Glossary

1 Mariana: Mariana was the first city, state capital, and for centuries one of the main cities of Minas Gerais due to gold mining in the 18th century. Today, it is an important tourist destination because it retains the characteristics of a baroque city with its churches, buildings and museums. Its economy is still heavily concentrated on mining as it has large iron and manganese mines, including those belonging to Samarco.

2 Candonga: Risoleta Neves Hydroelectric Power Plant (also known by its old name, Candonga) was one of the hydroelectric power plants affected by the Doce River disaster; it has since been shut down. It is located at the border between the municipalities of Rio Doce and Santa Cruz do Escalvado.

3 Caboclo: The primary meaning is mestizo, a person of mixed Amerindian and European ancestry. It may also be used to refer to any Indigenous Brazilian who is assimilated. Additionally, it may just refer to a hillbilly. Caboclo can also refer to entities related to forests and herbal knowledge constantly present in some religions with African roots, such as Umbanda. 4 Caboclo Bernardo: Bernardo Brumatti José dos Santos, also known as Caboclo Bernardo lived between 1859 and 1914. He was a fisherman who, in 1887, saved 128 lives from the shipwreck of the Brazilian Navy’s Imperial Marine Cruiser. After this feat he was decorated by Princess Isabel. Since then, he has been part of the local popular culture, which includes an annual party and a play performed in his name. He is even honoured in some Umbanda Temples in the region and in Minas Gerais.

5 Botocudo: Generic designation given by the Portuguese colonizers to various Indigenous ethnic groups belonging to the macro-jê linguistic family, with different linguistic affiliations and geographic regions, whose members used ear and labial wooden discs. During the first centuries of colonization, they were present in the present-day states of Minas Gerais, Bahia and Espírito Santo and were responsible for the economic failure of the former hereditary captaincies of Ilhéus and Porto Seguro. Originally very present in the region of the Doce River valley, they have been decimated; today their population is restricted to a few groups, among them the Krenak.

6 Settlements: Rural settlements (assentamentos rurais) are an integral part of the process of occupation and colonization of land in the Brazilian hinterland and were for many decades an essential part of government policy. The National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA) is the entity responsible for this work at the national level. Usually, settlements are made up of several units (small farms) independent of each other with different owners. The number of lots depends on the capacity of the land to support the settled families. Brazilian legislation provides that low productivity farms may be expropriated and destined for rural settlement projects. Many social movements work to guarantee access to land through this mechanism, such as the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), Comissão Pastoral da Terra, and Teia dos Povos, among others.

7 Sem Peixe: Name of a municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais whose name means literally “Without Fish”. 8 Espírito Santo: Meaning “Holy Spirit”, Espírito Santo is a state in south-eastern Brazil with an extensive coastline. It hosts an important port used for exporting iron and steel from the region of Minas Gerais, the port of Tubarão.

9 Vitória: Capital of the state of Espírito Santo.

10 MST: The Landless Rural Workers Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) is one of the largest social movements in Brazil. It maintains that rural poor workers should have a selfsustaining way of life through land reform and seeks the redistribution of unproductive land in Brazil. Among the various activities that the movement promotes, issues concerning food security and agroecology stand out. Part of its strategy involves the occupation of unproductive land and setting up camps with families. If access to land is granted, the camps are regularized and recognized as settlements by the Brazilian state (through INCRA).

Glossary

11 Quilombo: Originally quilombos were refuge spaces and autonomous communities formed by Africans and Afro-descendants who fled slavery during colonization. They are presently spread throughout Brazilian territory and, according to current legislation, their residents can claim recognition of their escaped slave (quilombola) status and obtain access to land, as well as to projects for the preservation and enhancement of their historical and cultural heritage.

12 Princess Isabel: Isabel (1846-1921) was the daughter of Dom Pedro II, second and last emperor of Brazil, and therefore princess of the empire and a presumptive heir. Among other activities, she promoted the last steps necessary for the end of slavery in the country, signing the Golden Law (Lei Áurea) in 1888.

13 Umbanda: Brazilian religion of African origin, a strong symbol of the country’s religious syncretism including beliefs of different roots. It blends African traditions with Roman Catholicism, Spiritism, and Indigenous American beliefs. One of the beliefs of Umbanda is the communication with spirits that are classified in distinct levels; among them there are the Caboclos, who are highly knowledgeable about medical herbs, often prescribing inexpensive remedies to the ill.

