DEADWATER

APHOTOGRAPHY-BASEDINQUIRYINTOTHEIMPACTOFDAMSINBRAZIL

MARILENECARDOSORIBEIRO

AthesissubmittedinpartialfulfilmentoftherequirementsoftheUniversityofBrightonforthedegreeofDoctorof

Philosophy

October2018

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ThisworkwascarriedoutwiththefinancialsupportfromtheBrazilianConselhoNacionaldeDesenvolvimentoCientíficoeTecnológico(CNPq)intheformofPh.D.scholarship.

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Thisthesisisdedicatedto:

All thosewho have fought

fortherivers,theirshores,

curves, scents, creatures,

stories,horizons.

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Daniel,MargaridaandNilo,

who have never allowed

the wild river I am to be

dammed.

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And Melissa, who has

taughtmehow toblend

souls.

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Abstract

Thecostsofdamshavebeenunderestimatedmainlyduetothesubjectivemattersinvolvedin

them. This practice-based research seeks to reveal the nature and themagnitude of these

costs:thedamagetopeople,livelihoods,communities,and,ofcourse,totheenvironment.To

investigatetheperspectivesofriverinepeople,asthesearethepeoplesaffectedmostbydam

development,andtoengagewiththeirstories,thisresearchblendsmethodsandknowledge

fromthefieldsofAnthropology,Ecology,andVisualArtsinordertoachieveitsmajoraim:to

communicatetheintangibleimpactscausedbydams.Photography,inparticulardocumentary

photography,playsanimportantroleinthewaysocietyoperatesandisshaped;thisresearch

explores thismode of communication with the view to empowering its subjects and giving

greatervoicetotheirstories.

This project focuses specifically on hydropower schemes in Brazil. Themethod consisted of

inviting peoplewho have been affected by dam projects for hydropower purposes in three

distinct areas of Brazil for an interview followed by a photo shoot in which they would be

simultaneously the sitter and co-director. During the interview, every participant describes

her/his story and feelings about the respective hydro project. The sitter then works

collaborativelyontheportrait,sothateach image isbasedonanexchangebetweensubject

and researcher. The work, which comprises textual pieces that are in dialogue with these

portraits andwithother visualmaterial gathered, represents howhydropower affects these

people’slivesaswellastheriparianecosystem.Thispracticeisalsoanalyzedwithintheframe

oftheoriesandinsightsconcerning(i)photographyinthepoliticalarena(likethoseofAriella

Azoulay,andJacquesRancière),and(ii)perceptionsofnatureanddevelopment(likethoseof

EduardoGudynas).

This research considers and reaffirms transdisciplinary approaches as a refined means to

access, understand, and present complex phenomena (like those of the dams and

hydropower)aswellasphotographyasanimportantagentintheprocessesofnegotiationand

transmission of knowledge between individuals, particularly those that involve intangible

matters.Itshowsthataffectedpeopleareimportantasvoicestoexposestructuresofpower

in societies, aswell as advocating changes in our understanding of hydroelectricity,wealth,

and welfare. It highlights that collaboration with the subject, and also with traditional

communities,canplayavitalroleinthedisclosureofsensitiveknowledgeandthewaystories

aretold.

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Acknowledgments

As this research is rooted in collaboration, I consider this section of the thesis of particular

importance.Itcomprisesalegionofpeoplewhowerevitalforthisresearchandthesistoexist.

Peoplewhoarepassionateaboutwhattheybelieveanddo.Fromasinglechatonthephone

tolongdiscussionsandtechnicalsupport,eachoneofthemincorporatedher/hismeritinthis

work,i.e.thisthesishasimbibedeachoneofthem,soIcouldnotdoanythingdifferentrather

thannamingthemallhere.

Firstly I would like to acknowledge to every family that took part in this project: intense

moments shared. Also my family, Margarida Cardoso Ribeiro, Nilo Ribeiro, Anelisa Ribeiro,

DanielGouvêa,withspecialregardtomysisterKarinaRibeiro,whoenduredendlessmonths

workingontheaudiofilesofmyinterviewstomakethetranscriptsavailable.

Specialmention also goes tomy lead supervisor, professorAnna Fox,whohas inspired and

motivatedmeateverystageof this research: illuminations. Iwouldalso liketothanktothe

engagementand supportofmy (respectively) formerandcurrent secondsupervisors, Judith

WilliamsonandGeorgeBarber.

My gratitude goes to the BrazilianMovement of People Affected byDams (Movimento dos

AtingidosporBarragens–MAB),firstly,fortheresistanceviaapowerfulandnon-stopcollective

work;secondly,foritssupportandpartnershipinthisproject.

TheConselhoNacionaldeDesenvolvimentoCientíficoeTecnológico–CNPq/Brazil,forthevital

support for this PhD to be carried out, by means of its scholarship. Also to The Royal

PhotographicSociety–RPS/UK, for theAwardgranted to thisproject,andTheUniversity for

theCreativeArts,forembracingmyproposalofwork.

My assistants Kleyton Gualter, Caio Alves, Raquel Correia, Eline Aniceto, Michel Becheleni,

Saulo Alvares Albuquerque, Zé Preto, Jhonatan Ferreira, and Carlos Magno, for their

engagementanddedication.

AnaLuisaMenezes, forbringingnotonlyherexpertiseasdesigner intothisproject,butalso

herheart.

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Elizabeth Thomson, for the numerous hours spent helping me with my writing with such

kindnessandcare.

Additionally, many thanks to Claudete Umbelino, Mariana Abreu, Cristiane Kopp, Henrique

Teixeira, Sean Myers, Leandro Aragão, André Hallack, Barão Fonseca, André Rocha, Paulo

Baptista, Patrícia Azevedo, Eduardo de Jesus, Philip Fearnside, Susan Meiselas, Anthony

Luvera, Jim Goldberg, Alessandra Sanguinetti, José Eugênio Cortes Figueira, Kátia Torres

Ribeiro, Vera Godoy, Francisco Barbosa, Allan Sabioni, Ricardo (Petrolina), David Summerill,

Beytan Erkman (UCA), Adam Thomas (UCA), Julie Flude (UCA), PapuMiah (UCA), TipuMiah

(UCA), Tomasz John (UCA), Luiz Rodrigo Cerqueira (Artmosphere), Flávia Peluzzo

(Artmosphere),RichardWills(Photofusion),TomGatehouse,RachelAnnDavis,PaulaCoppio,

Edgar Refinetti, Diego Satyro, Claudia Goulder, Felix Fox, Alícia Bastos (Braziliarty), Silvia

Nonata, Isabela Barata, Guilherme Ferreira, Bruna Rocha, Vinícius Honorato, Nayana

Fernandez, Robert Simpson, Teza Soe,Mark Bellingham,MarkMaxwell, Jacqueline Doe, Ivy

RoseMaxwell,LexyMaxwell,LucasMaxwell,CeliaMartinez,ValeriaIseppi,CarolinaFandino,

ManmohanSingh,ElenaDellaRosa,LíviadeMarco,SaraVivacqua,MariaCarolinaRodrigues

Barbosa,GiselleRibeiro,KarlaLima,AdrianaDiniz,CamilaOtto,AndréHauck,MarcoAntônio

Filho, Cynthia Koeppel, Camila Moraes Moreira, Mário Carlos, William Schneider, Eveline

Piassi, Ana Carolina Neves, Dimitri Fazito, César Castilho, Gustavo Jardim, Guilherme Lessa,

GuilhermeMarinho,HarethonDomingos,StephenDomingos,RodrigoSouza,PequenoMestre,

Mestre Bocão, Alexania Rosatto (MAB), Neudicléia Oliveira (MAB), Marta (MAB - Juazeiro),

Neto (MAB - São João), LetíciaRaddatz (SantaRosa),BrunoAbrahãoand Juliana (Petrolina),

Marcílio (Remanso), Allan (Pilão Arcado), Maricota (Poço do Juá), Virgílio, Rosa, and Beta

(Traíras), João Bosco (MAB - Brejo de Fora), Lourdes (Piçarrão), Juliana (Brejo de Dentro),

Isinha (MAB - Brejo de Dentro), Nádia (Sobradinho), Teresa, Pedro, and Isabela (Alecrim),

Marilaine, Ezequiel, and Dante (Garruchos), Eloir (Porto Xavier), Elaine, Rochinha, and Lony

(Porto Mauá), Priest Guido (Porto Mauá), Elisa, Jackson, Iury, Cleidiane, Wellington, and

Edzangela (MAB – Altamira), Júlia, José (Pirulito), and Ideglan (Ressaca), Jaqueline (Ilha da

Fazenda), Izan (Independente I), Euda (Independente I and ISA), AntôniaMelo,Maria Elena

Araújo,andReginaldo(XinguVivo),CarolinaReis(ISA),LeonardoMoura(FUNAI),Movimento

XinguVivoparaSempre(MXVPS), InstitutoSocioambiental(ISA),LatinAmericaBureau(LAB),

TremChic,InstitutoRevelare,FarnhamLocalFood(FarnhamCommunityFarm),FarnhamEco-

cine,TransitionFarnham,InstitutoBiotrópicos.

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Declaration

Ideclarethattheresearchcontainedinthisthesis,unlessotherwiseformallyindicatedwithin

thetext, istheoriginalworkoftheauthor. Thethesishasnotbeenpreviouslysubmittedto

this or any other university for a degree, and does not incorporate any material already

submittedforadegree.

October12,2018

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Contents

Abstract 11

Acknowledgments 13

Author’sDeclaration 15

Listofillustrations 20

Acronymsandkey-wordsdefinitions 25

Introduction 27

Framingtheproject

Majoraims

Methodology 37

Target-sites

Transdisciplinaryapproach

Ontheactoftransposinglivedexperiencesintoavisualnarrative

Chapter1 49

OnHydropowerandLargeDams

Aimsofthischapter

1.1Hydropower:History,politics,economicsandtheclimatechangeagenda

1.2Issuesregardingdamsandhydroelectricity

1.3Theanti-dammovement

1.4Somefactsonthenegativeimpactsoflargedamsandhydropower

1.5Assessingthesocio-environmentalcostsoflargedamsandhydropower

Chapter2 83

Exploringtheintersectionsbetweenphotography,

anthropology,andcollaborativeprocesses

Aimsofthischapter

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2.1Workingin-between

2.2Hybridizationofperspectives,ideas,andknowledge

2.3Challengesandcontroversiesofcontemporarycollaborativepractices

2.4Buildinguponthecontemporarycontextofvisualstorytelling

andcollaborativeartpractices

Chapter3 115

HydropowerandPower–photography,representation,

andpoliticswithintheframeofmegadevelopmentprojects

Aimsofthischapter

3.1WhatdoyouwanttoshowtotheOther?

3.2Makingmeaning

3.3Photographyandpower

3.4Subjectandpower

3.5Natureandpower

Chapter4 181

Howandwhere–ThestoriesofSobradinho,

Garabi-Panambi,andBeloMonte

Aimsofthischapter

4.1Technicalinformationabouteachdamproject

4.2Sobradinhohydropowerplantproject

4.3Garabi-Panambihydropowercomplexproject

4.4BeloMontehydropowercomplexproject

Chapter5 207

Transposingfeelings–InsideandbeyondtheeventofPhotography

Aimsofthischapter

5.1Immersingandemerging

5.2QuestionI–Practicalchallenges

5.3QuestionII–Revealingtheintangible

5.4QuestionIII–Participantsandthecivilcontractofphotography

5.5QuestionIV–Theviewers’“take”onthework

5.6QuestionV–Assemblingthenarrative

5.7QuestionVI–Gettingtheworkoutintheworld

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ConclusionsandContributionstoknowledge 301

Bibliography 311

Appendices

Appendix1.Structureoftheenvironmentalregulatoryframework

forhydropowerplantprojectsinBrazil 329

Appendix2.DeclarationofCuritiba 332

Appendix3.ResearchEthicsCommittee’sLetterofApproval

andInformedConsentForm 335

Appendix4.Scriptforthesemi-structuredinterviews 356

Appendix5.Excerptsofinterviewswithparticipants(collaborators)

translatedtoEnglish 358

Appendix6.InterviewswithSusanMeiselasandAnthonyLuvera 422

Appendix7.Folksongspreviouslyperformedinsettlementsaffected

bythedamscoveredinthisresearch 441

Appendix8.Demonstrationofthescopeofthedamagecausedby

hydropowerplantprojectsthroughTime,SpaceandviaCascadeEffect 446

Appendix9.Portraits 460

Appendix10.DeadWaterbookdummy,shortvideoCosts,

anddocumentationofthevivashowDVD

attachedtothebackcover

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ListofIllustrationsFigurei.INPEandCPTEC(2015)Locationofthedamprojectscoveredinthisresearch.[Map]Figureii.MariaDalvadosSantosNeriandMarileneRibeiro(2015)SequenceofportraitsofMariaDalva.[Photograph]Figure1.1.Today’sNews-Herald(1997)Riverrevolution:toomuchinterestsdemandingtoomuchfromdwindlingColorado.[Newspaper]CourtesyofToday’sNews-Heraldnewspaper.Figure1.2.WorldBank(2012)WB’sinvestmentinrenewableenergybytechnology2007-2012.[Data]At:http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTENERGY2/0,,contentMDK:23290974~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:4114200,00.html(accessedon30.11.2015)Figure1.3.ChristianeZarfletal.(2014)Spatialdistributionofexistinghydropowerdamsworldwideuntil2010.[Map]Figure1.4.ChristianeZarfletal.(2014)Futureworldwidescenarioconcerningnewlyconstructeddamsonly(asofMarch2014).[Map]Figure1.5.MarileneRibeiro(2015)ImageofSaintFrancis(SãoFrancisco).[Photograph]Figure1.6.MariadasDoresCamposandMarileneRibeiro(2015)MariadasDoresstraightensupNezinho’ssleevesfortheshootandPortraitofMariadasDores(Dorinha).[Photograph]Figure1.7.MarileneRibeiro(2015)DorinhasingssomesongsfromtheformerGrandeIsland’straditionalevents.Nezinho(Dorinha’shusband)improvisesadrumfromakitchenpotandGildejane(Dorinha’sgranddaughter)dances.[Stillfromvideo]Figure1.8.(a)InternationalRivers(1995)Non-violentprotestsbylocalvillagersagainstsubmergencebytheSardarSarovardam.[Photograph](b)AnandPatwardhanaandSimantiniDhuru(1995)Governmentforcesinvestingagainstto-be-affectedpeoplewhomarchedinDhule,inNovember1993.[StillfromANarmadaDiaryvideo]Figure1.9.MovimentodosAtingidosporBarragens(2016)InternationalDayofStruggleAgainstDams–March14,2016.[Onlineposter]Figure 1.10. Reuters (2014)Chinese criticise state firm behind Three Gorges dam over graftprobe. Article by Li Hui and Ben Blanchard for ‘Reuters’ on February 28, 2014. [OnlineNewspaper]Figure1.11.(Top)EdwardBurtynsky(2005)Dam#6,ThreeGorgesDamProject,YangtzeRiver.[Photograph](Bottom)EdwardBurtynsky(2002)FengJie#3&4,ThreeGorgesDamProject,YangtzeRiver.[Photographs]Figure1.12.VideoVolunteersCommunity(2016)ReportagebyChetanSalvefor‘IndiaUnheard’[uploaded]onFebruary18,2016.[Stillfromvideo]

