Analysis of the case of the Venerable Third Order and the Quilombola Community of Pedra do Sal: memories in disputes

Abstract

This article seeks to present the conflict between the Venerable Third Order (VOT) and the Quilombola Community of Pedra do Sal, located in the traditional neighborhood of Saúde, in the port region of Rio de Janeiro, as well as their relationship with heritage, as the VOT, linked to the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church, claims ownership of the properties based on a donation from the imperial family, which would have been confirmed by the city of Rio de Janeiro. The second group, a consequence of the slavery process, seeks collective title based on donations made by their direct ancestors. Based on the bibliographic documents cited on the topic, the study is justified because it deals with two groups made up of historical heritage and which compete for territory in the face of a new urban reality. The attempts at expropriation by the VOT religious brotherhood of the quilombola community put at risk the permanence of this group, which has resisted with the help of social movements, local cultural events, union actions and other groups that identify with the cause. The problem question of this study is: how does the tension between two groups form a symbolic struggle? Therefore, thinking of territory as something physical and belonging is insufficient to understand deeper and more dynamic issues that we experience. This means that reflecting on the territory means thinking about an entire social construction that permeates issues of identity, subjectivity, memory, history, its flows, and fixed aspects. Regarding this symbolic territory, the study presents questions related to the field of heritage as a category of thought and that valuing property is a social process that only occurs through dispute.