Etnographic Film

Resumen: el presente artículo es un estudio de caso en torno a los intercambios y relaciones que se dieron por medio de imágenes en la comunidad arhuaca de Kutunzama en la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. La circulación de fotografías, que muestran la historia actual y pasada del pueblo arhuaco, permitió un intercambio entre: los mamos, la comunidad y yo    —en calidad de etnógrafo—. El objetivo de este texto consiste en mostrar de qué modo la circulación de estas fotografías puede entenderse como don en un proceso de redistribución desde las capacidades evocativas, materiales y sensuales que tienen las imágenes. El presente artículo se trata de una aproximación etnográfica, desarrollada entre 2017 y 2019. A partir de un proceso de elicitación de fotografías y películas, entrevistas y observación participante, se logró un acercamiento a las formas de organización y parentesco de la comunidad. Asimismo, este proceso de circulación permitió activar narrativas de la historia reciente del poblado, relacionadas con el poblamiento y el contexto de disputa territorial que se vive en la zona. La fotografía etnográfica permitió acercarse a nociones de tiempo y espacio, así como ampliar la noción arhuaca de makruma. Antes que concebir esta noción como regalo, se entiende como un proceso de redistribución en el que el objeto dado posee las características de la persona que lo entrega y el retorno de dicho objeto (en este caso las imágenes) se vuelve una forma de saldar una deuda espiritual. El texto muestra la imagen como medio de interacción, medio de encuentro, lugar de circulación y experiencia sensorial. Se aborda la imagen como elemento multisensorial y la fotografía, no solo desde su carácter representacional, sino como objeto que traza relaciones sociales a partir de la noción indígena de makruma.

Palabras clave:  arhuacos, don, etnografía, fotografía, imágenes, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

The Image as Makruma (Gift).  Ethnographic Photography among the Arhuaco People of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Abstract: This article is a case study of the exchanges and relationships that arose from the circulation of images in the Arhuaco community of Kutunzama in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The circulation of photographs, which show the present and past history of the Arhuaco people, led to an exchange between the mamos, the community and myself —as ethnographer—. The purpose of this text is to show how the circulation of these photographs can be understood as a gift in a process of redistribution based on the evocative, material and sensual capacities of the images. This article consists of an ethnographic approach, developed between 2017 and 2019, on the basis which the community's forms of organization and kinship are understood via the elicitation of photographs and films, interviews and participant observation. This circulation also made it possible to activate narratives of the recent history of the village, related to the settlement and the context of territorial disputes in the area. Ethnographic photography allowed us to approach notions of time and space, and to broaden the Arhuaco notion of makruma. Rather than conceiving of this notion as a gift, it is understood as a process of redistribution in which the given object possesses the characteristics of the person who gives it and the return of the object (in this case the images) becomes a way of settling a spiritual debt. The text shows the image as a means of interaction, a means of encounter, a place of circulation and sensory experience. It approaches the image as a multisensory object and the photograph not only as a representational object, but also as one that traces social relations based on the indigenous notion of makruma.

Keywords:  Arhuaco, ethnography, gift, images, photography, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

A imagem como makruma (dom): fotografia etnográfica entre os arhuacos da Serra Nevada de Santa Marta

Resumo: este artigo é um estudo de caso sobre os intercâmbios e as relações ocorridas por meio de imagens na comunidade arhuaca de Kutunzama na Serra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colômbia. A circulação de fotografias que mostram a história atual e a passada do povo arhuaco permitiu um intercâmbio entre mim — em qualidade de etnógrafo —, os mamos e a comunidade. O objetivo deste texto consiste em mostrar de que maneira a circulação dessas fotografias pode ser entendida como dom em um processo de redistribuição a partir das capacidades evocativas, materiais e sensuais que as imagens têm. Além disso, este artigo se trata de uma aproximação etnográfica desenvolvida entre 2017 e 2019. A partir de um processo de elicitação de fotografias e filmes, entrevistas e observação participante, foi possível uma aproximação das formas de organização e parentesco da comunidade. Ainda, esse processo de circulação permitiu ativar narrativas da história recente do povoado, relacionadas com o povoamento e o contexto de disputa territorial vivida na região. A fotografia etnográfica possibilitou se aproximar de noções de tempo e espaço, bem como ampliar a noção arhuaca de makruma. Antes de conceber essa noção como “presente”, entende-se como um processo de redistribuição em que o objeto dado apresenta características da pessoa que o entrega e o retorno desse objeto (nesse caso, as imagens) se torna uma forma de quitar a dívida espiritual. No texto, é mostrado a imagem como meio de interação, meio de encontro, lugar de circulação e experiência sensorial. É abordada a imagem como objeto multissensorial, e a fotografia, não somente sob seu caráter representacional, mas também como forma de estabelecer relações sociais a partir da noção indígena de makruma.

Palavras-chave:  arhuacos, dom, etnografia, fotografia, imagens, Serra Nevada de Santa Marta.

In Europe, over the past few decades, there has been an increase in initiatives to rehabilitate the socalled ‘cultural landscapes’, i.e. landscapes that constitute the result of a well marked human action
on a given territory. Thus, heritage parks are emerging throughout Europe, focusing on several themes according to the characteristics of the location: industrial, agrarian, fluvial, warlike, railway etc. By creating a new concept – joining territorial projects and management – heritage parks have been recognized as an appropriate format to aggregate resources, services and educational, leisure, and tourist routes.
Essentially communicative spaces, heritage parks are conceived to tell one or more stories associated with a geographical scope. Heritage parks attract visitors, investments, and, most importantly, reinforce the self-esteem of local communities. This paper is centred on the debate about cultural landscapes highlighting some ways of approaching their rehabilitation. As a contribution for the discussion on the importance of heritage parks, a framework for selecting and gathering oral traditions is proposed and designed according to territorial project instruments.
As a case study, we present the Mondego River Heritage Park (MRHP), a territorial project focused on the most important river in the centre of Portugal. The MRHP is based on scientific studies of successful heritage park experiments worldwide. As a particular feature, MRHP introduces:
- a special attention paid to intangible heritage
- an integrated use of multimedia, video, and informational and communications technologies for the visitor interface and for selecting and gathering oral traditions. This research arises from a preliminary hypothesis that the river is a powerful cultural matrix that
defines and shapes the identity of the territory. A second hypothesis and definitive one, is that this territorial identity is a productive identity, which will be revealed by working marks of activities: agrarian (agriculture and cattle breeding), industrial (wool transformation factories), commercial (river navigation) and domestic services (washer-women) that took place along the river banks and
in surrounding areas. In order to understand the significance of these activities for local communities, to realize how they appear, grow and fall down, MRHP is producing a collection of oral traditions. Along its 258 km course, from the spring in the mountains and to the river mouth in the Atlantic Ocean, more than fifty people selected because of their connection with old activities were interviewed. Video support was used for recording the interviews. Informants were asked to explain how they did things in the past, to re-tell stories they used to tell, and to sing songs they used to sing. Interviews were compiles and recorded in two ways: recorded in an inventory and filmed for a documentary. The inventory enables the preservation and valuing of traditions, while
also opening possibilities to patrimonial interpretation and education. The documentary demonstrates the particular ethnographic experience of the director and shows how tradition can become the basis for contemporary artistic expressions. In this article, both inventory and film will be discussed in terms of the benefits they bring to a multilevel reading of cultural landscape changes. Conclusions emphasize the role of oral sources in the construction of a new and dynamic map of the
river area; a map structured by several heritage routes as a result of the reinterpretation of the historical narrative.
Keywords: cultural landscapes, heritages parks, intangible heritage, oral traditions, ethnographic videos.