Dossiê 110 anos da Guerra do Contestado

Abstract

We present the proceedings of the 5th Brazilian Congress on the Contestado War: 110 Years of Brazil's Unburied War - from the "Commandments of Nature" of the sertanejo-caboclo society to the space-time relation in Geography, and of the 31st Environment Week: What are you thirsty for? The central objective of these combined events was to bring together researchers and social actors engaged in actions across the territories of the Contestado, especially those who promote fruitful exchanges of information and scientific studies on the geographic scenario of the Contestado War region, in both Paraná and Santa Catarina.

The joint events took place in União da Vitória and Porto União - respectively in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina - cities established after the end of the Contestado War and divided in their central region by the tracks of the now-defunct São Paulo-Rio Grande Railway, one of the main triggers of the conflict. The events sought to integrate scientific production with grassroots initiatives, promoting geographic debate and interdisciplinary reflection through daily conferences, based on the presentation and discussion of original works.

The present proceedings include current historical and geographical studies and data, as well as shared experiences and recommendations concerning the issues that define the Contestado 110 years on. These papers bring forth rich analyses of the society-nature relationship over space and time within the Contestado regions of Paraná and Santa Catarina, addressing historical land conflicts that perpetuate inequalities in the Microregion of União da Vitória. They also examine the role of women in the contested territory, particularly in terms of their rights as shaped by the collective memories and struggles of the caboclo population.

Furthermore, the discussions highlight the significance of the Contestado in Latin American thought, exemplified by studies on yerba mate in both regional and international contexts, and the regional issue of food security. These and other geographic factors are analyzed to explain the Contestado in the present day, shaped by its past yet oriented toward the future of the people who live in and sustain the Contestado as the foundation of a centuries-old and millennia-deep civilizational legacy in the hinterlands of Paraná and Santa Catarina.