The University of Guyana will be welcoming Véronique Boyer, anthropologist and director of research at the CNRS, for a new session of the "Borders" seminar.
At this meeting, she will present the results of her research based on her book Le Puzzle amazonien, which explores the social dynamics of the populations of the Brazilian Amazon. Meet her on Tuesday 12 November 2024 at 6pm in room FSC001 (building F - Humanities).
A seminar to understand the challenges facing "traditional populations" in Amazonia
Since the 1990s, many communities in the Brazilian Amazon have been demanding official recognition as 'traditional populations', 'indigenous peoples' or 'quilombola communities'. This seminar offers an in-depth analysis of these demands for recognition, focusing on the ethno-legal categories that shape the identities and political strategies of these groups.
Véronique Boyer will highlight key concepts such as the notion of 'mistura' (mixture), a central idea in the conception of ethnic identities in Brazil. Indeed, it is because of its 'immiscible' nature that 'mistura' allows for identity choices, where the ability to achieve a certain ethnic purity becomes paradoxically constitutive of the mix.
Redefining the identity of caboclos: from marginalised to political player
Long marginalised under the pejorative term caboclos, these groups are now emerging as important political players, prompting us to rethink this notion in its dual relationship with the expression 'traditional populations' and with urban beliefs, where the term designates powerful spiritual entities. Véronique Boyer will analyse how the capacity for transformation symbolised by these invisible entities is a metaphor for the way in which caboclos-men populations experience or reinterpret their social 'mix'.
Keys to understanding ethno-legal repositioning in Amazonia
This seminar is part of a wider reflection on the capacity of invisible caboclos to symbolise social experiences and their role in the current repositioning of Amazonian populations. By offering a new and stimulating reading, Véronique Boyer sheds light on dynamics that are often overlooked but crucial to understanding the evolution of identity relations in Amazonia.
About Véronique Boyer
Véronique Boyer is a renowned anthropologist specialising in the Brazilian Amazon. Director of research at the CNRS (UMR Mondes américains, CNRS-EHESS), she is the author of several reference works, including Femmes et cultes de possession au Brésil : les compagnons invisibles (1993) and Expansion évangélique et migrations en Amazonie brésilienne : la renaissance des perdants.
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