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Figure1.13.NASA(1993)LakeVoltaviewfromouterspace.April1993.[Photograph]Figure1.14.JoyNews(2016)ReportagebyJosephOpokuGakpofor‘JoyNews’onMarch22,2016.[Stillfromvideo]Figure1.15.ELETRONORTE(1984)TucuruíUrgente:tudooquevocêprecisasabersobreahidrelétricaesuasconsequências.[Leaflet]Figure2.1.SusanMeiselas/MagnumPhotos(2008)Imagesfrom‘Kurdistan:IntheshadowofHistory’.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure2.2.SusanMeiselas/MagnumPhotos(2003)Imagesfrom‘EncounterswiththeDani:storiesfromtheBaliemValley’.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure2.3.HilarinoNunesdosAnjosandMarileneRibeiro(2015)LocationandsequenceofportraitsofHilarino.[Photograph]Figure2.4.(a)JoãoEvangelistadoEspítiroSantoandMarileneRibeiro(2015)SequenceofportraitsofJoãoEvangelista.[Photograph](b)EliezédosSantosSouzaandMarileneRibeiro(2015)PortraitofEliezé.[Photograph]Figure2.5.CentrodeArtesHélioOiticica/RJandIvanCardoso(1979)StillsfromOiticica’s‘Parangolé’performedbysomedwellersofMangueirashantytowninRiodeJaneiro,Brazil.[Stillsfromvideos]Figure2.6.JimGoldberg/MagnumPhotos(2009)Imagesfrom‘OpenSee’.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure2.7.CollaboratorsfromtheworkshopinBelfastandAnthonyLuvera(2008)Residency-AssistedSelf-Portraits.Belfast,NorthernIreland.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure2.8.SharonLockhart(2000)TeatroAmazonas–Apeú-SalvadorFamilies:Portraits.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure3.1.MarinêsBernardiFinkandMarileneRibeiro(2016)SequenceofportraitsofMarinês.[Photographs]Figure3.2.MariaZildaAlvesdosSantosandMarileneRibeiro(2015)PortraitofMariaZilda.[Photograph]Figure3.3.GumercinodaSilvaAnjos(2015)AnossalutacomoposseirosporumacélebrehidroelétricaconstruindoabarragedeSobradinho.[Notesonpaper]Figure3.4.CirleiHemingDawies,NilsonRoqueDawies,andMarileneRibeiro(2016)Portraitof

Cirlei(Nega)andNilson(Nique).[Photograph]

Figure3.5.VilbertoAlvesNeriandMarileneRibeiro(2015)PortraitofVilberto.[Photograph]

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Figure3.6.(a)VilbertoAlvesNeri(variabletimes)Vilberto’sFishermanID.[PrintedIDcards](b)Photographerunknown(ca.1970)OnionplantationneartoJuacemavillage.RetrievedfromValdeniceFerreiradosSantos’personalarchive.[Diapositive]Figure3.7.SusanMeiselas/MagnumPhotos(2008)Someimagesfrom‘Kurdistan:IntheshadowofHistory’.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure3.8.JimGoldberg/MagnumPhotos(2009)Imagesfrom‘OpenSee’.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure3.9.CarolineMcDonnellandAnthonyLuvera(2008)Residency-AssistedSelf-Portraits.Belfast,NorthernIreland.[Photographsonbookpage]Figure3.10.GumercinodaSilvaAnjosandMarileneRibeiro(2015)SequenceofportraitsofGumercino.[Photographs]Figure3.11.NelciBárbaroandMarileneRibeiro(2016)SequenceofportraitsofNelci.[Photographs]Figure3.12.MariaRosaPessoaPiedadeandMarileneRibeiro(2016)PortraitofMariaRosa’sfamily.[Photograph]Figure3.13.(a)ANDRITZ(2017)AndritzHomepage[Webpage]At:http://www.andritz.com/index/hydro.htm.(b)POWERCHINA(2017)PowerChinaHomepage[Webpage]At:http://en.powerchina.cn/Figure3.14.FundaciónProteger,InternationalRivers,andECOA(2017)DamsinAmazonia.[Interactivemap]At:http://dams-info.orgFigure3.15.MariaElieteFelixJurunaandMarileneRibeiro(2016)PortraitofMariaEliete.[Photograph]Figure4.1.MarileneRibeiro(2015)SurroundingsofthestretchoftheSãoFranciscoRiverwheretheSobradinhodamissituated.[Photographs]Figure4.2.Photographerunknown(s.d.)Sobradinhodamworks.RetrievedfromJoséVitorino’spersonalarchive.[Diapositive]Figure4.3.MarileneRibeiro(2015)TheSobradinhodaminMay2015.[Photograph]Figure4.4.INCRA(1976)Stillfromtheoriginalvideo‘ProjetoSerradoRamalho’.DirectedbyFábioSilva/AgênciaNacional.[Stillfromvideo]Figure4.5.GoogleInav/GeosistemasSRL(2015)Areasvisitedbytheresearcher.[Map]Figure4.6.Ebisa/Eletrobras(2010)EstudiodeinventariohidroeléctricodelacuencadelríoUruguayeneltramocompartidoentreArgentinayBrasil.[Map]

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Figure4.7.MarileneRibeiro(2016)OriginalvegetationalongtheUruguayRiverbasinintheareasurveyed.[Photographs]Figure4.8.MarileneRibeiro(2016)SoyabeanplantationinPortoBiguáandprospectivelocationofthePanambidam.[Photographs]Figure4.9.JornaldasMissões(2014)AtingidosporGarabiePanambiocupamescritóriodaempresa.[Photographatonlinearticle]At:http://www.jornaldasmissoes.com.br/noticias/geral/id/4531/atingidos-por-garabi-e-panambi-ocupam-escritorio-d.htmlFigure4.10.GoogleTerraMetrics(2016)Areasvisitedbytheresearcher.[Map]Figure4.11.InstitutoSocioambiental–ISA(2012)Xingu’sBigBendregion[Map]At:https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/noticias?id=117274Figure4.12.InstitutoSocioambiental–ISA(2012)AerialviewoftheXinguRiver’slocallandscapeatthePimentaldambuildingsite.[Photograph]Figure4.13.ProtasioNene/AE(1989)TuíraCaiapó,aos19anos,encostaofacãonorostodediretordaEletronorte.[Photograph]Figure4.14.MarileneRibeiro(2016)BeloMontedaminOctober2016.[Photograph]Figure4.15.ModifiedfromGoogleLandsat/Copernicus(2017)Areasvisitedbytheresearcher.[Map]Figure5.1.MarileneRibeiro(2016)BeloMontedamcomplexproject’sparkingareain2016(previouslySantoAntôniohamlet).[Photographs]Figure5.2.ÉlioAlvesandMarileneRibeiro(2016)DrawingbyÉliodepictsthestructureoftheSantoAntôniohamletandtheSantoAntôniostreamoverlaidonphotographsthatportraitthecurrentviewofthesite.[Drawingonphotographicprint]Figure5.3.MariaZildaAlvesdosSantos(2015)DrawingbyMariaZildadepictingJuacemahamlet’sdailylife.[Drawingonpaper]Figure5.4.JoãoEvangelistadoEspíritoSanto(2015)DrawingbyJoãoEvangelistadepictingsomesettlementssubmergedbytheSobradinhodamin1978.[Drawingonpaper]Figure5.5.ÉlioAlvesdaSilva(1992and2002)DailylifeinSantoAntôniohamlet.RetrievedfromÉlioAlvesdaSilva’spersonalarchive.[Photographicprints]Figure5.6.MariaNivaLimadaSilva(1970s)“Old”PilãoArcadotownbeforetheSobradinhodam.Variousdates.RetrievedfromMariaNivaLima’spersonalarchive.[Photographicprints]Figure5.7.MarileneRibeiro(2015)“Old”PilãoArcadotown.2015.[Photographs]Figure5.8.MarileneRibeiro(2015)“New”PilãoArcadotown.2015.[Photograph]

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Figure5.9.MariaInêsTaubeSchröpferandMarileneRibeiro(2016)PortraitofMariaInês.[Photograph]Figure5.10.MarinêsNicollidosSantos(2016)Avisãodosol.[Instantfilm]Figure5.11.AiltonCarvalhodosSantos(2016)CurvadacorredeiradorioUruguai.[Instantfilm]Figure5.12.MariaNivaLimaandMarileneRibeiro(2015)SequenceofportraitsofMariaNiva.[Photographs]Figure5.13.LúciaBirkdeBrumandMarileneRibeiro(2016)SequenceofportraitsofLúcia.[Photographs]Figure5.14.Photographerunknown(1980s).PhotographsdepictingtheschoolofCanalTorto

villageinthe1980s.RetrievedfromLúciaBirkdeBrum’spersonalarchive.[Photographic

prints]

Figure5.15.MarileneRibeiro(2017)Diagramaddressingthesourcesusedinthisresearchtoaccessandassessthenegativeimpactsofhydropoweraswellassomeoftheconnectionsbetweentheseparameters.[Diagram]Figure5.16.ParticipantsandMarileneRibeiro(2015and2016)Territoriesoflossesandsomeportraitsthatrevealthem.[Photographs]Figure5.17.JumaXipaiaandMarileneRibeiro(2016)PortraitofJuma.[Photograph]Figure5.18.MariadasGraçasdaSilva,DelcileneGomesdaSilva,andMarileneRibeiro(2016)SequenceofportraitsofMariadasGraçasandDelcilene.[Photographs]Figure5.19.MarileneRibeiro(2016)InocêncioIsland.ReservoiroftheBeloMontedam.November2016.[Photographs]Figure5.20.ParticipantsandMarileneRibeiro(2015and2016)Storyboard-likepanels.[Paneldesign]Figure 5.21. Design by Ana LuisaMenezes (2018)Book chapters –Map of the Territories ofLosses.[Bookdummyforbook]Figure5.22.DesignbyAnaLuisaMenezesandMarileneRibeiro(2018)Nelci’sdossierinafolder-likeformat.[Bookdummyforbook]Figure5.23.MarileneRibeiro(2018)Imagesfromthevivashow.[Photographs]

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AcronymsandKey-wordsdefinitions

BRICS:istheacronymforanassociationoffivemajoremergingnationaleconomies:Brazil,Russia,India,Chinaand South Africa. The BRICS members are alldeveloping or newly industrializedcountries, buttheyaredistinguishedbytheirlarge,fast-growing,economiesandsignificantinfluenceonregionalandglobalaffairsinthetwenty-firstcentury.COP15:isthe15thConferenceoftheParties(thescheduledmeetingofthecountriesthatparticipateoftheKyotoProtocol)whichtookplaceinCopenhagen,2009.COP21:isthe21stConferenceoftheParties(thescheduledmeetingofthecountriesthatparticipateoftheKyotoProtocol)whichtookplaceinParis,2015(November30th-December13th).DSLRcamera:digitalsingle-lensreflexcamera.Environment:accordingtoLuizEnriqueSánches(2013)environmentistheinterconnectednetofwater,atmosphere, and soil where species interact among themselves and society unfoldsbehaviors/relationships,eventuallyevolving.Environmental Impact: according to Luiz Enrique Sánches (2013) environmental impact is anymodification of the environment directly or indirectly caused by human activities. Impacts can beclassifiedaspositive(ifthismodificationleadstoanimprovement)ornegative(ifthismodificationleadstoanimpairment).GlobalWarming: is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of theEarth's atmosphere and its oceans, this change is believed to be permanently modifying the Earth'sclimate.Greenhouseeffect:phenomenoninwhichtheatmosphereofaplanettrapsradiationemittedbyitssun,causedbygasessuchascarbondioxide,watervapor,andmethanethatallowincomingsunlighttopassthroughbutretainheatradiatedbackfromtheplanet'ssurface.Greenhousegas (GHG):gas thatcontributes to thegreenhouseeffectbyabsorbing infraredradiation.Themaingreenhousegasesare,as listed intheKyotoProtocol:CO2-Carbondioxide,CH4–Methane,N2O - Nitrous oxide, PFCs – Perfluorocarbons, HFCs – Hydrofluorocarbons, and SF6 – Sulphurhexafluoride.INDC:istheacronymforIntendedNationallyDeterminedContribution,whichconsistsofareporttobesent by all Parties, before the scheduled COP, to the secretariat of the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This report (INDC)may address and describe each Party’snationalplantoreduceitscarbonemissionswithinatimeframe(e.g.between2020and2030,fortheINDCpresentedtotheCOP-21).IPCC: is the acronym for the IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange - a scientific bodyunder theauspicesoftheUnitedNations.Itreviewsandassessesthemostrecentscientific,technical,andsocio-economicinformationproducedworldwiderelevanttotheunderstandingofclimatechange.ThousandsofscientistsfromallovertheworldcontributetotheworkoftheIPCConavoluntarybasis.Kyoto Protocol: The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United NationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange,whichcommitsitsPartiesbysettinginternationallybindingemission reduction targets. Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for thecurrenthighlevelsofGHGemissionsintheatmosphereasaresultofmorethan150yearsofindustrialactivity,theProtocolplacesaheavierburdenondevelopednationsundertheprincipleof“commonbutdifferentiated responsibilities”. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on December 11th,

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1997andcameintoforceonFebruary16th,2005.Itsfirstcommitmentperiodstartedin2008andendedin2012.ThesecondcommitmentperiodbeganonJanuary1st,2013andwillendin2020.Largedam:theInternationalCommissiononLargeDams(ICOLD)definesalargedamasanydamwithawallheightof15morhigher.Damswithawallbetween5mand15mbutwitha reservoirvolumeofmorethan3millioncubicmeters(m3)arealsoclassifiedaslargedams.Large river system:a river systemthathas,anywhere in its catchment,a riverchannel sectionwithaVMADof≥350m3/s.Lenticandloticecosystems:Bothlenticandloticarefreshwaterecosystems.Themaindifferenceisthelenticecosystemsarecalmandstillfreshwaterhabitats(likelakesandponds)whereasloticecosystemsarehabitats inrapidly runningorwashing freshwater (likestreams,creeks,andrivers).LentusinLatinmeanscalm,slowandLotusinLatinmeanswashing,running.Megadam:theInternationalCommissiononLargeDams(ICOLD)definesamegadamasanydamthatmeetsoneofthreecriteria:damwallhigherthan150m,damvolumelargerthan15millionm3,ordamreservoirstoragelargerthan25km3.Rio+20:istheshortnamefortheUnitedNationsConferenceonSustainableDevelopmentwhichtookplace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012. Its central aim was to start a process of internationalagreements setting up global sustainable development goals (as targets for consumption andproduction),mechanismsforperiodicfollow-upandreports,andspecificactionsforkeyareassuchaswater,foodandenergy.Riversystem:agroupofriversdischargingwaterbywayofacommonfloworsystemofchannelsintoaseaorlake.Ariversystemconsistsofthemainriverandprimary,secondary,andlaterordertributaries.Ariversystemisnamedafterthemainriver,whichisusuallythelongestandhasthegreatestdischargeinthesystem.UNEP: is the acronym for the United Nations Environment Programme: the leading globalenvironmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherentimplementationoftheenvironmentaldimensionofsustainabledevelopmentwithintheUnitedNationssystemandservesasanauthoritativeadvocatefortheglobalenvironment.UNFCCC:istheacronymforUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange.Itcomprises197Parties that,buildingupontheKyotoProtocol,worktogetherpromotingactionsandagreements thataimtostabilizegreenhousegasconcentrationsintheatmospheresothatthelevelisbelowthatwhichispresumedtobehazardoustotheclimatesystem.VMAD: virginmean annual discharge, i.e. the annual discharge of a river channel (e.g. inm3/s) in itspristinecondition.

