Memórias de idosos quilombolas como recurso didático: escola básica do Quilombo de Matão – PB

Abstract

Brazilian historiography was based on Eurocentric conceptions. For a long time, African-Brazilian and African history was silenced in school curriculum, especially quilombo history. But, due to enactment of Law no. 10.639/2003 and its curriculum guidelines, an inclusion process of the theme “African-Brazilian and African History and Culture” began at school, mainly in Geography, History and Portuguese curricula. This law enhanced the idea that ethnic and racial diversity has been greatly accepted as part of Brazilian society genesis. The same law has increased research and pedagogical practice focused on quilombo history and culture at school. So that different studies in Brazilian schools have shown that quilombo history and culture quilombo have provoked the creation of different pedagogical practices by elementary school teachers. However, there are still teachers who have difficulty developing pedagogical activities able to introduce quilombola people’s history and culture in school curriculum. Thus, this study aimed to assist Elementary School José Rufino dos Santos school teachers to develop educational activities highlighting local history and culture from memories the early decades of the twentieth century to the first decades of the twenty-first century. So, in order to accomplish this study, I taught a workshop entitled Elderly quilombola memories: pedagogical practices from a reframing identity perspective. This workshop was built from teachers’ needs, since most of them do not live in the community. Besides, they have no opportunity to study in their training teaching theories practices that could be useful to include quilombola people’s appreciation in their teaching skills. With the aim to achieve expected results, I adopted qualitative research based on oral history methodology. Research locus, teachers and elderly are from quilombo Matão, located at Gurinhém (Paraíba, Brazil). Therefore, I conducted interviews with teachers, school manager and community elders. I used as a theoretical framework to discuss education issues such as curriculum, memory and cultural identity conceptions according to the following authors: Paulo Freire, Vera Candau, Stuart Hall, Maurice Halbwachs, Walter Benjamin and E. P. Thompson. Regarding oral history concepts, I highlight Verena Alberti and Lucilia Delgado. This research results involved concrete actions. Teacher’s training course provided by the workshop was important for them to highlight quilombola history and culture in everyday school life. As teachers realize that it is important to develop pedagogical practices that allow rereading quilombola memories, they will be contributing to their students’ identity redefinition.