14 Triângulo mineiro: This region in the extreme west of the state of Minas Gerais counts with a strong and historical presence of beef and dairy cattle. Three of the most important cities of the state are located here: Uberlândia, Uberaba and Patos de Minas

15 Samarco: The Samarco Mineração S.A. is a Brazilian mining company founded in 1977 and currently controlled through a joint venture between Vale S.A. and the Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton, each holding 50% of the company’s shares. The Samarco mine is the site of the Mariana Dam disaster on November 5th, 2015. Vale S.A. (formerly Companhia Vale do Rio Doce), engaged in metals and mining, is one of the largest logistics operators in Brazil and the largest producer of iron ore and nickel in the world. Apart from the Mariana tragedy, Vale is also accountable for another catastrophic tailings dam failure: the Brumadinho disaster, which occurred around 120 kilometres away from Mariana.

It occurred in January 2019 and killed more than 270 people, most of them company employees. It is also important to state that the Vale do Rio Doce company, which used to bear in its name the proper name of the river, has a close relation to the river itself. Founded in 1942 and having the then-president Getúlio Vargas as its main articulator, Vale began its operation in the city of Itabira at the mine of Cauê. It was at this time that a railway was built through the Doce River valley as far as Vitória. This fact gave the name to the company and marks, as a stamp, its close relationship with the river itself.

16 Petrobras: The largest Brazilian public company, it holds the rights to explore, produce and distribute oil and derivatives within Brazil. It has production plants spread across the country and abroad.

17 Roça: This is an ancient cultivation method, widespread among families that hold small farms in Brazil and also spread throughout South America. It consists of cutting down all the vegetation in an area, waiting for the fibres and wood to dry and burning this material before planting corn, beans, cassava and other products that may either be commercialized or saved for family usage. 18 INCRA: The National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform was created in the 70s to promote the distribution of land in regions with low population density. It has assisted the installation of numerous rural settlements in the national territory, mainly in regions that were considered to be demographic voids, such as the Amazon.

19 Witchs’ broom: A characteristic disease of certain vegetables. Despite reaching several plants, it is famous for the impact it has on cacao trees. It is caused by a fungus that strongly impacts production, often making entire regions unfeasible for cocoa production.

20 Semiárido: Part of north-eastern Brazil and the state of Minas Gerais is characterized by its extreme dry weather and relatively large population, being the most populated semi-arid region in the world. The Brazilian north-eastern region is present in the imaginary of the population as one of great hardships. Many inhabitants of this region have sought better life opportunities in large urban centres such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Glossary

21 Mata Atlântica: The Atlantic Forest is a tropical forest biome that covers the eastern coast – northeast, south-east and south – of Brazil, including parts of Paraguay and Argentina. It is considered a major global biodiversity endangered hotspot because of its immense biodiversity and due to the fact that, in Brazil, less than 15% of its original coverage remains.

22 Fibria: Fibria was one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world during its period of operation. Its activities were present near the mouth of the Doce River in the municipality of Aracruz. In 2019, its brand was discontinued after a merger with its major competitor Suzano Papel e Celuloses, today the largest paper producer in the world.

23 Acampamento: A camp. Social movements that seek access to land as the MST, through the recognition of ownership of unproductive areas, need to proceed through several stages. Normally, after occupying unproductive lands, they start to camp in the territory, waiting for legal proceedings to be forwarded so that they can finally be considered a settlement by INCRA. Frequently this recognition takes many years. 24 Minas Gerais: A landlocked state that borders the state of Espírito Santo. Its name refers to the many mines that exist in the region, mainly due to the exploration of gold, which gave rise to the state and its first occupations like Mariana and Ouro Preto during the gold cycle. It is known for its heritage of architecture and colonial art in historical cities. The state is an important producer of minerals like iron, gold, zinc, and niobium, and is the largest producer of coffee and milk in the country.

25 Krenak: The Krenak are the last eastern Indigenous Botocudos, a name given by the Portuguese in allusion to the wooden discs worn in their lips and ears. They were systematically hunted in the final colonial period after the declaration of the “Just War” in 1808 with the aim of removing them from their territory, enabling white occupation. They were then forcibly christianized and enslaved if they resisted. During the military dictatorship many were transferred to the Krenak Agricultural Reformatory, which was a prison where they were subjected to forced labour. Later, they were transferred to the Guarani Farm, in the same region, and access to their land was restricted. In 1997, they returned to the surroundings of the Doce River, where they live

today. In 2015, they were severely impacted by the contamination of the Doce River, which was their main source of livelihood.