27

Introduction

28

Framingtheproject

This practice-based research explores collaborative processes in visual storytelling and

anthropological tools to assess a contentious, global, and contemporary issue: the socio-

environmentalcostsofdams,focusingoninfrastructureprojectsinBrazil.

Dams and hydropower have a long history that is strongly attached to the history of

civilisations (WCD,2000a;Biswas,2012; IHA,2016).Formany,damshavebeenperceivedas

incredibleandstunningsculpturesthatenabledevelopmenttothrive(Pearce,2006b:137-139;

Cestti and Malik, 2012; Berga, 2016); for others, as man-made agents of destruction and

poverty(McCully,2001;Nilssonetal.,2005;Tsikata,2006;Richteretal.,2010;Benchimoland

Peres,2015;Leesetal.,2016).Afterbeingofficiallycondemnedbythelatetwentiethcentury

astooexpensiveandtooharmfulforboththeenvironmentandriverinecommunities(Keller

et al., 2000;WCD, 2000a:28), large dams andhydropower have re-emerged in national and

internationalagendasfromthelastdecadeonwards,particularlywhenclimatechangebecame

aglobalpriority(Pearce,2006a;FinerandJenkins,2012;WB,2012;Zarfletal.,2014).Within

thiscontext,Brazilandotheremergingeconomies/developingcountrieshavefacedaggressive

policies for expansion in hydroelectric power plants (e.g.Ministério do Planejamento, 2011,

2013; Government of Russia Federation, 2013; UNFCCC, 2016; WEC, 2016), despite the

argumentsofbiologists,anthropologists,andsocialmovementsconcerning thehighprice to

bepaidbybothvulnerablecommunitiesandtheenvironmentfortheseendeavourstohappen

(Fisher,1995;Namy,2007;SeváFilho,2005;Santosetal.,2009; ISA,2013; IRN,2014;Little,

2014; MAB, 2014). Meanwhile, these downsides of dams remain under-reported (or even

restricted to specific audiences, like those of biologists, environmentalists, and social

movements),especiallywhencomparedtothewidespreadnotionofhydropowerasbeingless

harmful to the environment thanother energy sources, like coal and fossil fuels (Fearnside,

2005, 2015c, 2015d; Varis et al., 2012; Nombre, 2014; Kumar et al., 2016). Moreover, the

damages inflicted by dam projects tend to operate via intangible matters (e.g. the loss of

referencesofidentityandbelongingexperiencedbylocalinhabitants,asaconsequenceofthe

drastic change in their environment), making the former more difficult to be measured,

presented, and compared to the benefits generated by these ventures, which are more

concreteandmeasurableviamonetaryvalues(McCully,2001;Wangetal.,2014;Zen,2014).

This research proposes an intervention in this scenario through visual storytelling and

collaboration,andcentresthreedamschemesinBrazil(theSobradinhodam,theBeloMonte

29

dam,andtheGarabi-Panambidamcomplex)asawindowontothisglobalconcern.Theinquiry

delves into accessing and documenting the nature and the magnitude of the costs of

hydroelectricity from the perspectives of those who have been affected by these

infrastructureschemes:riversidedwellers,andusingameansthatisregardedasbeingmore

sensitive to communicating intangible matters: photography (Barthes, 1981; Franklin,

2016:199).Atthesametime,thispractice-basedworkaimstoreflecton,discuss,andrespond

to debates around collaborationwithin the field of theArts andHumanities, and about the

waydocumentarypracticesareconceived,perceived,andoperatewithinsociety.

Sinceits invention, inthenineteenthcentury,photographyhasbeentiedtotherecordingof

things,individuals,groups,andlandscapes(FerrezandFerrez,1984;CavalhoandWolff,1991;

Fabris,1991,2004;Kossoy,2002a;MortonandEdwards,2009;Edwards,2015).Yet,farfrom

furnishingan impartialandfaithfulrecordofwhat itrepresents(aswasbelievedintheearly

years of its existence), photography has been used as an agency to convey particular

(authored) viewpoints to its audiences (Tagg, 1988; Solomon-Godeau, 1991; Flusser, 2000;

Kossoy,2002b;Edwards,2015).Assuch,mostofthehigh-profileeventsofthelatenineteenth

century and throughout the twentieth century have been recorded and broadcast via

photographs,ashavealsobeendonedenouncingatrocitiesandinjustices(Sontag,2001,2003;

Marien, 2010; Bogre; 2012; Linfield, 2012). And thismode of “informing” about situations,

places, and people seems to continue in the twenty-first century (albeit in a very different

fashion)aswebecomeasocietywhosecommunicationreliesprogressivelyonphotographs,as

illustratedbyinterfaceslikeInstagram,Facebook,andTwitter,whosebillionsofusers,ranging

fromordinarycitizensandsmallshopstomassmediainstitutionsandpoliticalparties,interact

amongst themselvesmediated through photographs. Events (or stories) that have not been

made visible via photographs comprise those that have either not been allowed to be

photographed or rather kept hidden by the systems (“regimes”) that rule our society (the

system that sustains the food production and consumption would be an example).

Confiscationofphotographsinordertopreventunsuitable“information”fromreachingothers

has also happened over time, even in regimes named democratic (Tagg, 1988; Marien,

2010:425 and 433; Azoulay, 2012:234; Franklin, 2016:60). Magnum photographer Stuart

Franklin describes the control the American governmental agency Farm Security

Administration (FSA) had uponwhatwould be shownby its photographers (who comprised

acclaimeddocumentarians,likeDorotheaLangeandWalkerEvans)concerningthesituationof

sharecroppersintheUnitedStatesinthe1930s(JohnTaggalsocitesthisepisodeinhisbook

Theburdenofrepresentation–essaysonphotographiesandhistories–Tagg,1988:169).

30

“[…]TheFSAwasagovernmentbureauwithanagendalinkedtoRoosevelt’s‘NewDeal’

administration,andwasfocusedontheplightofDustBowlfarmers.Ithadstrictrulesand

[Roy]Stryker[theheadoftheinformationdivisionoftheFSA]‘killed’picturesthatdidn’t

fithisexpectations,piercingthenegativeswithahole-punch.[…]”(Stuart,2016:60)

Another strikingexamplewas thediscovery, after thedefeatof theKhmerRouge regime in

Cambodia,in1979,ofover5,000mugshotsofindividuals(politicalprisoners)thatwereabout

to be killed by the regime (Marien, 2010:425 and 433). By remaining invisible until the day

theybecomeavailabletous,viewers,intheformofimages,theseevents(andstories)simply

donotexistintheeyesofsociety:thatis,unawareoftheseevents,forus,society,theynever

tookplace.Itisnotonlywiththese“confiscated”or“prohibited”subjectsbutalsowithother

storiesthatareunder-reportedforvariousreasonsthatafractionofthenameddocumentary

photographersarepronetodealwith(Bogre,2012;Linfield,2012;Jaar,2013).

ThetermdocumentarywasfirstcoinedbythesocialscientistandfilmmakerJohnGrierson,in

1926,whendescribingthekindofcinemathatheexpectedcouldreplacethe“dreamfactory”

ofHollywood(Price,2015:79).At thetime,Grierson “stressedtheeducative functionof film,

which he saw as one means of creating an informed public able to play an active part in

runningademocratic society” (Price, 2015:107). The termwas immediately appropriatedby

theworldofphotographyandwasparadigmaticallyusedtorefertophotographicworksthat

drewtheirviewers’attentiontoasocial,political,oreconomicissue,aimingsocialeducation

andarguingforapoliticsofreform(Price,2015:106).PhotographicworksbyDorotheaLange

and Walker Evans on the consequences of the severe drought of the 1930s for American

sharecroppersinSouthernUnitedStates(commissionedbytheFarmSecurityAdministration)

becameiconsofclassicdocumentarywork,asdidJacobRiis’photographsconcernedwiththe

deplorable conditions that the “other half” lived in New York, by the turn of the twentieth

centuryasareferenceforthisgenreofphotography.

Nonetheless, documentary photography is a dynamic entity and cannot be restricted to the

abovedefinitionoraesthetics,asitembracesinnumerablenuances,subjects,andapproaches.

Thewaydocumentaryismadeandpresentedvariesasaresponsetothepolitical,social,and

technological scenarios that unfold over time. It can be as diverse as the visual narratives

presentedtousbyW.EugeneSmith,SusanMeiselas,NanGoldin,CindySherman,SallyMan,

Martha Rosler, Sebastião Salgado, Anna Fox, Martin Parr, Jim Goldberg, Cláudia Andujar,

31

Marizilda Cruppe, Miguel Rio Branco, Cristina de Middel, and Adam Broomberg and Oliver

Chanarin, or by participatory initiatives like the ones developed byWendy Ewald, and Zana

Briski.Assuch,itisacknowledgedbythosewhosurveydocumentaryphotographyasasubject

thatitisnotpossibletoprovideasharpdefinitionforthetermdocumentaryphotographynor

canitbeconstrainedtooneformofaestheticonly(Freund,1995;Marien,2010;Price,2015).

As writers with expertise in documentary photography Mary Warner Marien (2010) and

Derrick Price (2015:77 and 94) note, documentary is closely associated with and, often,

overlaps other genres of photography, like photojournalism, fine art, street, and war

photography, not being possible to distil the former from the latter by the occasion that

documentary merges to one of these other classes. These authors understand that

documentary is something that lives in-between and incorporates somany approaches and

stylesthat,intheend,itcouldcomprisemostofthephotographyworksthatareproduced.

Awareofthisdebatebutalsokeentostandardiseparametersthatwillbetackledinthisthesis,

for the purposes of this research, I will use the termdocumentary photography to refer to

practices that employ photographs in order to tell stories, and/or social investigations

undertakenbyphotographers,and/ortovisualstorytelling.Iwillalsousetheterm“traditional

documentary photography” tomake reference to themost popularwayof undertaking this

practice:thesolephotographerorthephotographeraccompaniedbysomeonefromthesame

“field”(likeajournalist,awriter,oranotherphotographer)photographingeventsthatunfold

beforeher/him,orre-stagingpasteventsinordertophotographthem,orevenphotographing

straightforwardly her/his subjects subject in order to draw the viewer’s attention to a

particulartheme.

Documentary projects focused on exposing social, political, and, more recently, also

environmental issueshavebeenconceivedinthepastandmightcontinuetobeproducedin

the future, as suchusesofphotographyareunderpinnedby thebeliefpractitionershave in

photography as a tool not only to document but also to trigger reactions in its viewers

(Barthes,1981;Horta,2011:127-129;Luvera,2017).Oneexampleof thepermanenceof this

engagementwithexposé isMathieuAsselin’s recentworkon thedestruction causedby the

powerful Monsanto, the leading corporation in the industry of agriculture and genetically

modified organisms (GMOs) (Asselin, 2017). Asselin dedicated five years to producing,

gathering,andassemblingavisualnarrative thatcouldpresent tohisaudience thedamages

Monsanto has inflicted upon the environment and people throughout its history.Due to its

quality and impact, this work has been nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography

32

FoundationPrize2018.

Asdocumentaryphotographerstrytotransferintotheimagestheyproducethesortsofthings

theyperceiveregardingagiveneventor theme—whichusually involvessomeoneelse’s (the

photographer’s subjects’) wounds—and these images are released to the public, debates

about theethics, the functionof imagesof“injustices” insociety,andalsoabout theroleof

the art market in this triangle involving the photographer, the subject, and the audience,

emerge (e.g. Rosler, 1981, 2001; Sischy, 1991; Solomon-Godeau, 1991; Kimmelman, 2001;

Sontag, 2001, 2003; Strauss, 2003; Azoulay, 2008, 2012; Bogre, 2012; Goodyear III, 2012;

Linfield,2012).Theconcerneddocumentaryphotographerandthepotentialaccomplishment

of her/his goals are questioned. Concerned photographer was the term articulated by

photographer Cornell Capa in 1968 (Capa, 1968) to describe “those photographers who

demonstrated in theirworkahumanitarian impulse tousepictures toeducateandchange

the world, not just to record it”(ICP, 2008). Critical essays have demonstrated how

problematicitcanbetotrytospeakonsomeoneelse’sbehalf,andtoclaimforoneself,asa

photographer,theroleof indoctrinatingpeopleandreformingtheworld,astheseseemto

beover-inflatedclaimsforasoleindividualtoachieve,especiallywhenexternalfactors,like

specificagendasofgovernments,artdealers, galleries,andotherart-alike institutions, can

underminethephotographers’originalintentions(e.g.Rosler,1981,2001;Solomon-Godeau,

1991; Sontag, 2003). Big claims aside, thinkers have counter-pointed that “concerned”

photographyhas itsmerit inbeingapowerfulagenttorevealhiddenstories, toshapeand

reformulate our understanding and concepts about situations and facts, consequently, to

ultimatelypropel changes in society (Azoulay2008,2012;Bogre,2012;Goodyear III,2012;

Linfield, 2012; Jaar, 2013). I opted for not using the term concerned photography in this

thesis because this research is also keen to investigate the relationship between the

photographerand thedepictedperson,and thepossibilitiesof themedium in storytelling,

besides aiming to reveal the harms dams cause to the environment and to people. I also

understand that nowadays photographers are more sensitive to their roles as mediators

rather than indoctrinators and to the negotiation that photography has to articulatewith

other (political) elements in order to achieve the author’s aims (e.g. Phillips, 2005:6);

consequently, theabove sharpdefinitionofconcernedphotographer couldno longer fit in

thekindsofphotographerswhoseworkfocusesonexposingsocial,political,economic,and

environmentalproblems.Nonetheless,Iconsideredreferringtothisexpressionasitholdsan

importantpositioninthehistoryandunderstandingofdocumentaryphotography(Williams,

2008);then,itisalsopartofthefundamentalknowledgeforthisPhDresearch.

33

This practice-based research articulates and builds upon the entire context outlined above.

Moreover,itexploresthecollaborationwiththesubjectdepictedinthephotographicworkas

awaytoaddlayerstodocumentarypracticesandprovokefurtherdiscussionsonthistheme.

Inthisthesis,IfirstoutlinethemethodologyIuse:aresearchdesignwhichIargueenablesthe

researcher-researched(photographer-photographedperson)mutualengagementandreveals

theharmsdamshavecaused.

ThenImovetothetheoreticalcontextwherethispracticeisgrounded(whichmotivatedthis

research, and alsowhich involves debates that thiswork aims to enrich and contribute to).

Theseaspectsarepresentedanddiscussed inChaptersOne,Two,andThree. As this thesis

deals with three considerably vast themes that could generate three individual theses, in

themselves (hydropower, photography, and collaboration), relevant literature will be

presented in depth, integrated with these chapters, rather than being surveyed in this

Introduction. This will strengthen and back up my reasoning and arguments, improve

relevanceandflow,andreducerepetition.

InChapterOneIsetahistoricoverallviewregardinglargedams,hydropower,andtheclimate

changeagenda. Ialsoprovidea literaturereviewonthethemenegative impactsofdamsas

wellasfactualinformationaboutthedamagesdamshavealreadycausedindifferentpartsof

theworld,asthesearethereasonsthatunderliemyfocusonthissubjectofinquiry.

