The Caiçaras

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Synopsis

The northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil was traditionally inhabited by a Portuguese-Indian-African-Creole culture called the Caiçara. Historically the coast had several small seaports, but overall it was mostly a rural area. Manioc cultivation and fishing were historically the basic economic activities of the region. There is a little maize, rice, or beans, and almost no cattle breeding. Dugouts, called “canoas de voga”, were used for fishing and transportation. Many techniques are original from the Tupinambá Indians that originally inhabited this region. The use of many native plants which had played an important role in the previous Indian cultures is still alive today among the older generations, but it is quickly disappearing among the younger Caiçaras. African culture elements, introduced during colonial times, have also survived to a limited extent. This project is an attempt to document digitally the traditions of this disappearing culture.