Um lago de histórias: da organização social e política às lutas das comunidades rurais do Lago de Tefé-AM (1940-1990)

Abstract

This study investigates the social and political organization of five rural communities in the Lago de Tefé (Médio Solimões), based on the memories and experiences of rural workers who defend their territorialities. The methodology adopted is qualitative, including the analysis of oral sources collected from the communities and written documents from archives, such as records from the Movimento de Educação de Base (MEB-Tefé), the State Archive of Amazonas, and the Digital Hemeroteca, which contains publications and records from the period between 1970 and 1985. The study reveals how the social actors of the region experienced a new form of social and political organization in the 1980s, driven by the decline of extractive activities and the introduction of MEB. Until the 1960s, the region was inhabited by men and women descended from indigenous peoples, black individuals, and migrants from Maranhão and Ceará who exploited the nut groves and other natural resources. The communities, formally established only after 1971, emerged as a result of the fall in the price of nuts and the devaluation of cassava flour, which led to the displacement of people to urban areas. Families organized themselves, particularly through MEB and the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), and began to fight for social rights such as education and healthcare, in addition to defending their territorialities, such as the waters and lakes of the region, which were threatened by predatory fishing. The conclusions highlight that the greatest change was not physical, but rather identity-related: the inhabitants recognized themselves as farmers responsible for managing their lands and waters. Although the process of sociopolitical organization energized the region from 1980 onwards, it is currently in a dormant phase. This work contributes to the historiographical debate on the history of rural Amazonian communities, addressing gaps in the historiography of the Tefé/AM region. The reflections suggest new possibilities for research on the historical subjects of the region.