Mapping the struggle: participatory mapping experiences among the Pataxó in the context of the self-demarcation process of the Barra Velha do Monte Pascoal Indigenous Land

Abstract

This article focuses on the experience of introducing Geographic Information Systems tools and carrying out participatory mapping among the Pataxó of the Barra Velha do Monte Pascoal Indigenous Territory, within the context of their struggle for territorial rights. The Pataxó lost their traditional territory in the 1940s with the creation of the Monte Pascoal National Park. Since then, they have fought tirelessly for the right to return to their ancestral lands, with the establishment of the protected area becoming a central axis of their ethno-political mobilisation. The current phase of this struggle is marked by the self-demarcation of their traditional territory: tired of waiting for state recognition, the Pataxó launched a series of territorial occupations in 2022. This paper describes the implementation of an Engaged Anthropology project between 2023 and 2024, set within the current political context of the Pataxó territory. The project’s goal was to create a monitoring unit: the Pataxó Territory Observatory. The Observatory team, consisting of two Pataxó members and the author of this article, worked closely with the territory’s Council of Chiefs over the course of a year. The team autonomously produced unpublished data on the Pataxó struggle and created the map “Pataxó Self-Demarcation of the Barra Velha do Monte Pascoal Indigenous Land”. Simultaneously, the Observatory popularised access to geo-referenced knowledge about the demarcation process and actively participated in various internal political debates. This paper demonstrates how engagement and participatory mapping practices have led to a deeper understanding of the construction of Pataxó territoriality.