InChapterTwoIintroducethedemandfordeeperexchangesbetweenartandanthropological

toolsinbothanthropologicalandartworks,anddiscussthecollaborationwiththesubject(as

insubjectsoftheimages)asafertilegroundforexploration.Thisunderpinsmyrationalewith

regard to the methods I apply in my research. I present, discuss, and situate my practice,

specifically in relation tomy research into theworks by photographers SusanMeiselas, Jim

Goldberg, Anthony Luvera, and Sharon Lockhart, which tackle this commitment between

photographyandanthropologyaswellasbetweenphotographerand“subject”.Ialsosetout

the debate triggered by the increase in collaborative art practices (especially those named

socially-engaged art, relational art, community-based art, etc.) that took place in the early

yearsofthetwenty-firstcenturyandonwards,andhowthismodelhasbeenevaluatedbyart

critics and art historians, particularly by two authorswho have been the protagonists (with

contrastingstandpoints)ofthisdebate:ClaireBishopandGrantKester. Ialso interweavemy

34

ownarguments andperspectives about thismatter alongwithBishop’s andKester’s, as the

pointsImakethroughoutthisdiscussionrefertomyunderstandingofartandalsoofmyown

practice.

This practice-based research is deeply rooted in the subjects of representation and

communication, i.e. it isbasedontheprocessofmakingmeaningthroughsocially intelligible

codes. In Chapter Three I visit the founders of Semiotics, Charles Sanders Peirce, and

FerdinanddeSaussure,andalsoabsorbseminalpiecesbyRolandBarthesandJeanBaudrillard

todiscusstheuniquenessofphotographsasobjectsthatcanretainthe“auraofthe‘real’”and

make those before them believe they “are experiencing the ‘real’ thing”. Throughout this

Chapter I demonstratehow Imakeuseof thispeculiar attributeofphotography inorder to

(conceptually speaking) take my collaborators, their arguments, and their claims to their

potential audience. As this point also intersects with the idea that photography has the

capacity of shaping and articulating relations in our society, I bring Ariella Azoulay’s and

JacquesRancière’srhetoricontherelationsofpowerthatdriveoursociety,andtheactiverole

of thedepictedpersonand theviewerwithin this context into thediscussion. Idiscusshow

theirtheorieshavebeenrelevantinthefieldsofartsandphotography,andexplainhowthey

areappliedinmypractice.Iusesomeexamplesfromthispractice-basedresearchandreturn

to Susan Meiselas’, Jim Goldberg’s, and Anthony Luvera’s works in order to illustrate and

developmyarguments. I then intersect thiscivilcontractofphotographywithmysubjectof

inquiry,damsandhydropower,uncoveringthegeopoliticsoftheseventures,theinternational

profiteering associatedwith them, aswell as their implications for national policies in Latin

America(includingtheenergyones)—policiesthathaveinvariablyresultedintheinfringement

ofbothHumanRightsandRightsofNature. I finish thischapterarguing thatmyencounters

withmycollaboratorsaswell as theoutcomesof thisPhD research inviteus, fromordinary

citizenstopolicy-makers,tounderstandhydropowerwithinthissphereofPowerandalsoto

re-think the way we conceive and evaluate wealth and welfare, as claimed by Eduardo

Gudynas(withhisconceptsofPachamamaandbuenvivir).

I then move on to the practice itself. Chapter Four is devoted to setting up the specifics

regarding each dam covered in my fieldwork (regarding their geographic, historical, and

political contexts), so the reader can have a clearer picture of the “stage” where my

collaborators’ storiesunfold. Eventually, afteroutlininganddetailing the landscape inwhich

thispractice-basedresearchisembedded(inChaptersOne,Two,Three,andFour),Iintroduce

myreflectionsonmypracticeanditspotentialimpact,inChapterFive.

35

Itisintendedthatthispractice-basedresearchisofvalueasaninnovativewayofproducinga

relevantvisualwork,aswellasprovidingargumentstosupportfurtherdiscussionsregarding

photography, collaborative practices, transdisciplinarity, and, most importantly, the

environmentalandhumancostsofhydropower.

Majoraims

Thisresearchisunderpinnedbysomemajoraims,whichare:

- To produce knowledge that challenges current perceptions regarding the costs of

damsandhydropower,bymeansofatransdisciplinaryapproach;

- To discuss the relevance of the methods used in this research in accessing and

showcasingpointsthathavebeendifficulttodealwithviatraditionalscientificmeans;

- To raise awareness concerning the situation of those (people and ecosystems)

affectedbylargedams,andusingBrazilasacaseforanissuethatafflictsmanyparts

oftheworld;

- To explore possibilities in visual storytelling and collaboration as a way of

empoweringsubjectsphotographed;

-Todevelopapracticethatcanaddtotheunderstandingofanddiscussionsaboutthe

exchanges between the photographer and the photographed person, photography,

anditsrelevanceinsociety.

36

BLANK

37

Methodology

38

In order to achieve my aims, I designed a method of working that concentrates on the

perspectivesofthosewhohavebeenaffectedbyhydropowerprojectsandrespondstothese

people’sexperiences. Itblends tools fromdifferentdisciplines: interviewing techniques from

the fieldofAnthropologywith image-making from the fieldofPhotography. It alsoprompts

exchanges between researcher and researched, and fosters, in the process of representing

through imagery, thecontributionseachpartcanmake toeachother’sknowledge. Iexplain

andjustifythissystematisationbelow.Whenapplicable,furtherexplanationonthemethodsis

alsogiveninChaptersFourandFive.

Target-sites

AsaBrazilianwith ‘insider’knowledgeabout theBrazilianenvironment, itsnationalpolicies,

andthelinguisticcompetencetospeaktolocalpeople,IfocusedmyresearchontheBrazilian

territory. However, I do not intend to limit the reflections and debate triggered by this

practice-based research to Brazil only, as I understand they concern broad subjects, i.e.

photography,collaboration,energy,geopolitics,andtransdisciplinarity.

Inordertotakesamplesfromarangeof(i)chronologicalperiods,(ii)differentbiomes,and(iii)

socio-culturalandhistoric contextswithinBrazil’sdiversity, Ihavepickedasmycase studies

threehydroschemes:theSobradinhodam,theBeloMontedam,andtheGarabi-Panambidam

complex (see Fig. i). Sobradinho dates from the 1970s, and is located on the São Francisco

River, in Bahia state—an area within the Caatinga (semi-arid) Biome. Belo Monte works

started2011andarestillongoing(estimatedtobecompletedby2019). It issituatedonthe

Xingu River, in Pará state, as part of the Amazonia (rainforest) Biome. The Garabi-Panambi

damcomplexcomprisestwodams,theGarabiandthePanambi,bothdesignedtobebuilton

theUruguayRiver, inRioGrandedoSulstate.Thedamworkswereplannedtostartaround

2016, however, the project is currently suspended. If one day it is carried out, the Garabi-

PanambidamcomplexlookssettosubmergealargeareaofBrazilianAtlanticSemi-deciduous

Forest.

I will set out the specifics concerning these three ventures inChapter Four. The stories of

thesedamsareconnectedtomyparticipants’experiencesandtomyownperceptionsineach

site.Iconsidereditmoreappropriatetopresentthemrightbeforemyanalysisofthepractice,

sothatthereaderunderstandstheatmosphere inwhichmyencounterstookplaceandhow

39

thecontextregardingthesesitesvisitedmighthaveinfluencedthepractice.

FIGUREi.Locationofthedamprojectscoveredinthisresearch.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR

AdaptedfromINPEandCPTEC2015

Transdisciplinaryapproach

“[…]Afteralull,transdisciplinarityreemergedinthe1990sasanurgentissuerelatingto

thesolutionofnew,highlycomplex,globalconcerns,beginningwithclimatechangeand

sustainability and extending into many areas concerning science, technology, social

problemsandpolicy,education,andthearts.Transdisciplinaritytodayischaracterizedby

its focus on ‘wicked problems’ that need creative solutions, its reliance on stakeholder

40

involvement, and engaged, socially responsible science. In simultaneously studying

multiple levels of, and angles on, reality, transdisciplinary work provides an intriguing

potential to invigoratescholarlyandscientific inquiryboth inandoutsidetheacademy.”

(Bernstein,2015:1)

Transdisciplinaritywasconceivedastheresultofepistemologicalenquiriesandreflectionson

thecustomarycompartmentalisedwayknowledge isproducedand, then, reproduced in the

education system of Western countries: segmented into fields and disciplines (Nicolescu,

2010). It investigateshow thesedifferentdisciplinesand fields (physics, arts, economics, for

instance) can exchange methods, become integrated, and transcend their boundaries to

evolve into anewwhole thatwill eventually generate anewknowledge, (“between, across,

and”)beyondthatonewhichhasbeenrestrictedtotheirverycompartmentsandstructures

(Nicolescu, ibid). Notably, transdisciplinary researches are sensitive to social demands and

socialwelfare,andunderpinnedbyintricatecontemporaryscenarios(Kagan,2012;Nicolescu,

2012). So, transdisciplinary research consists of investing in and interweaving backgrounds

from different fields, making them work integrated in order to better understand, explain,

and/or find solutions for complex, “wicked” issues (Bernstein, 2015). Bernstein defines

“wicked problems” as “pressing problems [like those related to sustainability, conflicts, or]

even crises, reaching in multiple domains or dimensions and involving not just academic

disciplines and the interplay among thembut also practitioners seeking solutions in the real

world outside the academy” (Bernstein, 2015:7). Thinking about these new horizons for

knowledge brought by transdisciplinarity and its importance for the comprehension of

complex,multi-layeredmatters (like the one of dams and their impacts on people and the

watershed), I decided to undertake this research through this path. My methodological

approach,whichbringstogethertechniquesusedinsociologicalandanthropologicalinquiries,

photography,andcollaborationwiththesubject,willbedetailedasfollows.

As I became more aware that the downsides of dams and hydropower have been

underestimated, my focus in this research was to access, document, and present in an

intelligible fashion what kinds of damages hydropower projects can cause and their

repercussions. Frommyunderstanding, thosewho livealongside (and in close contactwith)

rivers and, at the same time,who dwell or have dwelled in areas subjected to these hydro

projects,haveexpertiseinbothsubjectsriverineenvironmentand impactsofhydropower,as

theyhaveexperiencedbothofthem.Consequently,delvingintothesepeople’sstorieswould

provide an accurate picture regarding how (and how intensely?) dams harm the riparian

41

landscape(bothphysically,biologically,sociologically,andculturally).

Yet, communicating these matters in an accessible way is considered difficult due to

constraints associated with the incapacity of more objective, scientific means to represent

things that are intangible—as are many of the negative effects dams have on nature and

people(McCully,2001;Wangetal.,2014;Zen,2014–asIwilloutlineinChapterOne,section

1.5). For instance:howcould thedestructionof aphysical landscape thatholds sentimental

valueforagivenindividualorcommunitybeproperlyrepresentedinachartorinastatistical

table?

Image-makingprocesseshavethecapacityofabsorbingpersonalexperiences(whichcomprise

immaterial things) and turning them into objects (e.g. photographs); which, in their turn,

functionasagenciesthatconnecttheauthortotheaudience(Gell,1998;Franklin,2016:5,76

and 199). Photographs, in particular, have some characteristics that are peculiar to the

medium, including thoseconcernedwith the relationof the“proximity” that theyhavewith

the “actual thing” that they represent (Barthes, 1981; Baudrillard, 1988). Consequently,

photographic images tend to have an impact on their viewers (Azoulay, 2008, 2012; Horta,

2011:127-129and180-181).Photographywouldthenbethemostappropriatemeansforthis

research to develop, as it would enable me to transpose these intangible matters into an

object(aphotograph),makingvisiblethewoundsmy“subjects”(riversidedwellerswhohave

beenaffectedbydamprojects)wouldrevealtome.Ialsoconsideredthatthesephotographs

should include (apart from the storiesmy “subjects” would tell me) these people as “real”

individuals who could “interact” with their viewers “face-to-face”. As a result, my research

design is focused on the construction of portraits of participants of this project (riverside

dwellers)asawaytotelltheirstoriesaboutthethreeBraziliandamscoveredinthiswork.

Still regarding the matter of conveying this “proximity” to the “real referent” and

immediateness, colour photography was used in the making of the portraits, as it “more

accurately equates to the way we see the world” (Marien, 2010:422). Colour also provides

moreinformationaboutthestateofobjectsandsitesdepictedinthephotograph,apartfrom

theirshape,contrast,andlines.

More than just documenting people who have been affected by dams and their personal

histories, Iwantedthephotographstoembodytheirveryemotions,theirenvironment,their

perspective,andtheircollectiveandpersonalmemoriesregardingthemselves,therespective

42

dam and its consequences in their lives. I was keen to see how they would perceive

themselveswithinthiscontext,andalsohowtheywould likeotherpeopletoperceivethem

too.Iwasinterestedinsharingwithmyparticipantsthepositionofmakersoftheworktoo,in

challenging and contributing to debates around authorship in photography, in exploring the

tensionthatexistsbetweenphotographer(researcher)and“subject”.Unliketraditionalforms

ofdocumentaryphotography,Idonotfocusonlyinrecitingortransformingintoimagerywhat

Iamawareoforexperience (as researcherandphotographer).Nordo Iexclusivelyworkon

capturing events that "spontaneously" take place. I also do not engage in having my

collaboratorsclickingthemselvesorbuildinguparecordofwhattheyperceiveabouttheirlife

andsurroundings,whichiswhatparticipatoryapproachestophotographyusuallyexplore,like

the projects run by photographers Patrícia Azevedo, Murilo Godoy, and Julian Germain

(Germain et al., 1998); Wendy Ewald (Ewald, 2000); Zana Briski (Briski, 2005); and by the

organisationPhotovoice (Photovoice,2010).Rather, I attempt tochallenge theseboundaries

by tellinga story thatgrows frommyparticipant'sandmyownknowledgeandengagement

stitchedand shaped together. Iproposemy“subjects” takepart in themakingof theirown

portraits together with me, to be my collaborators in this project (as I understand the

participantsofthisresearchasmycollaborators,asmyco-authorsofthiswork),asIwilldetail

inthenextsection,whichisdevotedtoexplainingthemethodusedtomaketheportraitsof

thisresearch.

Unliketheproposalofthisresearch,participatoryphotographypracticesengage inproviding

individuals of a given community with cameras (and instructions on how to operate these

cameras)forthemtophotographthemselveseitherwhattheyfeelinterestedincapturingor

tomake imagesofapredetermined topic.The initiativesofPatríciaAzevedo,MuriloGodoy,

and Julian Germain (with children from the Brazilian shantytown Cascalho); Wendy Ewald

(withchildrenfromdifferentcommunities);andZanaBriski (withkids fromabrothelarea in

Calcutta) focus on constructing a visual narrative based on the photographsmade by these

childrenaboutvariousthemes,usuallydrivenbythechildrenthemselvesandconcerningdaily

lifeeventsorexplorationsoftheapparatus.Photovoice,ontheotherhand,ismoreinterested

in the participatory photography sensu stricto, which employs photography to directly

articulate enhancements in the community where this technique is applied. It consists of

photographyworkshopsthatengageparticipantsnotonlyinproducingimagesthatcanwork

aspersonalandcollective“evidences”ofagivenissuebutindiscussingthisgivensubjectwith

these participants (discussions that are mediated by the images that are made) and also

including local authorities in this debate, in order to ameliorate the life of the local people.

