract

This thesis sought to explore the intersections of history and memory, highlighting the trajectories of three mothers-of-saint—Mother Bena, Mother Rosa, and Mother Cintia—and the many stories they carry for the permanence of Afro-religious cults. The chronological milestone is the founding of the house of the oldest mother-of-saint in 1988 to the present day. These are distinct trajectories, yet intertwined with the Afro-Indigenous sacred. The terreiro festivals also introduce us to movements, celebrations, ambiguities, and sociabilities of the terreiro with the city, analyzing them as socio-historical processes of identity construction, as well as the resistance of religions marginalized by historiography. It also demonstrates how religious racism and gender inequality intersect in Brazilian society. We sought perspectives on the continuity of religious practices and their resistance tactics, encompassing oral narratives of female political and religious leaders. We sought to revalue interconnected ways of life in the Parintins Amazon and how these women shape the historical and daily lives of Umbanda temples in Parintins, Amazonas.