Mining and the Xikrin people of Cateté: the banal space from the empty world to the full world

Abstract

The goal of this work is setting out an analysis of the reality of the Xikrin do Cateté indigenous people, focusing on the conflicts with the mining industry in their territory (Carajás Complex). The epistemological approach is grounded on an interdisciplinary analysis, theoretically centered on associating ecological economics and human geography. Methods-wise, we use qualitative research, aiming to understand the conceptual dichotomy between the “banal space” (Milton Santos) and the reality of the “full world” (Herman Daly). We observe that, differently from other historical periods, indigenous people are living surrounded by mining projects, their voices remaining overlooked. Once captured through the perspective of the full world, this territorial configuration is one whereby the indigenous population has no longer any capacity to move, remaining blocked in a region characterised by the most diverse conflicts.