Land Use and Questions of Voice in Rural Minas Gerais

When EJB2013 arrived in Capivari on a Wednesday evening, the plan as everyone understood it was to climb a mountain. What we encountered at the base of the mountain turned out to be far more intriguing – a community of people with a whole lot to say, and no voice with which to say it. Located in between two federal land preserves, Capivari found itself boxed in by regulations and land issues, and possessed of too few ears to hear their side of the story.

“I am known as a fighter, because I will not stop bringing [up community issues].” So spoke Nancy, the current president of the village association at Capivari. Nancy had hosted 6 of us in her home the night before the EJB group climbed Itambe, a mountain in one of the two parks. Her husband had been one of the guides who led the group to the peak. All told, approximately 8 people are employed by the park – 6 directly as park employees, and two as guides. In a community of roughly 300 people, that is a small percentage given the supposed benefit of ecotourism which is expected to come from the establishment of the parks.

The issues that Nancy continued to bring up involved the various ways the parks and associated government officials and environmentalists had impacted life for local communities. Protection over preserve land meant that folks in the community could no longer expand their subsistence farms, limiting the ability to grow a surplus crop and sell for some profit. Furthermore the parks inhibited another primary source of income; the harvesting of flowers known as Sempre Vivas which are used to make bouquets and other crafts, symbols of Minas Gerais.

The Sempre Viva issue was not simply about money, but also a question of ecological change. “There are 50 species of flowers,” said Nancy, “we know which ones to harvest and when,” she added, touting the locals’ situated knowledge of the land. Of particular importance is also the how, being that traditionally Sempre Vivas are harvested using slash and burn techniques. Environmentalists employed by the Brazilian government have outlawed this practice specifically – much to the chagrin of Nancy and other locals. “The burning keeps the grasses at bay, otherwise they will encroach upon the land and the Sempre Vivas will die out”. This was one of the stories for which Capivari needed a platform.