The Lago Grande do Curuai region, Santarém, in the State of Pará: a frontier of identity multiplicity

Abstract

Disputes along the frontier of the Lago Grande do Curuai, in Santarém, constitute a sui generis case in the history of Pará, marked by conflicts over land use and by the emergence of multiple and hybrid identities. These identities alternate, transform, and, at times, overlap without annulling one another, and may even strengthen or cooperate with each other. In this context, the aim of this
article is to analyze how such identities are constructed within this frontier, located in the PAE Lago Grande Settlement. The research was based on a qualitative approach, which included a bibliographic review, fieldwork, and data analysis. The findings reveal a territory in constant
transformation, where the legal prerogatives of the settlement constrain the advance of productive
capital, at the same time as the emancipation process opens pathways for the expansion of new forms of capital, such as real estate, agrarian ventures, and land grabbing, thereby intensifying conflicts. In this scenario, identity construction functions as a form of resistance, confirming the formation of a frontier of identity multiplicity, where Indigenous peoples, fishers, agroecological producers, rural farmers, and “pejoteiros” coexist, at times embodied within a single persona.