43

ThisprocesswasfirstdocumentedbyCarolineWangandMaryAnnBurrisin1994(Wangand

Burris, 1997). They used this method with women in rural Chinese areas to reflect on the

latter’s health and work realities. Broad participatory photography practices (not only in

photography, but also in film and anthropology) are rooted in the arguments of Brazilian

educationistPauloFreire.Inhisbook,Pedagogyoftheoppressed(Freire,1970),Freireargued

that the reasonmost of the educational, political, and communication initiatives failedwas

because they were designed without considering the perspectives of those whom those

proposalsweredirectedat. OneofthepointsFreiremadewasthatinstructingthesegroups

on theuseof cameras, for instance, couldenable them (even if illiterate) to articulate their

own perspectives to the others and this could be emancipatory. As I will show in the next

section and throughout this thesis, I wanted to explore the exchanges and relationships

betweenthetrainedphotographerandhersubjects,toinvestigatecollaborationwithintheact

ofphotographing.AndthisconcernforexploringthesespecificsiswhyIdidnotfocusonusing

participatory methods, as they could restrict the making process to the subjects only (as

opposed to the photographer only), reducing the effect of exchanges of knowledge gained

throughcollaboration.

Backtothetechniquesappliedinthisresearch,inordertohaveaccesstotheknowledgeand

experiencemycollaborators(i.eriversidedwellersparticipantsofthisproject)haveaboutthe

theme I survey (impact of dams), I use qualitative interviewing (Mason, 2002). Qualitative,

semi-structured,or in-depth interviewing is awidespreadand reliablemethod thathas long

beenacknowledgedandusedbybothanthropologistsandsociologists(Mason,2002;Bernard,

2006).Forbeingconsideredanefficientmethodtoretrieveinformationregardingindividual’s

lived experiences and subjectivematters, it has also been largely used in studieswithin the

fields of Social Care, Medicine, and Mental Health (McIntosh and Morse, 2015). As

anthropologist H. Russell Bernard classifies in his book, Researchmethods in Anthropology:

qualitative and quantitative approaches (Bernard, 2006), which is taken as a guideline for

anthropologicalresearchdesignsinWesterncountriesandwhosesixtheditionwaslauncheda

coupleofmonthsago,semi-structuredinterviewisanopen-endedmethodthat,atthesame

time, enables the researcher to be fully in control of the topics she/he wants to cover (by

means of key questions that are written and addressed to the interviewee along the

interview),andmakesspaceenoughfortheintervieweetoleadthe“conversation”,todetail

whatshe/heconsidersimportantaswellastobringoutfurtherrelevantpointsconcerningthe

themethatmightnothavebeenanticipatedbytheresearcherher/himself(Bernard,2006:210

and212).Sociologist JenniferMason, fromtheSchoolofSocial Sciencesof theUniversityof

44

Manchester, inheracclaimedbookQualitativeresearching(Mason,2002),assertsthatsemi-

structured interviewsare the choice for inquiries that seek adeep learning about individual

experiences and perspectives, as well as that are interested in subjectivematters, like (the

interviewee’s)emotions(Mason,2002:62-67).

“[…] If you choose qualitative [semi-structured] interviewing it may be because your

ontological position suggests that people’s knowledge, views, understandings,

interpretations, experiences, and interactions are meaningful properties of the social

realitywhichyourresearchquestionsaredesignedtoexplore.Perhapsmostimportantly,

youwillbeinterestedintheirperceptions.[…]”(Mason,2002:63)

Moreover,astheassessmentofthecostsofdamprojectstendstobesubjective(i.e.ithasto

dowithhowpeopleperceiveandvalue“things”, likeafishoratree,for instance), Idecided

thatemotionsandfeelingscouldalsomakeme,researcher,andtheaudienceachieveabetter

understandingofthesecosts.Then,emotionsandfeelingsareexploredbothintheinterview

andinthemakingoftheportraitsinthiswork(asIwillpresentbelow),hopingthatthishelps

us(mycollaboratorsandme)revealtherelevanceoftheimpactscausedbyhydroprojectson

riverine people’s lives and on their environment. The key questions of the semi-structured

interviewundertookinmyfieldworkcanbefoundinAppendix4.

Once it involves “human participants” in its methods—hence there is the potential risk of

exposing,exploiting,orharming themsomehow—this researchhad toundergoaprocessof

ethics evaluation, as required by the University’s Research Ethics Code of Practice. The

methodologyproposedinthisprojectwasassessedandapprovedbytheUniversity’sResearch

Ethics Committee. The Informed Consent Form used in this research was also previously

submitted,assessed,andapprovedbytheCommittee.Boththe InformedConsentFormand

theResearchEthicsCommittee’sletterofapprovalareavailableasAppendix3.

Ontheactoftransposinglivedexperiencesintoavisualnarrative

In the early stages of this PhD, I approached theBrazilianMovementof PeopleAffectedby

Dams (MAB),a socialmovement thathas foughtdamsand for the rightsofaffectedpeople

since the 1980s (I will introduce the MAB and the anti-dam movement that emerged in

different parts of the world by the late twentieth century in Chapter One), and told them

45

aboutmywishtoworkwith itssupport.Working incollaborationwiththeMAB, Icontacted

localleadersineachoneofthethreesitestobesurveyedandexplainedmyresearchtothem.

These leaderswouldguidemeonthebestwaytoreachandapproachpotentialparticipants

(whowouldbemycollaboratorsinthisresearch).

Mymethodconsistedoftravelingtothethreedamprojectsitesand,onceineachcommunity,

Iwouldsearchforandinvitepeoplewholive,orhadlived,intheareaundertheinfluenceof

the respective dam for the interview. In this (semi-structured) interview, every participant

would be able to set out their individual and communal everyday life, tell their personal

historyregardingthedamandwhateverelsetheythinkisrelevantinrelationtothisupheaval

and its consequences, as well as express their feelings about it. After the interview, every

participantwouldalsobeinvitedtositforaportraitwhereIwouldoperatethecamerabutthe

participant/sitterwould co-direct the shoot. For thisphoto shoot, Iwouldaskeach sitter to

choose a relevant place, as well as to select an object that could represent the feeling(s)

she/he has with regard to the situation experienced as a consequence of the dam (i.e.

considering what she/he stressed in the interview). We would then start to work on the

portrait at the chosen location,depictingboth the sitterandhis/her selectedobject.Rather

thanrunninga“typographiccatalogue”usingmyownperspectivesonly, Iwouldinviteevery

sitter to take part in this process. After the first shot, which I framed myself, I asked the

“subject”tojoinmeinmakinghisorherownchangesforthenextpicture,sothattheimages

couldevolvethroughmutualconsentandcollaboration,accordingtowhatwebothsawinthe

previous frame (bymeansofmyDSLRcamera’sdigitaldisplay). Thisprocesswould carryon

until the sitterwas satisfiedwith the imagehe/she sawon the cameradisplay. Eventually, I

wouldtakeafinalshotofmyownchoosing,atthispointreflectingandencapsulatingallthat

thesitterhadindicatedtome(Fig.ii).Notably,frommysecondfieldworkonwards,Istartedto

askthesitterstoalsocomeupwithideastoframetheirownportraitssincetheveryfirstshot,

nolongermakingitmyself,and,sincethefirstfieldwork,anytimeIhadconsideredmyselfalso

satisfiedwiththesitter’slastsuggestionfortheshot,Iwouldnottakeanyfurther“final”shot

myself.

46

FIGUREii.SequenceofportraitsofMariaDalva.

47

MariaDalva’sfeeling:“memory”Locationchosen:livingroomofhercurrentplaceoflivingObjectchosen:herweddingdressToptobottom/lefttoright:location,1stshot,2ndshot,3rdshot,4thshot,5thshot,lastshot.(FordetailsonMariaDalva’sstory,seeChapterThree,p.123-124)ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariaDalvadosSantosNeriandMarileneRibeiro2015

Once the shoot was finished, we (every sitter and I) would go through all the images we

worked on and the participant would select the one(s) she/he considered that best

represented her/his story and her/himself. Hence, throughout the entire process of image-

making (from its conception to the editing of the photographs), the power that the

photographernormallyholdsissharedandnegotiatedwithher“subjects”.Thisledustowards

an outcome that seems to best represent the sitter, her/his story and feelings before the

potentialviewersofthework.Then,anarrativeofeachencounterIhadwithmycollaborators

wascreatedbymeansof thesephotographs,aswellas throughothermeansthat I included

intotheresearchdesignastheprojectevolved.Dialogues,comments,andtestimonialstaking

placeduringtheseencounterswerealsorecorded,astheywerecrucialtosituatingtheimages

producedinthisresearch.

Ispentaroundtwomonthsineverysiteandtwodays,usually,witheveryparticipant,inorder

to provide enough time for them to feel comfortable, to talk, to reflect, to revisit their

memories and their valuable places and specially kept objects, and to address what they

48

consideredimportanttothemandwhy.

Duringmythreefieldworkvisits,astheknowledgeaboutmysubjectofinquiryunfolded,the

practicedeveloped,andIcouldadjustandimprovemymethods.Apartfromtheimprovement

Imentionedabovethat Imaderegardingthefirstshot(i.e.welcomingthesitterto interfere

notonly intheconceptionbutalso intheframingofher/hisportraitfromtheveryfirstshot

onwards), I decided to add other layers to this first research design. Gathering vernacular

images from my participants’ (collaborators’) personal archives and having them draw me

some scenes were examples of these extra layers I absorbed into the practice in order to

better assemble the visual narrative. Throughout the next chapters (particularly inChapter

Five,whereinIstrictlyfocusonreflectionsonmypractice),Iwillarticulatehowthisprocessof

making the portraits and juxtaposing material (these jointly constructed portraits with, for

instance, excerpts from the interviews, vernacular images, and drawings) functioned in the

construction of the work. These points, as well as the rationale for making these

rearrangementsintheresearchdesignasmyfieldworktookplace,canbebetterunderstood

in face of the circumstances that will be addressed and discussed in these chapters;

consequently,Ioptedfordetailingthemfurtheron.

49

Chapter1:OnHydropowerandLargeDams

50

“But what we need to stress is thathydropower dams – whether small, big,mega, large or massive – are all a direnecessity for developing countries. Weneed to proceed with a proactiveapproach todevelopment. Ignoring largedams would be like ignoring the muchneeded development of emergingcountries.”(Jayaraman Punidhan, hydropowermanager,India,inanarticlepublishedbythe International Hydropower and DamConstructionmagazine,2014)

51

Aimsofthischapter:

- Addressing the sociopolitical, economic, and environmental situation concerning the

constructionofdamsforhydropowerpurposes(worldwideandinBrazil)anditsresurgencein

thelatestdecade.

- Presenting facts concerning the negative impacts that large dams/hydroelectricity have

caused.

- Highlighting the difficulty to empirically assess or measure the negative impacts associated

withlargedamsduetotheirintrinsicsubjectivecharacteristics.

- Presentingthisresearchasanefficienttooltoaccessthesesubjectivehazardsbymeansofa

transdisciplinarycollaborativework.

52

This firstChapter is focusedoncompilingandsettingout factual informationregarding large

dams and hydropower so that the reader can comprehend the overall context which this

practice-basedresearchisembeddedinandhasgrownoutof.

1.1Hydropower:History,politics,economics,andtheclimatechangeagenda

A“race”forenergyproductionduringthelastcenturyallaroundtheworldhasbeentriggered

by theexponential increaseof theworld’shumanpopulationand thedemand forenergy to

support activities that drive countries’ development (like the ones related to the industry,

agriculture and transport sectors, and urban services, such as trade, health care, finance,

administration, and education) as well as to assure citizens’ welfare (providing energy for

heating, cooking, and leisure, forexample).On theotherhand, globalwarminghas raiseda

newchallenge foreverycountry todealwithasaroundtwo-thirdsof theglobalgreenhouse

gases (GHGs1) emissions come fromenergyproduction, conversion, anduse (IEA,2015; IEA,

2017).

Today, heads of state are pursuing not only renewable sources of energy but also “low-

carbon”,“clean”alternatives inordertoboostasustainablegreen-economyasfirstlyagreed

at the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and then reaffirmed at the Copenhagen Climate Change

Conference (COP15) in2009,at theUnitedNationsConferenceonSustainableDevelopment

(Rio +20) in 2012, and also carriedon at theUnitedNationsConferenceonClimateChange

(COP21),held inParis, in2015,where leadersfrom196StatesandtheEuropeanUnion(197

Parties)haveagreedtomakeconcreteefforts inordertoreducetheglobalcarbonemissions

to a level that prevents the temperature on the Earth’s surface from risingmore than 20C

abovepre-industriallevelsuntil21002(Ghezlounetal.,2016).

Thus,hydropowerreappearsintheworld’seconomicframeasthemostsuitablestrategyfor

both energy production and assurance of economic growth, in accordance with the United

Nations premises on sustainability, once: i) hydroelectricity comes froma renewable source

(water),asopposedtotheenergygeneratedfromthecombustionofcoalandoil,whichare

1FordefinitionsonacronymsandconceptsaddressedthroughoutthisChapter,pleasegototheAcronymsandkey-wordsdefinitionssection.2AccordingtotheIPCC,aglobalwarmingofmorethantwodegreesCelsiuswouldbeseriouslyhazardous,leadingtonaturalcatastrophesandmassextinctions.

53

finite sources; ii) it is capable of providing thousands of Megawatts (MW) that can feed a

country’selectricgrideasilyandcontinuously, incontrasttowindpower,forexample,which

generatesenergyonlyintermittently,whenthewindblows;iii)itcreatesincome-employment,

as such massive projects usually last almost a decade from the studies of feasibility to

completion,demanding thousandsofworkersandservices to supply theirdailybasicneeds,

like individuals to prepare and deliver meals to them (mainly during the process of

constructionofthedam-powerplantanditsrelatedworks,suchasthecreationofnewroads);

and iv)wasbelievedtobe“clean”, i.e.notemittingrelevantamountsofGHGsasdoesfossil

fuel, since hydropower stations produce energy via a mechanical process, i.e. when water

runningthroughthedamspinstheturbines,whichareconnectedtogenerators,whereasthe

energythatcomesfromburningfossilfuels(petroleum,coal,peat,ornaturalgas) inherently

generatescarbondioxideandnitrousoxide(i.e.GHGs)asaresultofitscombustion.

Theconstructionofdamsforirrigation,watersupply,andfloodcontroldatesback6,000years

(WCD, 2000a) whereas the first documented use of dams for electricity production was in

1878,ontheDebdonBurn,England(PevsnerandRichmond,2002:246).Fiveyearslater,Brazil

builtitsfirsthydroelectricplant,ontheRibeirãodoInferno(Hell’sbrook)(Mello,2008:4).Yet,

theboominlargedambuildingforhydropower,irrigation,watersupply,floodcontrol,and/or

navigation purposes only began after the SecondWorldWar, remarkably during the 1960s,

1970s,and1980s,mostlyindevelopedcountries(WCD,2000a).

