Cantinho da saudade: experiência museológica comunitária das mulheres ceramistas de Itamatatiua, em Alcântara, Maranhão

Abstract

This work investigates the role of museological concepts and practices in the construction of narratives, highlighting their influence in the perpetuation of colonialist biases or in the affirmation of other epistemologies. The study focuses on the memory initiative called Cantinho da Saudade, located in the quilombola community of Itamatatiua, in Alcântara, Maranhão, and explores the possibility of developing a museum project to expand the initiative of the potters. The methodology used included the interdisciplinary action-research method, covering a stage of information and field survey through experiences in Itamatatiua. The first stage consisted of a bibliographic review of approaches and perspectives on quilombo, decolonial theory and museums. In the field stage, information was collected from the potters through semi-structured and recorded interviews and conversation circles. The study was based on a respectful and ethical approach to research in traditional communities, based on the principles of reciprocity and feedback, aiming at sharing knowledge. The research analyzes public policies related to the theme, such as memory points. The dissertation highlights the importance of community museological processes for the expansion of discourses present in traditional museological institutions. Through the example of Cantinho da Saudade, it is demonstrated that collective memory informs and builds new perspectives of access to the world, more comprehensive and less totalizing. The work also contributes to debates on the impact of community memory processes on the decolonization of museums, opening space for more inclusive and democratic forms of identity representation that affirm citizenship and strengthen social transformation. In short, the work proposes an interdisciplinary approach to understand the relationships between quilombo, decolonial theory and museums, and seeks to establish a collaborative and participatory proposal for the creation of the Quilombola Museum of Itamatatiua, valuing the community's cultural heritage and guaranteeing its right to a dignified life and the territory. The survey results revealed a strong community role, including the maintenance and organization of collective spaces. At the same time, they indicate a constant resistance to the preservation of local memory, threatened by colonial discourses and practices that have been perpetuated over time.