Trabalhadores dos castanhais do Sudeste Paraense nos processos judiciais entre 1960-1980

Abstract

The forest, with all its richness and complexity, plays a central role in this story. It is in this environment that the characters in this story emerge: male and female workers, employers, farmers, landowners, male and female judges. They all contribute to the construction of this research, which is developed through a detailed analysis of labor lawsuits arising from the chestnut groves in southeastern Pará, in the Eastern Amazon, between the 1960s and 1980s. region, based on the legal documentation available at the History and Memory Reference Center of Southeast Pará, comprising a total of 70 labor lawsuits and 68 possessory lawsuits and 15 complaint records, from the Amazon Memory Center (CMA), located in Belém do Pará. Altogether, these documentary sources add up to a set of 153 lawsuits, which provide a basis for research and analysis of labor relations and tenure issues in the southeastern region of Pará, in the Eastern Amazon. The focus is on men and women who have experienced and shaped their working lives, seeking support and justice in the judicial system in the face of the complex labor relations they faced. The analyzed documents bring names, places, dates, and mainly entire histories of individuals and communities, marked by the peculiarities of life in the forest. The information present in these records is invaluable, providing perceptions into conflicts, negotiations and strategies used before the Court of Justice of the State of Pará. The study is based on numerous questions that guide the analysis, portraying only one among the many stories lived in the forest, an environment that has undergone transformations over time. In this study, we emphasize the importance of preserving and valuing the stories of men and women who shaped their lives and work relationships in the forest. We seek to give voice to these protagonists and understand the nuances and challenges of their experiences, contributing to a broader understanding of the social and economic history of southeastern Pará and the Amazon. Among the results, we highlight that the role of the law, although significant, was often not fully effective in correcting the injustices that permeated this scenario. This highlights the cruciality of taking into account local particularities and rooted practices when examining the history and dynamics of work in the Brazil nut groves of southeastern Pará.