From the 1980s onwards, the pressures by an increasing global anti-dam movement (see

details below—section 1.3 The anti-dammovement) and also bymore rigid environmental

laws ledtoasignificantdrop inthecommissioningof largedams,andthisculminated inthe

virtualceasingofinvestmentsindamsbythelastdecadeofthetwentieth-century/firstyears

of the twenty-first century (Zarfl et al., 2014, and Fig. 1.1). In 1997, for the first time in the

UnitedStates,whichwas then rankedas second in termsof thenumberof largedams they

had built throughout its territory (8,000), the speed of decommissioning exceeded that of

commissioninglargedamprojects(Kelleretal.,2000);hence,previouslydammedriverswere

turned back into free-flowing waterways. A remarkable fact that demonstrates this global

trendinabandoningtheconstructionoflargedamsbythelate1990swastheannouncement

54

madebytopofficialsoftheUSBureauofReclamation3in1997:“theeraofbigdamsisover.

Tooexpensiveandtoomuchenvironmentaldamage.”(Fig1.1).

FIGURE1.1.DetailofanarticleintheToday’sNews-HeraldnewspaperhighlightingtheUnited

Statesdecreasinginterestinlargedamprojects,onMay25,1997(Boorstein,1997).

Myemphasisinblue.ORIGINALINCOLOURModifiedfromToday’sNews-Herald,1997

Currently,over16%of theworld’senergycomes fromhydropowerplantsandabout70%of

theworld’s renewableelectricitycomes fromdams(REN21,2017:33).Upuntilnow5,751of

the 58,519 large dams already constructed throughout the world were built exclusively for

electricitypurposes(ICOLD,2018).AccordingtotheWorldCommissiononDamsReport(WCD,

2000a),bythebeginningofthetwenty-firstcentury66%oftheglobaleconomicpotentialfor

3The Water Management Agency in charge of proposing and undertaking hydropower projects in the USA’sWesternstates.

55

hydroelectricity was still to be reached, and 90% of this potential would lie in developing

countries.

Even with stricter regulations regarding the approval of large dam proposals from the late

1990sandafter,andespeciallyafter theWCD’sReport in2000 (WB,2008), theWorldBank

haslatelyrenewedeffortstoencouragelargedamprojectsforhydropowerglobally(Fig.1.2),

believing that this supportwill ultimately foster a sustainabledevelopment (Khagram,2004;

Pearce,2006a;WB,2012).

FIGURE 1.2 – World Bank financing for renewable energy projects during 2007-2012 (total

investmentworldwideofUS$12.487billion).Notethatalmost50%(overUS$5billion)ofthe

World Bank’s budget for renewables was spent on hydropower projects within this time

frame.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR

AdaptedfromtheWorldBankData2007-2012

Developed countries have also invested in large-dam-hydropower projects in developing

countriesinthelastdecade.Firstly,becausemostofthedevelopedcountries,especiallyinside

the European Union (EU), hardly have any rivers left, inside their own territories, to be

dammed(Fig.1.3);secondly,becausetheyneedlocalenergyavailabletosupplythedemands

of the industrial and infrastructural activities they undertake in developing countries; and

thirdly, because the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recommended

developedcountriestofinance“low-carbon”energyinitiativesindevelopingcountries(UNEP,

2012).

56

FIGURE1.3.Spatialdistributionofexistinghydropowerdamsworldwideuntil2010.

BasedontheGlobalReservoirandDam(GRanD)database(Lehneretal.,2011).AllhydropowerdamsrecordedviatheGRanDdatabaseregardlesstheirsize/damheight.ORIGINALINCOLOURExtractedfromZarfletal.,2014

Considering this scenario, The BRICS countries Brazil, India, and China have therefore put

togetheragenerousofferoffree-flowingfreshwatertheystillhaveavailableintheirterritories

soas to takeadvantageof theopportunitiesof funding tounderpin theirenergypolicieson

hydropower,asawaytosustaintheireconomicgrowthinthefuture.Consequently,by2035,

it ispredicted that thehydroelectric largedams inBrazil, IndiaandChinawillprovideabout

40% of global energy from renewables (this will be achieved if all the large dam projects

currently planned and under construction in these three countries are accomplished – IEA,

2011:91).InspiteofSouthAfricahavingnotdemonstratedanymajorinterestinconstructing

large damswithin its own boundaries (REI4P, 2015), it has rather supportedMozambique’s

plans of incrementing the latter’s hydropower capacity in order to eventually feed South

Africa’sgrowingdemandforenergysinceSouthAfrica’seconomyreliesuponhydroelectricity

imported fromMozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (REI4P, 2015; Fabricius,

2016).

57

Then, almost fourdecades after ecologists, environmentalists, and social scientists, toname

but a few, started to fight against the large dam industry, governments, businesses, and

demands forenergyhave led to increasedpressure tobuild them regardlessof thedamage

they cause. This is how hydropower re-appeared on the world’s political and economic

agenda.ItisduetomyprevioustrainingasanecologistthatIbecameawareofthesignificant

dam-related issues. Consequently, such global investment sounded to me like a disastrous

mistake,asIoutlinebelow.

1.2Issuesregardingdamsandhydroelectricity

Classically, one of the crucial points that decision-makers consider before approving a big

project, including the ones of large dams for hydropower purposes, is the project’s budget.

When it comes to large dam projects, an investment of several billion dollars is usually

involved and, considering that it will take 8-9 years after the approval for them to start

deliveringbenefits,decision-makersmustbeconvincedthattheamountofmoneygenerated

bytheproposedproject4willinfactsurpassitsfinancialcostintheend.

Nevertheless, companies in charge of proposing and/or undertaking large dam-hydropower

projects have presented budgets that have roughly doubled at their completion, as

demonstrated by a critical study from the University of Oxford (Ansar et al., 2014)—i.e.

hydropowerhas beenhistoricallymuchmore expensive than initially presented to decision-

makers by developers. Moreover, the actual implementation schedule for these large dam

projects has usually stretched to 44% over the initial time estimate, i.e. they also have

significantlyoverrun.IntheirpaperentitledShouldwebuildmorelargedams?Theactualcosts

of hydropower megaproject development, expert in business administration Atif Ansar and

colleagues(ibid)concludethat,ifagencieswhichanalyseandfinancesuchprojects(e.g.power

andwater authorities, and theWorld Bank) applied themethods used by the authors (the

referenceclassforecasting)toevaluatetheactualviabilityofhydroelectricityprojects,several

projectsalreadyapproved,liketheonesofGilgelGibeIIIdam(inEthiopia),Myitsonedam(in

Myanmar), and Belo Monte dam (in Brazil5), would not have been signed off. These same

authors eventually recommend that policy-makers invest their efforts in energy alternatives

4Duringtheproject’slifetime,whichusuallycomprisesfiftyyears(Fearnside,2015b:265).5TheBeloMontedamisalsooneoftheprojectssurveyedinthisPhD.

58

that require less “up-front” outlays and that can be implemented faster than hydropower,

insteadoffosteringhydroelectricityasacost-effectivesolutionforenergyproduction.Another

point that adds to Ansar and colleagues’ arguments, also reducing the net benefits of

hydropower, has been theprevious findingby theWorldComissiononDams (WCD, 2000a)

that 55% of the world’s large dams they surveyed produced less energy than what was

originallyannounced.

As expected, due to the potential repercussion of the above mentioned article in further

decisionsthroughouttheworldaboutthebuildingofdams,especiallybecauseitconsistedofa

study undertaken by researchers of the highly respected University of Oxford, the dam

industrypromptlyrespondedtoit,mainlyarguingthatthemethodologytheauthorshadused

wasnotaccurateenough(Nombre,2014).

“ICOLDPresident answersOxfordmisleading study. Yes,we need to buildmore large

damsforwaterstorageandenergyforsustainabledevelopment![…]Thestudyisbased

onasampleof245dams,whichappearsasatotalmisrepresentationofthe50,000large

damsexistingtoday[…]Theabovecommentshavebeenmadequicklyandcouldbemore

accurate, provided the authorsmake their data andmethods public.” (AdamaNombre,

ICOLDPresident,2014:2and4).

Noteworthy,Ansarandhiscollaboratorsstress(astheWorldCommissiononLargeDamshad

also noted in 2000) how difficult it is to find open-access and detailed data on projects of

dams, regardless of their geographic location, as developers and governments tend to not

publicizethem.Theauthorsexplainintheirarticlethatthiswasthereasonforthemtohave

selected245damsonlyfortheirstudy(whichweretheonlyonestheymanagedtohaveallof

thedatatheyrequiredtoapplytheirresearchmethod).

Research projects undertaken in the last two decades have demonstrated that, contrary to

what was believed, large dams also release considerable amounts of GHGs into the

atmosphere (Rosenberg et al., 1997; Bergkamp et al., 2000; Fearnside, 2005, 2015c, 2015d;

Varis et al., 2012). The decomposition of the submerged vegetation inside the reservoir

generates carbon dioxide,methane, and nitrous oxide gases that reach the atmosphere via

evaporationthroughthereservoir’ssurfaceandalsoviawaterdischarge(whenthereservoir

water spins inside the turbines), downstream. These rates of emission vary with the

morphologyofthereservoir, itsage,and its location.The largerandshallowerthereservoir,

59

thehigheritsGHGemissionrate.Theolderthereservoir,theloweritsemission.Hydropower

plants situated in tropical areas are expected to have higher rates of emission than those

locatedintemperatezones,ashighertemperaturesoptimizetheprocessofdecay,whilethe

distinctchemicalcompositionanddensityofplantsinthetropicscontributetoahigherrateof

GHG production per submerged area. Nowadays GHG emissions represent the largest-scale

impact of hydropower and this has potentially contributed to globalwarming, as argued by

acclaimed researcher and specialist in climate change Dr. Philip Fearnside (2005, 2015d,

2016a).However,theroleofhydropowerinclimatechangewhencomparedtoothersources

of energy, like fossil fuels, is still underdebate,mostlydue to constrictions concerningboth

the difficulty in accurately measuring GHG emissions from reservoirs and the lack of

independentstudies,i.e.studiesnotcarriedoutbythehydropowerindustryitself(Varisetal.,

2012,Kumaretal.,2016).

Despite providing a reasonable amount of energy through a renewable source (i.e. water),

large dams are one of themajor causes of both terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity loss

(Wangetal.,2014;BenchimolandPeres,2015).

Damsnegativelyaffectecosystemsbysubmergingtheland,fragmentingtheriverchannel,and

modifying its seasonal runoff patterns (Straskraba and Tundisi, 1999; Lees et al., 2016;

Latrubesseet al., 2017). Theseprimary sideeffectsof damminga river lead to a cascadeof

interconnectedsecondaryandtertiarydamagesdrivenby: i)thestagnationofwater(i.e.the

transformationofaloticecosystemintoalenticone);ii)thedrowningofplants,habitats,and

whateverelse isnotableto leavethereservoir’s floodedarea intime; iii) the lossofusually

fertileandproductivelands;iv)theblockingofthefreetransitofwater,organisms,nutrients,

and sediment fromupstream to downstreamof the damand vice-versa; v) the decrease of

freshwater input in thewatershed areas close to the rivermouth.Moreover, furtherworks

necessarytothedamconstructionitself,liketheopeningofareasfornewroadsandworkers’

accommodationsites,contributetodeforestationandsoilerosion.

Inthisregard,in2005,ecologistChristerNilssonandcollaboratorsannouncedthatoverhalfof

theworld’s largeriversystems(LRSs)werealreadyeithermoderatelyorstronglyaffectedby

dams(Nilssonetal.,2005).Accordingtothem,theeightmorebiogeographicallydiverseLRSs

intheworld(i.e.theAmazonas-Orinoco,inSouthAmerica;theZambezi,inAfrica;andtheOb,

theYenisey,theAmur,theIrrawaddy,theGanges-Brahmaputra,andtheIndus, inAsia)have

been moderately or strongly impacted by dams. Although aware of this situation, policy-

60

makers have continued with new proposals of hydropower dams within these areas over

recent years. Russia plans to expand its current hydropower capacity, initiating pipeline

hydropower projects capable of providing 22,561 MW of installed capacity by 2030, as a

strategy to reduce its GHG emissions by 25-30% from 1990 levels by 2030 (Government of

Russia Federation,2013). In Laos, theproposalof internationalbanks,developers, and large

corporationshas led to theplannedbuildingof70newdamsalong theMekong riverbasin,

oneofthemostimportantLRSsinAsiaintermsofbothbiodiversityandagriculture(Corredor,

2015), until 2030 (UNFCCC, 2016). The Intended Nationally Determined Contribution

presentedbyLaoPeople’sDemocraticRepublictotheCOP-21states:

“IntendedMitigationActivitiestobeimplementedbyLaoPDRin2015-2030:

Action5-Expansionoftheuseoflarge-scalehydroelectricity.Theobjectiveofthisactivity

is to build large-scale (>15 MW) hydropower plants to provide clean electricity to

neighbouring countries.Approximately total installed capacity of thehydropowerplants

willbe5,500MWby2020.Inaddition,20,000MWofadditionalhydroelectriccapacityis

planned for constructionafter2020.” (INDC, LaoPDR, September302015, table1,p.4

apudUNFCCC,2016)

Since 2012, China has encouraged hydropower throughout the world as a way to sell the

knowledgeitacquiredfromitsThreeGorgesdamproject.TheChinaDevelopmentBank(CDB)

and China Export-Import Bank have openly funded dams in Latin America (Shortell, 2014;

FundaciónProteger,InternationalRivers,andECOA,2017;alsoinChapterThree,p.171-172–

Fig.3.14)andleadersofVenezuela,Peru,Brazil,andBolivia,haveunderpinnedtheircountries’

developmentprogrammesonsuchinfrastructureprojects,remarkablylargeandmegadamsto

bebuiltwithintheOrinocoandAmazonriverbasins(FinerandJenkins,2012;Little,2014).

Mozambique,where the greater part of Zambezi river basin is situated, is a countrywhose

fragile economy is driven by the trade of commodities like aluminium. To cope with the

increasing demandof this sector, aswell as the one from SouthAfrica (whichMozambique

shares itsenergyproductionwith),Mozambiquegovernment isnegotiatingnewhydropower

projects, i.e. Mphanda Nkuwa, Boroma, and Lupata (WEC, 2016), all of them in the lower

Zambeziriverbasin,downstreamoftheexistingCahoraBassadam.

In2015,expert inwaterandenvironmental sciencesChristianeZarflandcolleagues (Zarflet

al., 2014) modeled a future global figure for the scenario presented by Nilsson and his

61

collaborators in2005,bycollectingandanalyzingdatafromhydropowerprojectsplannedor

under construction worldwide. Their results highlight that the current re-acceleration of

hydropowerconstructionprojectswillnotonlyincreasethepressureonthosebasinsalready

impacted upon, but also reduce the remaining free-flowing LRSs in the world by 21%,

especiallyinSouthAmerica.Thatis,theglobalenvironmentalimpairmentfacedupuntilnow

will become even worse if the current hydropower plants planned or under construction

succeed(Fig.1.4).

FIGURE1.4.Futureworldwidescenarioconcerningnewlyconstructeddamsonly(asofMarch2014).

Futurehydropowerschemesthathaveamaximumdesigncapacityof1MWorgreater.NotethefigureforSouthAmerica(remarkablyBrazil),SoutheastAsia(namelyChina),India,theBalkans,andalsoforAfrica.ORIGINALINCOLOURExtractedfromZarfletal.,2014

Bylookingatthefigureabove(complementedbyFig.1.3,p.56),onemaypredicthowrivers

arebeingturnedintomerelinesofsequential“impoverishedpools”andalsohowfreshwater

isbeingseized,owned,andcontrolledby the few inchargeof running theseultimatehydro

plants.

