Povo Truká e agrobiodiversidade: território, resgate, memórias e perspectivas

Abstract

This study aims to characterize the productive backyards (homegardens) of the Truká Indigenous Territory on Assunção Island, Pernambuco, by investigating the transformations in their agrobiodiversity over the years. Located in the semi-arid region of the Lower-Middle São Francisco River, Assunção Island is a microcosm where the imposition of external agricultural logics—such as monoculture and land leasing—has led to the loss of native species and the reconfiguration of management practices, although family farming persists with an altered diversity. To this end, a survey of agrobiodiversity and cultural practices in the remaining backyards of Truká families will be conducted. The methodology employed is ethnography, which seeks to create records and apprehend culture and lived experiences from the internal perspective of the people themselves. This method transcends passive recording, relying on the memorization of teachings from women and oral narratives as a fundamental research tool, in accordance with the precepts of Truká ancestry. In addition to ethnography, data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with women, conducted with attentive listening and sensitivity to emotions, mirroring the way stories were told to us in childhood and embracing the experiences that emerge. It is expected to record memories and perspectives on agrobiodiversity, making visible the traditional management practices and the central role of these women, the guardians of this knowledge.