A construção de uma história: processos e disputas patrimoniais em Gravataí – RS

Abstract

The concepts of patrimonialization and patrimoniality (POULOT, 2009) underpin the discussion on the selection of heritage sites in Gravataí, a city located in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. The city was the largest indigenous settlement in Rio Grande do Sul during the colonial period, and the influence of people of African origin can be seen since the beginning of its colonization. However, the authorized discourse on heritage (SMITH, 2009) is limited to an Azorean and Catholic past as the basis of this population's identity. Seeking to understand such discrepancies, the study in question delves into the history of this location and analyzes its heritage processes, from the implementation of the Agostinho Martha Municipal Museum, created in 1974, to the organization of the Municipal Secretariat of Culture, at the end of 2024. From a decolonial perspective – based on the discussions of authors such as Aníbal Quijano (2005; 2007), Mignolo (2008), Maldonado-Torres (2018), Bernardino-Costa (2018), Gil and Meinerz (2017), Françoise Vèrges (2020; 2023) – we problematize the heritage and static discourses linked to the past and present of this community. Participatory research, through interviews, participation in the Municipal Council for Cultural Policy of Gravataí (CMPC) and work in cultural projects, are the basis of the proposed discussions. The first chapter introduces the research setting, history, and reflections that led to the emergence of this study. The discussion of methodology, in more depth, occurs in the second chapter, where we describe the methodology and the paths followed by the research. The third chapter presents the city and the development of its cultural and heritage policies. The influence of the Municipal Museum in the election of assets elevated to the category of heritage, as well as the problematizations related to these processes, which have changed since 2012, are aspects analyzed in the fourth chapter. The fifth chapter discusses the construction of Azorean identity and the erasure of black and indigenous heritage. The perceived heritage, the presentation of elements linked to the city's black heritage, using the concept of “underground memories” (POLLAK, 1989), and the role of cultural agents in the transformations observed in the city's culture are the theme of the sixth chapter. The seventh chapter focuses on the presentation and discussion of the author's role in the cultural scene, attempting to present mechanisms for the rearticulation of official narratives. In the final considerations, we take stock of the research, the hypotheses raised and the discoveries made in this process.