Regarding plans for South America, last year, researcher Edgardo Latrubesse, from the

62

DepartmentofGeographyandtheEnvironmentattheUniversityofTexasatAustinintheUSA,

andfifteencollaboratorspublishedastrikingarticle inthehigh-profile journalNature. Inthis

paper, the authors stressed the vital role some tributaries of the Amazon River play in the

dynamic of sediments within the Amazon basin and along South America’s Northern coast.

Theywarned that, if thecurrent288dams thatarebeingbuiltorplanned tobebuilt in the

areasucceed, the futurescenefor theAmazonbasin, theCaribbean,andtheAtlanticOcean

wouldleadtoaphysical,biological,andclimatologicalcollapse(Latrubesseetal.,2017).

Inadditiontobeingharmfulforbothterrestrialandfreshwaterecosystems,hydropowerdams

are chargedwith negatively impacting on human lives too. TheWorldWildlife Fund (WWF,

2006)argues that the increasing lossof free-flowing rivers is a trend that is threateningnot

only wildlife but also the supply of water for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and fishery-

relatedproducts.Riversandtheircatchmentareashaveplayedavitalroleinsustaininghuman

existence by providing vital resources for human survival, known as ecosystem services.

Ecosystem services are understood as the benefits human beings get as a consequence of

biological, chemical, and physical processes and interactions led by both biotic (living

organisms)andabiotic (nonliving,e.g. rock,water,atmosphere) factorsonEarth (Vierikkoet

al.,2015).Benefitsprovidedbyrunningwaterand itsassociatedecosystemscanrange from

good quality water, food, and soil nourishment to spiritual enrichment, recreation, and

aestheticexperience.

Whenawaterchannelisdammed,ittriggersacascadeofdamagethatendsupcompromising

all these ecosystem services previously offered to society by the waterway itself, the

riverbanks,thefloodplains,theriverine,andfreshwaterbiota(Romaetal.,2013;Roma,2014;

Forest Trends, 2015). Thus,damsalso impactpeople’s lives in anegativeway (Fisher, 1995;

Sánchez, 2013). Thosewho live close to the riverbank and depend on fishing, farming, and

huntingfortheirliving,aswellasthosewhoseculturehasbeencloselyassociatedtotheriver

patterns, are more sensitive and vulnerable to such effects of the damming process, i.e.

traditional communities that dwell along the rivers (in Brazil known as ribeirinhos), and

indigenous people (McCully, 2001; IRN, 2014; Little, 2014). These people usually lose their

fertilelands,theirsourceofincome,theirlivelihood,theirtraditions,theirsacredplaces,their

socialnetworksandidentity,theircollective(andpersonal)histories(JacksonandSleigh,2000;

Khagram,2004;Zen,2014).Thisreasearchdisclosesthesematters.Inordertoillustratethis,I

introduce some points raised by Maria Eliete and Maria das Dores, participants from my

fieldworkintheBeloMonteandSobradinhodamareas,respectively.

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Maria Eliete, from the ethnic group Yudjá/Juruna, who lives in the Paquiçamba Indigenous

Reserve intheAmazonbasin,explainsthat,sincetheBeloMontedamprojectarrived inthe

areain2010,hercommunityhasfacedsignificantalterationsintheirlivelihood6:fromawayof

liferootedinfisherytothestruggletosurviveascocoagrowers.Fishhavedrasticallyreduced

intheriversincethedamwasbuilt,especially thespecieshercommunityusedtoeatmost,

the pacu branco. In addition, the cocoa plantation involved clearing the native forest,

consequently, exterminating game and nuts, thus forcing a change of habits. Maria Eliete

underpinsherideaforherownportraitinthisresearchonthisrupturethathappenedinthe

bondbetweenfish,theAmazonianfloodplains(igapós),andherpeople(MariaEliete’sportrait

ispresentedanddiscussedfurtherinChapterThree).

MariadasDores (Dorinha),a riversidedwellerwhowasdisplacedby theSobradinhodam in

1976,perceivedthedamascatastrophicforriverinepeople:“[…] itwastheEndTimes. […]”.

Dorinha’s family used to organise traditional activities in the Grande Island (her previous

home, located in the middle of the São Francisco River, which was dammed to make the

Sobradinhohydropowerstationareality).ShetellsmeabouttheSaintFrancis’Festival(Festa

deSãoFrancisco)andhowitfinishedduetothedam.

“[…]

Itwasamassivefestival–theoneoftheSãoFrancisco[SaintFrancis],bytheriverside!

Every 4thOctober. It happened indeed. Therewould be the processionwalking down

withthe[statueof]SaintFrancisand,asitreachedtheshore,theywouldputtheSaint

[the statue] in the boat and canoe towards Santana [a riparian town], many boats

wouldalignalongtheriver.Therewouldbemany[boats]comingfromSantanatoo,to

meetandcrosseachotherinthemiddleoftheSãoFrancisco[River].Itwasbeautiful.

Allboatsdecoratedwithcolorfulribbons,paper-maderibbons–wemadetheribbons.

This was a party! People singing together and tapping the caixas [drum-like

instrument] on the Island. Imyselfdoknowhow to tap thecaixa, because Iwas the

‘man’s’daughter!ThereisnolongertheFestival,thisisallgoneoncethereisnomore

river,nomoreboats,ourpeopletookdifferentpaths…[…]”

6ExcerpttranslatedtoEnglishfromMariaEliete’sinterviewisfoundinAppendix5.

64

SaintFrancis(Fig.1.5)isbelievedtoprotecttheSãoFranciscoRiver,i.e.theSaintFrancisRiver,

inEnglish.

FIGURE 1.5. Image of Saint Francis (São Francisco), which belonged to Maria das Dores’s

father.

Forherportrait,MariadasDoresselectsthisimageofSaintFrancistorepresentfaithtoface

the“EndTimes” thatwas, forher, theSobradinhodam.Shealso suggests thatherhusband

(whowasbornandbredinGrandeIslandtoo)isportrayedatherside(Fig.1.6).

FIGURE1.6.MariadasDoresstraightensupNezinho’ssleevesfortheshoot(below).Portraitof

MariadasDores(Dorinha)(followingpage).

Re-photographed from Maria das Dores’personal object. Original as print on mdfsealedwithplasticfilm.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2015

65

MariadasDores’feeling:“theEndTimes”Objectchosen:imageofSanFrancis,whichbelongedtoherfather,torepresentfaithLocationchosen:hercurrenthouseinBrejodeDentrovillageORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariadasDoresCamposandMarileneRibeiro2015

BesidestheSaintFrancisFestival,DorinhaalsocommentsabouttheBatuquedeReis,festivity

that is more widespread in Brazil and that also took place in Grande Island. Yet, the place

where shemoved to, after leaving Grande Island, does not celebrate theBatuque de Reis:

consequently,Dorinha’s familyhasnotseenor takenpart ina festivityof thiskindafter the

move. Despite this, Dorinha and her family managed to perform some folk songs that

accompaniedtheBatuquedeReisinGrandeIslandformetosee—andalsorecordthem(Fig.

1.7).

66

FIGURE 1.7. Still – Dorinha sings some songs from the former Grande Island’s traditional

events. Nezinho (Dorinha’s husband) improvises a drum from a kitchen pot and Gildejane

(Dorinha’sgranddaughter)dances.

Notably,likethelyricsofthesongsfromotherriversidevillages,traditionalfolksongsfromtheGrandeIslandalsoportrayelementsfromthenaturalworld,likejaguar7andbeetle,whicharetakenaspartofriverinepeople’s“cosmos”.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2015

TheWCD(2000a)estimatesthat40-80millionpeoplehavebeendisplacedduetodamworks

worldwide. Yet, if river-dependent communities living downstream of the dam are also

included as the population affected (thosewho usually are not obliged tomove due to the

damworks butwho are equally affected by the impoundment of the river), this number is

consideredtobetentimeshigher:472millionpeople, inaconservativeestimate (Richteret

al.,2010).

Furthermore,thevillages/townswhich“receive”thoserelocatedexperienceasocioeconomic

degradationduetothelackofstructuretoabsorbthedemandsoftheabruptlyincreasedlocal

population.Itiscommonthatconflictsandviolenceratesriseinthesesituations(IRN,2014).

Ultimately,therightsofalltheseaffectedcommunitiesareeventuallyusurpedinthenameof

“progress”, “development”, and the prioritization of urban dwellers and multinational

companies.

7Forlyricsoftraditionalsongsgatheredinthisresearch,seeAppendix7.

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Hydropowerenthusiastsclaimthat, considering thataround1.2billionpeople (17%of the7

billion current global population) remain without access to electricity (IEA, 2015) and the

world’spopulationisexpectedtoreach9billionby2050(UNEP,2012),thedemandforenergy

will skyrocket in the upcoming decades. Thus, large and mega dam projects should be

considered the most suitable solution to fight inequality, as they could eventually fill this

energygap.However,theabove-mentionedstudybyZarfletal. (2014)showedthatthisgap

willnotberesolved,evenafterallthehydropowerplantscurrentlyinthepipelineandunder

constructionare fully implemented.Essentially,because theactual consumerof themassive

amount of electricity generated by the new large and mega dams is not going to be the

ordinaryvillagerbutthegiantcompaniesintheminingindustryinstead(Khagram,2004;IRN,

2008; ISA, 2013; Little, 2014; MAB, 2014; Wang et al., 2014; Zarfl et al., 2014; Fearnside,

2015a; Aleixo and Condé, 2015). Regarding this point, the figure is that the dam and the

miningindustriestogetherhavedictatedgovernmentalpoliciesandinternationalagreements

about energy resources (as I will discuss in Chapter Three). Consequently, national and

internationalenergyproductionanddistributionpolicieswilleventuallyfavortheirinterests.

In summary, the dilemma of large dams/hydropower has returned, but the cost of their

constructionhasincreasedas:

1) Themajorityofongoingorplannedhydropowerplantprojectsaresituatedin

basinsofextremely richbiodiversity, like theAmazonas, theLaPlata, the

Congo,theChenab,andtheMekong,placeswell-knownfortheirbiological

endemism, regions where species have evolved within complex, fragile,

and specialized ecological processes (Finer and Jenkins, 2012). Thus, the

losses due to the damming process are evenmore devastating than the

ones that followed the block of rivers in temperate zones, as temperate

zones have fewer species. Besides, the destruction of the terrestrial

environments tied to these specifically rich freshwater systems by the

hydropowerplantworkswillleadtoaconsiderablyhighercarboncounter

balance,turninghydropowerintoafalsesolutionintheseregions,interms

of a low-carbon energy source (Fearnside and Pueyo, 2012; Fearnside,

2016a);

2) Themostvulnerablehumangroupsindevelopingcountriesinhabitthebanks

ofriversanddependupontheriver’secologicalservicestosurvive(Pearce,

2006b;Richteretal.,2010).Thesepeoplearebeingnegativelyaffectedby

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theglobalenergypolicies,makingthemevenmorevulnerable,poorer,and

more marginalized, and exacerbating the already critical situation of

inequalityintheworld.

Together this uneven distribution of the costs and benefits of hydroelectricity and the

significant negative environmental impacts of hydropower dams provide the strongest

argumentsagainstitsimplementation,underpinningtheanti-dammovementclaims.

1.3Theanti-dammovement

Duringthe1980s,scientists,environmentalists,andhumanrightsgroupsbegantoturntheir

attention to the side effects of large dams and hydroelectricity. The anti-dam movement

startedsimultaneouslyindifferentcountriesasalocalresponsetotheannouncementofthe

proposalofdammingtheriver.Rapidly,thoseincipientprotestsflourishedbothnationallyand

internationallyandgotstronger.

Amongst many, I name here three initiatives due to their relevance and international

reverberationoftheiractions:theNBA,theMAB,andtheIRN.

Foundedin1985,theSavetheNarmadaMovement(NarmadaBachaoAndolan–NBA)gained

internationalattentionforitsnon-violentstrategiesandpersistenceinthealmosttwenty-year

struggleagainstthecontroversialSardarSarovarmegadamintheIndianNarmadaRiver.The

movement,whichbeganasvillager-lednon-violentprotests,promptlyattractedactivistsfrom

distinctbackgroundsandcountries.ThispopularresistanceheadedbyMedhaPatkaraswellas

the social, environmental, and political tensions involvedwere exposed and explored in the

films A Narmada Diary (by Anand Patwardhana and Simantini Dhuru, 1995 – Fig 1.8b),

DrownedOut(byFrannyArmstrong-SpannerFilms,2002–Fig.1.8a),Narmada(byManonOtt

andGrégoryCohen, 2012), aswell as in the essayThegreater commongood (byArundhati

Roy,1999).Inspiteofallefforts,SardarSarovardamwaseventuallybuilt.Nevertheless,NBA’s

battlecontinuestoinspireartists,social,andenvironmentalmovementsaroundtheworld.

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FIGURE1.8.(a)Oneofthenon-violentprotestsbylocalvillagersagainstsubmergencebythe

SardarSarovardam(scenealsoportrayedinthefilmDrownedOut-2002)and(b)government

forcesinvestingagainstto-be-affectedpeoplewhomarchedinDhule,inNovember1993(Still

fromANarmadaDiary-43:07).

(a) ORIGINALINCOLOUR (b) ©IRN1995 ©AnandPatwardhanaandSimantiniDhuru1995

Before the establishment of theNBA in India, by the endof the 1970s (during theBrazilian

dictatorship),somepeopleaffectedbythedamsbuiltinBrazilstartedtoclaimindividuallyfor

their rights, mainly those impacted by the Tucuruí, Itaipu, Sobradinho, and Itaparica/Luiz

Gonzaga hydropower dams. These originally sparse groups strengthened from the 1980s

onwards, and, in 1991, decided to gather as a formal organization: the Brazilian National

Movement of PeopleAffectedbyDams (MovimentoNacional dosAtingidos porBarragens –

MAB).

In1997the1stInternationalMeetingofPeopleAffectedbyDamstookplaceinCuritiba,Brazil.

Representativesofpeopleimpactedbydamsfrom20countriescountersignedtheDeclaration

ofCuritiba (seeAppendix 2), adocumentwhich reaffirms the rights to life and livelihoodof

thoseaffectedbydamsworldwideandurgesthatcompaniesinchargeofdamprojectsfulfill

requirements. These requirements were eventually integrated to the WCD Final Report’s

recommendations,in2000.Withthecurrentslogan“Waterandenergyarenotcommodities”

(MAB,2014),theMABfightsagainsttheworld’smodernenergypolicy,fortherightsofpeople

affectedbydams,andforamoreequalaccesstowaterandenergy(Fig.1.9).

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FIGURE1.9.MAB’scallforpeopleto“FightinDefenseofRivers,WaterandLife”,onthe

InternationalDayofStruggleAgainstDams–March14,2016(onlineposter).

Englishtranslation:March14–InternationalDayofStruggleAgainstDams©MAB2016

AsaresonancetothisinternationalmovementintheUnitedStates,in1985,asmallgroupof

volunteers foundedthe InternationalRiversNetwork (IRN)withtheaimsofbroadcastingthe

issuesregardingthedamindustryanddevelopingaworldwidenetworkofpeopleworkingto

protectriversandpromotefairandsustainablewaterandenergydevelopment.Nowadaysthe

IRNhasglobalreachandprovideslocalsupporttocommunitiesthreatenedoraffectedbydam

projectsthroughouttheworld(IRN,2015).

