Submitted by Mason Chambers on the 2016 winter session program in Brazil sponsored by the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
Since Paraty, we as a group have experienced much more of the rich culture and diversity that Brazil has to offer. For instance, we visited a traditional African quilombo and were able to interact with the quilombolas. We were able to get a glimpse into the way they live, their medicine, food, practices, etc. as well as hear about their struggle for autonomy and land rights. Fortunately, the quilombo that we visited was officially recognized and was able to obtain land titles from the government. It was interesting so see how these people live in such stark contrast with the cities and towns just a couple of miles away. Another place we visited, was a small favela by the name of Santa Marta. Also known as the princess favela, the small community is situated on a steep hill near Botafogo. At first, I was skeptical. With all of my readings depicting these communities as impoverished war zones, I was rightfully nervous. Upon arrival and education from our tour guide, who was in fact a resident of that community, I came to realize that instead it was just a community suffering from lack of opportunity and infrastructure. Though the community was pacified and many social projects are due to take place, the level of neglect was striking to me. That experience really put some of the sociopolitical issues into perspective for me. Soon, we will learn more about music and dance culture in Brazil, and that should be exciting.