26 Watú: The Krenak Indigenous people call the Doce River Watú Nék. The river is closely associated with its culture and belief system, and its waters are sacred, it is also considered an entity that has a personality.

27 Sindicato de pescadores: Fishermen’s union. Fishing is conducted as a subsistence process in several parts of Brazil, both in rivers and in the sea. The entire national fishing territory is divided among various fishing unions that assist fishermen in legal procedures to gain recognition of their work by the government. They played an important role in the Doce River disaster to assure fishermen receive access to financial benefits and financial aid.

28 Vale do aço: The Steel Valley is a region in the state of Minas Gerais at the Doce River valley. Its largest city is Ipatinga. It is marked by a large presence of the mining industry in its hinterlands, especially iron and steel, as well as the Vale S.A. train that runs along a large part of the Doce River. 29 Mar de morros: Literally meaning sea of hills. Characteristic form of the relief of the south of Minas Gerais that extends over vast regions, in a constant succession of hills. Making the region very rugged in terms of its landscape.

30 Frequent coffee: Minas Gerais, during the coffee cycle, was among the largest producer of coffee in the country. A bitter black coffee either unsweetened or with molasses is traditionally offered to visitors in every house.

31 Cigarro de palha: Straw cigarette, the old rope tobacco, grown in crops and rolled up in corn husks, very common in the Brazilian countryside.

32 Ouro Preto: Ouro Preto was founded in 1711 by the fusion of small settlements devoted to the exploitation of gold in Minas Gerais. Some years later it became the state capital and one of the most important gold exploration centres in history. Its name literally means Black Gold due to the characteristics of the gold found in the region, but originally it was called Vila Rica (Rich Village). It ceased to be the capital after Belo Horizonte was built in 1893, however it is still an important centre due

Glossary

to its university, mining production and its strong touristic features (among them the richness of its architectonic heritage).

33 Bento Rodrigues: Bento Rodrigues was a small village near Mariana that existed until December 5th, 2015 when the Fundão Dam broke, burying the entire community (around 600 inhabitants). Despite their close proximity to the Dam, many people were able to find shelter and at the end nineteen were killed. Due to its location, it was a site of the Estrada Real (see below) and a heritage site that has been erased by the accident. Currently, after five years, the families live in rented flats in close-by cities, and it is still uncertain how the families are going to be indemnified for their losses. It is proposed that Samarco build a new Bento Rodrigues close to the original one.

34 Paracatu (de Baixo): Also called Paracatu, this small village is located 30 kilometres away from Mariana and is still part of its area. It has always been a small and simple district related to small-scale agriculture and dairy production. However, in the night of December 5th, 2015, due to the breach of Fundão Dam, it was completely destroyed, buried in the sludge of chemical waste from the iron-related production processes from Samarco. Other districts have been buried or partially destroyed as well, such as Bento Rodrigues (see above) and Barra Longa.

35 Estrada Real: The title Estrada Real (literally Royal Road) was given to roads built and maintained by the Portuguese Crown in both Portugal itself and its overseas territories. Currently, in Brazil, it refers to a part of the main roads used to transport the gold extracted in Minas Gerais to the main ports in the old times, firstly the old road to Paraty and also the new one towards Rio de Janeiro, both beginning in Ouro Preto. Apart from that there is a third road leading to Diamantina, a city located further north which was a main settlement for the exploration of diamonds in the same period. Nowadays, the Estrada Real is an important tourist destination, as it is still well preserved and exhibits small totems all along the way. It is worth mentioning that a few months before the breach of Fundão Dam, Artur Sgambatti Monteiro, one of the authors, was in Bento Rodrigues travelling on the Estrada Real towards Diamantina. He used this as an opportunity to depict the region and also a bit of Bento Rodrigues. These narrations can be found in the book “Caminhos Geraes” by the author.

36 Boitatá: Boitatá, when translated from TupiGuarani, means literally fire snake (boi – snake, tatá - fire). The term is used to designate, throughout Brazil, the phenomenon of different manifestations of ignis fatuus, and some mythical entities derived from it. In Brazilian folklore, Boitatá is a gigantic fire snake that protects the fields from those who set them on fire.