LIFE NARRATIVES OF SETTLERS IN THE ARINOS VALLEY PROJECT

SILVA, Gildete Evangelista

doi:10.4215/rm2018.e17011

This text deals with the colonization, agrarian reform and rural settlement projects in Mato Grosso. Thus, the main objective was to use the life stories and narratives of the participants in the research on the Arinos Valley Settlement Project to understand their feelings upon arriving at the settlement, their individual and collective life experiences, the dreams, struggles and challenges they underwent in their pursuit of possession of their lot of land in the context of rural settlement. The study is based on the assumptions of the qualitative research method associated with the life stories and narratives of twelve settlers; the selection criterion was that they were the original inhabitants of the settlement. The research data indicate that the narratives expressed in the settler's voices show, on the one hand, their satisfaction and joy regarding the opportunity to fulfill their dream of achieving their own lots of land to guarantee family production. On the other hand, that there are also problems inherent in the neglect and / or lack of commitment of the public authorities, which have not provided the settlers with the basic infrastructure recommended in agrarian reform policies for rural settlements.

Keywords:
Rural settlements; Colonization; Life stories; Narratives

MA2	The interviewee is 49 years old, is Catholic, completed high school, was an elementary teacher in the settlement and has 3 children. The family raises cattle and renders services to third parties to pay the rent, when necessary. She lives in a wooden house. The family uses motorcycles to get around.
MA3	MA3 is 65 years old, studied until the fourth year of elementary school, has 7 natural children and an adopted child, thirteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She is Catholic and the family’s main livelihood is raising cattle that is complemented by her pension as a dinner lady. She lives in a brick house with her husband and a son. They own a motorcycle for the family’s transport.
MA4	Interviewee MA4 is 38 years old, Catholic, she studied up to the fourth year of elementary school in regular school, and to complete basic education she took mass examinations. She has two daughters, one 21 year-old and another aged 8. She lives in a wooden house. The family’s main income is raising beef cattle and she also provides services to third parties. The family owns a pickup truck that is used for family transportation and cargo.
MA5	The interviewee is 51 years old, Catholic, has two children and is married to interviewee HA2. She owned a wood shop before becoming a settler. She lives in a brick house and raises beef cattle.
HA1	The interviewee is 53 years old. He is a practicing Catholic and studied until the fourth year of elementary school. He has a couple of children who do not live in the settlement anymore and two grandchildren. His house is a mix of wood and masonry. He raises beef cattle for his main sustenance. He has a small production of cheese as a complementary income and also does some small business services. He has a motorcycle that is used as a means of transportation.
HA2	HA2 studied until the fourth year of elementary school. He is married to the settler MA5, they have 2children no longer living in the settlement. He lives in a brick house, his income is from raising beef cattle and he performs purchase and sale transactions as a complement.
HA3	The interviewee HA3 is 78 years old, he has 7 children, 6 of them married and 12 grandchildren. He cannot read, but he can sign his name. He is Catholic. The family’s income is based on raising beef cattle and small-scale subsistence farming, which is further complemented by his and his wife’ pension. His house is brick and he uses motorcycle for his transportation.
HA4	HA4 is 75 years old, he has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. He studied until the second year of elementary school. He is a Presbyterian. The family income is based on raising cattle, complemented by his pension. He lives in a brick house and has no means of transport.
HA5	The interviewee HA5 lives in a wooden house, is 52 years old and single. He attends the Catholic church, raises cattle for his family income and provides services to third parties as a day laborer. He studied until the seventh year of elementary school and uses a motorcycle as transportation.
HA6	The settler is 46 years old and completed high school, he is an Evangelical of the Presbyterian Church and lives in a brick house. His family income is based on milk production and beef cattle. He is married and has three children who do not live in the settlement. He has a car that he uses for family transportation.
HA7	This interviewee is 33 years old, married, has a son and completed high school. He is Catholic, lives in a wooden house and raises beef cattle for his source of income.