A woman from garimpo: the autobiographical novel by Nenê Macaggi in Roraima

Abstract

This text proposes to contextualize and analyze the novel by Maria (Nenê) Macaggi (1913-2003), “ A mulher do garimpo: o romance no extremo sertão do Amazonas ” (The woman from the garimpo: the romance in the Amazon’s extreme backlands), published in 1976 by the Official Press of Manaus, drawing a parallel with the author’s biographical trajectory. In the 40’s, Nenê Macaggi participated in an expedition to the northern region of the country and ended up settling in Roraima. It was in the region of the Tepequem and Cotingo rivers, where Nenê discovered the garimpo and worked as an indigenist for the Indian Protection Service (SPI). Several excerpts from the author’s fictional narrative resonate with her trajectory and based on the novel, it is possible to think about historical and gender aspects of artisanal small-scale mining, currently also called garimpo in Brazil. The book tells the story of two characters: Ádria, an orphan born in a tenement in Rio de Janeiro. She was raised as a boy, thus “turning” into José Otávio. As an adult, he migrates to the Amazon region, traveling through several cities, stopping at a mine located at the time in the Territory of Rio Branco, today the State of Roraima. Also Pedro Rocha, a migrant from Ceará to the north of the country, who became a gold miner, but also an extractor of the Amazon’s natural riches: rubber tree, natural rubber (caucho and balata) and Brazilnut. The present article also intends to extract information about the garimpo and the gold miners in Roraima, in the second half of the 20th century, present in the descriptions of some chapters of the novel. By presenting elements that can be highlighted in the universe of the garimpo of this region and time, which may come to collaborate towards a better historical understanding of artisanal mining or prospecting in this region. Divided into two parts: trajectory and novel, the article tries to relate literary text and biographical elements of the novelist's work in relation to mining, in order to explore its proximity to the context and history of the mining theme in Roraima.