Tracing memory and retaking history: Counter-colonial narratives of the early afro-indigenous diaspora in Ceará

Abstract

This article addresses the relevance of studying African and indigenous diasporic movements in the state of Ceará, Brazil, and their interconnection with the construction of a counter-colonial historiography. By exploring the history of these populations, the article highlights how their experiences, resistance and contributions have shaped Ceará's culture and identity, as well as playing a fundamental role in deconstructing colonial historical narratives. Through a multidisciplinary analysis that encompasses history, anthropology and cultural studies, the study of diasporic movements reveals the complexities of the interactions between Africans, indigenous people and Europeans in Ceará. These interactions not only resulted in processes of cultural syncretism, but also generated forms of resistance, such as the preservation of traditions and the revival of ancestral knowledge and languages. The influence of these movements can be seen in various aspects, such as cuisine, music, religion, the spatial formation of the state's cities and artistic expressions.