Between Water Flows and Bicycle Rides: The Use of Territory in the Shrimp Festival of Afuá, in the Marajó Archipelago

Abstract

The research investigates the way of life in Afuá, Pará, located in the Marajó Archipelago, from the perspective of the used territory. It emphasizes how the relationships between the water regime, the agrarian-urban dynamics, and cultural practices intertwine in the realization of the Shrimp Festival, which in 2024 celebrated four decades of existence. The predominant economic activities, such as artisanal fishing and plant extractivism, are intertwined with cultural and tourist dynamics, constituting fundamental elements for social reproduction and regional economic dynamism. The analysis is grounded in the concept of territory use, allowing for an understanding of how Afuá’s identity is built through everyday life. The Shrimp Festival emerges as an instrument of cultural appreciation, expressing a sense of belonging and the community’s capacity to reinterpret its practices in the face of transformations brought about by tourism and market forces. However, the study reveals contradictions, particularly regarding the preservation of cultural authenticity amid external pressures and disputes over the event’s symbolic con­tent. These elements demonstrate that the festival is simultaneously an act of cultural resistance and negotiation with the forces that reshape the use of the Amazonian territory, given the complexity of the relationships between economic development, cultural preservation, and identity construction.