Turismo das Origens: resistências nas práticas festivas e turísticas da Comunidade Quilombola Dona Juscelina na região norte do Tocantins, Brasil

Abstract

This study highlights the role of festivals in the Dona Juscelina Quilombola Community as fundamental expressions of quilombola identity and memory, which, although they attract visitors, transcend the recreational nature of the gathering. These festivities are configured as spaces for political and social construction and, through ancestry, promote collective consciousness and the strengthening of community ties. In this context, the following questions arise: what elements and social practices are present in quilombola festivals? How can social practices contribute to a multiple vision of tourism and the notion of Tourism of Origins? In view of this, the main objective of this study is to analyze the original-ancestral practices in quilombola festivals in northern Tocantins and identify their interface with tourism. Thus, the following specific objectives were established: to characterize quilombola festivals, the community and its agents; to identify the original-ancestral practices of quilombola festivals; and to investigate the elements and strategies of the community in festivals in tourism. In this sense, qualitative and interdisciplinary methods were used, including interviews and focus groups, based on social research, in the Dona Juscelina Quilombola Community, in the north of the state of Tocantins. Multidimensional analysis of festive and tourist practices was used to generate data, which revealed the depth of these encounters, which incorporate symbolic elements, rituals and social interactions, providing an immersive tourist experience in the quilombola culture. In addition, the festivals act as educational, anti-racist and social awareness tools, triggering debates on broad themes, such as self-management, cultural recognition and social justice. It was observed that quilombola festivals can be understood as dynamic networks of reaffirmation of autonomy and community organization, essential for tourist experiences in the community. Therefore, the notion of Tourism of Origins emerges, which emphasizes the value of quilombola knowledge and practices, breaking a paradigmatic rupture with traditional tourism models by valuing ancestral knowledge and questioning the power structures imposed by the tourist market. Origin tourism promotes a perspective on multiple opportunities to understand tourism, focused on the practices of quilombola communities, which are determined by the protagonism and ethnic values of quilombolas. Finally, it highlights the resistance of quilombola communities in the face of economic, social and environmental pressures, where tourism is capable of becoming a tool for social strengthening and community cohesion, consolidating an approach that respects and strengthens the ancestral quilombola identity.