The1990swerealandmarkinthedebatesonlargedamsandtheactualcostsofhydropower.

Astheconcernforthenegativeimpactsofthedamsstrengthenedandquicklybecamepublic

and widespread, the pressure on decision-makers, the dam-building companies, and the

financiers of dam projects (mainly the World Bank) heightened. It culminated with the

commissionbytheWorldBank,in1997,ofadetailedstudytoreviewtheactualeffectiveness

ofthelargedamsbuilt indistinctpartsoftheworld(uponwhichfuturedecisionsonfunding

large dam projects could be based). Amidst difficulties, political and ideological conflicts, in

2000 thismulti-stakeholderbody (theWorldCommissiononDams–WCD) released its final

reportDamsanddevelopment:anewframeworkfordecision-making,whichbecamethemost

important and internationally acceptable (but not totally unbiased, as stressed byMcCully,

2001,andtheIRN,2014)guidelinesfortheplanning,construction,andoperationofdams.One

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of themostcutting-edgecontributions this reportbrings to theglobaldam-buildingarena is

the recommendation that decision-making processes involve the actual participation of all

stakeholders,i.e.thatdecision-makingprocessestakeintoaccounttheopinionandwishesof

peoplewhoareexpectedtobeaffectedbytheproposedproject,aspreviouslyurgedbythe

DeclarationofCuritiba.

Mostly, the anti-dammovement has been amilestone in the global context of large/mega

dams,bothaccessingandexposingthesocial,political,economic,andenvironmentalfragilities

of this system to the wider public, and also gathering people to collectively demand for

changes in the political agenda that concerns watercourses and its uses. Aware of the

significance of theMAB in this process since its early days and also believing that, ethically

speaking, awork on this theme (on the problems facing communities affected by dams8) in

BrazilshouldinvolvetheMAB,Iapproachedthissocialmovementinorderthatthispractice-

based research could be carried outwith its support. As a partnership betweenmyself (the

researcher) and the MAB, I could be guided by and learn from its long-term experience

whereas the fieldwork as well as the outcomes of this PhD could ultimately benefit and

strengthen it in its claims9. Thus, theunderstandingof thisnetworkof resistancealsohada

stronginfluenceonmydecisionsonhowtoundertakemypractice.

Ashighlightednotonlybytheabovebrieflynamedanti-dammovement,butalsobyexpertsin

thefieldofsocialsciences,humanrights,andecology,largeandmegahydropowerdamshave

builtupahistoryofsocialandenvironmentaldamagethroughouttheworld.However,mostof

this information remainsunder-reportedor ratherendsup circulatingamidst thevery same

groupsofthealready-awarescientists,activistsandlocalcommunities(e.g.),notreachingthe

massesasoftenandincisivelyasitwouldbeexpectedtoandregardlessoftheadvancement

of the internet—particularly socialmedia—onamplifying andmagnifying all sorts of news. I

decided to gather andnamehere someof these alreadyauthorizeddisasters10that, despite

beingsomehowpublicized,still remainunknownbythemajorityofthepopulation,asthis is

anotherrationaleunderpinningmydecisiontoinvestigatetheimpactsofhydropower,usinga

mediumthatcanreachmultipleaudiences:photography.

8AndparticularlytheworkIproposehere,whichengagespeopleaffectedbydamprojectsasmakers.9Importantly,sincethebeginningofthiswork,IhaveassuredthematerialproducedinthisPhDisavailabletotheMAB for its ownuses, apart frombeing also available to every co-author/participant (see the InformedConsentFormusedinthisresearchfordetails-Appendix3).10AsIshallbringupindiscussionfurtheroninthisthesisAriellaAzoulay’sconceptof“regime-madedisaster”(seeChapterThree).

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1.4Somefactsonthenegativeimpactsoflargedamsandhydropower

For the purpose of this Chapter, I present four striking examples of damage to newly

industrialized(ofwhichtheBRICSareapart)anddevelopingcountriesasaresultofdamming

andhydropowerprojects.By straightforwardlycondensing these figureshere ina fact sheet

style, Ihopethereader/viewercanperceivethescopeoftheharmthathaspropelledmeto

workonthisthemeasmypractice-basedresearchproject.

1) ThreeGorgesdam(YangtzeRiver,China,1994-2012/2015):

In2011,RichardStonereportedintherenownedscientificmagazineSciencethat

the Three Gorges mega dam construction was being more harmful to the

environment than what was previously foreseen as the worst-case scenario

(Stone,2011).Besidesbeing involved inschemesofcorruption inChina(Huiand

Blanchard,2014–Fig.1.10)andcostingfourtimesasmuchaswhatwassetoutin

itsoriginalplan,thisUS$60-billiondamproject ledtotheextinctionoftwoplant

species (Myricaria laxiflora andAdiantum reniforme var. sinese) (Xie et al., 2006

apudWangetal.,2014:47).

FIGURE1.10.HeadlineofanarticleonReuters’websitebroadcastingcorruptionbehindthe

ThreeGorgesDamworks,onFebruary28,2014.

Photographcaption:TheThreeGorgesDam–aerialview,December2,2009.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©Reuters/stringer

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Furthermore, in 2006, scientists failed to identify a single Baiji dolphin (Lipotes

vexillifer) in the 1,669 km stretch of Yangtze River downstream from the Three

Gorges dam, the location of its historical distribution (Turvey et al., 2007).

Zoologists thenbelieve that the effects of the ThreeGorgesdam in the Yangtze

Rivermaywellaccountforthepresumedextinctionofthiscetacean(Turvey,2008;

Turvey et al., 2010). Parallel to this, the annual harvest of four species of carp

(Bighead,Black,Silver,andGrass)downstreamofthedamdropped50%twoyears

after the dam sluices gates were shut for the first time (in 2003) whereas the

harvestofcarpeggsandlarvaeinthesameyearrepresented0.5%ofthepre-dam

baseline (Xie et al., 2007). This decrease in local fish population below Three

GorgesdammayhavecontributedtothepotentialextinctionoftheBaijidolphin,

whosedietbasicallycomprisesfish(Turvey,2008;Turveyetal.,2010).

Atthesametime,riverbanksdownstreamoftheThreeGorgesdamarecollapsing

because upstream sediment input is not happening anymore. Upstream of the

Three Gorges dam the scene has not been good either: landslides have been

reportedmoreoftenthanbeforetheconstructionofthedam(Xinhua,2007).

To make things worse, the modifications of ecological processes caused by the

damspreadasnail-bornediseasethroughoutthebasin(Stone,2011).Withadam

wall of 181meters and an installed capacity of 22,500MW, theworld’s largest

damfloodedover8,000archaeological sites,13cities,140 towns,1,350villages,

displaced 1.3 million people (Fig. 1.11), and caused a significant impairment in

thosepeople’slivelihood(PonsetiandLópez-Pujol,2006).

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FIGURE 1.11. Photographs by Edward Burtynsky depicting the Three Gorges dam massive

works (top) as well as its associated destruction of entire towns and villages—here

representedby Feng Jie (bottom), oneof the first towns tohavebeen submergedafter the

sluicegateswereclosed11.

Top:Dam#6,ThreeGorgesDamProject,YangtzeRiver,2005Bottom:FengJie#3&4,ThreeGorgesDamProject,YangtzeRiver,2002ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©EdwardBurtynsky

2) SardarSarovardam(NarmadaRiver,India,1987-2017):

Thisthirty-yearlongmegadamprojectrecentlyinaugurated(Safi,2017)wasacasefor

theSupremeCourtofIndiathreetimes(Cullet,2007).Thesocialmovementagainstits

completion,especiallyagainstitsoriginaldesign(i.e.featuringa163m-highdamwall),11Burtynsky has captured the process of the Three Gorges dam building. In 2003, he launched the photobookBeforetheflood,whichdocumentsthe“scale”ofthedamprojectintermsofbothman-madepieceaswellasitsrangeofdevastation.

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arguedthattheprojectdidnothavetheproperEnvironmentalImpactAssessment—a

document required for such infrastructure projects to be approved (Fisher, 1995;

McCully, 2001; Anton and Shelton, 2011). Even considering the high social and

environmental costofSardarSarovar (whathadbeen takenas thepublic reason for

theWorldBanktowithdrawfromthisproject, in1993),theSupremeCourt, in2000,

authorized India’s government to carry on with the dam building. In 2014, the

Narmada Control Authority granted permission for Sardar Sarovar dam wall to be

further raised from its then121m to 138m,which ignitedprotests and criticismnot

only inIndiabutalsoinWesterncountries(Desai,2014;TheBuckStopsHere,2014),

asitwouldrepresentavasterareatobesubmergedbyitsreservoirwaters.

Over13,000haoftropical forestvanish intotheSardarSarovar’sreservoir (Sahooet

al.,2014).SincetheshutoftheSardarSarovar’ssluicesgates,fishhavenolongerbeen

easily found ineitherupstreamordownstreamstretchesof theNarmada river (IRN,

2008). Sardar Sarovar has displaced approximately 240,000 people and the

governmentbelatedlyacknowledgedthattherewasnotenoughlandtoresettleallthe

families directly affected by the dam (Drowned Out 2002, 47:39 and Fig. 1.12).

Researchers documented that traditional ceremonies faded and eventually

disappearedafterthemove(IRN,2008).Aboveall,theresettlementendedupleaving

affectedvillagersevenpoorer(IRN,2014).

FIGURE1.12.ReportagebyChetanSalve(VideoVolunteers’correspondent),forIndiaUnheard,

in2016,showssomedwellersdisplacedbytheSardarSarovarDamprojectlivinginneglected

conditions and still waiting to be rehomed. According to interviewees, the government has

allottedlandforthem“onpaper”butthesepropertieseitherbelongtosomeoneelseorare

notfitforuse(Salve,2016).

Stillsfromtheoriginalreportage.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©VideoVolunteersCommunity

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3) Akosombodam(VoltaRiver,Ghana,1961-1965):

Akosombo dam was conceived to supply energy for multinational aluminium

productionplantsandcreatedoneofthelargestreservoirsbysurfaceareainthe

world: the Lake Volta (Fig. 1.13). The image below illustrates the scope of the

transformationinthelandscapecreatedbytheAkossombodamintheregion.

FIGURE1.13.LakeVoltaviewfromouterspace(Akosombodamlocatedattheupperrightcorner).April1993.

NASA-Mission:STS056,roll-frame:090-079,April1993.ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©NASA

The consequent impoundment of the Volta River triggered a cascade of

phenomena (e.g. proliferation of aquatic weeds which led to a rise in snail

population and a drop in shrimp population) that culminated in local people

sufferingfromseveralformsofschistosomiasis(snail-bornediseases),reductionof

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navigablespace,andimpairmentoffishery(Fobiletal.,2003).Theincreaseofthe

weeddensityinthechannelsoftheVoltarivertributariesdownstreamofthedam

hasturnedthesewaterways intomeadow-likeareas,alteringdrasticallythe local

environment (Fig. 1.14). Furthermore, modifications of the Volta River’s runoff

patterns by the dam altered the soil fertility in downstream riverside stretches

(VanDeGiesenet al., 2001).Withinone yearonly, 20,000people fled from the

communitiesdownstreamofthedam,tothecapitalAccraandnearbytowns,and

most of these people have lived in evenmore deplorable conditions ever since

(Tsikata,2006).

FIGURE1.14.ReportagebyJosephOpokuGakpoforJoyNews,onMarch22,2016,depictsthe

transformation of the landscape (from a six-meter-deep river to a dense “meadow”) in the

village of Devime, a former fishing community downstream fromAkosombo dam, since the

damsluicesgatesshut(Gakpo,2016).

4) Tucuruídam(TocantinsRiver,Brazil,1974-1984):

Tucuruí hydropower station was also built to provide energy to Japanese

aluminiumplantssituatedinthissameregionofBrazil.

Despite ELETRONORTE (the governmental agency in charge of conducting the

project) trying to convince local people that the project would not have major

harms(Fig.1.15),timehaseventuallyrevealedthedownsidesofTucuruídam.

One of the interviewees statesthatseveralinhabitantsofDevime have decided tomoveoutduetothemodificationin the local ecosystem – whateventuallycompromisedthefishery.Stillfromtheoriginalreportage.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JoyNews2016

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FIGURE1.15.LeafletproducedbyELETRONORTEanddroppedbyhelicopter,asanattemptto

“clarify”toreadersthatTucuruídamwouldnotcauseanymajorsocialorenvironmentalissue.

Attheleft:front.Attheright:back.Myemphasisinorange.Highlighted passages state: “TUCURUÍ URGENT. Everything you need to know about thehydropowerprojectanditsconsequences.”“Fishwillnotdie.Fishwillhavealltheconditionstheyneed to live in the reservoir and also downstream.” “Fishery will not be affected.” “This is notELETRONORTE’swords,thisistheoutcomeofresearchundertakenbythemostrespectfulresearchinstitutionsofthecountry.”ItisimportanttomentionthatthisleafletwasdistributedonthesamedaythataprotestagainstthefirstshutoftheTucuruí’ssluicesgatestookplace(inBelém,1984)and that no researcherwho took part in the Tucuruí research project had endorsed any of theinformationpresentedontheleaflet(Fearnside,2001).Atthattime,Brazilwasunderadictatorialregimen.ModifiedfromFearnside,2001

As a consequence of drastic modifications in the local ecosystem (including

changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of thewater, and the total

blockofmigrationalong this stretchofTocantins river,asno fishpassage, likea

fishladder,wasbuilttoenablefishtomovefromupstreamtodownstreamofthe

damandvice-versa),thevarietyoffishspecieswerefoundtohavefallenfollowing

the closure of the dam gates. From 1981 to 1998, the number of fish species

decreasedby29%upstreamofthedamand19%downstreamofthedam(WCD,

2000b:xi)

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ThereservoiroftheTucuruídamsubmergedpartoftheParakanãIndianReserve

(Fearnside, 1999). Apart from violating the indigenous people’s rights, the

construction of the dam also led to the impoverishment of their traditions

(Fearnside,2015b).Anotherbigissueregardingthisdamwastheaccumulationof

mercuryinthereservoir(duetogoldminingactivitiesintributarieswhichdrained

to it). Totalmercury concentrations inplants in the forestnear theTucuruídam

have been found to be much higher than those in Canada, where mercury

contamination of reservoirs was well established (Fearnside, 2001). Another

downsideof theTucuruídamwas theabrupt increase in casesofmalaria in the

area around the reservoir, as its stagnant water facilitated the mosquito

proliferation(Couto,1996).

From all of these examples, it is evident that some of the drawbacks of the dams are

comparativelyeasytotrackandmeasurebyobjectivetools,e.g.theconcentrationofmercury,

butothersaremoredifficult,suchastheimpoverishmentofagiventradition,ortheextinction

of a given species. This point has been themajor limitation in the process of assessing the

costs versus benefits of hydropower projects, and this is the peculiarity that particularly

interestsme.Inordertoexploretheimmaterialitiesinvolvedintheprocessofdammingariver

inawaythatcouldbebetterunderstood,Iwasmotivatedtoimmersemyselfintotheaffected

people’s feelings concerning their own experienceswith hydropower projects. I shall clarify

thesespecificsregardingobjectiveandsubjectiveimpactssothereadercancomprehendthe

intangibleeffectsuncoveredbymypractice.

1.5Assessingthesocio-environmentalcostsoflargedamsandhydropower

According toPuWang, researcher fromtheDepartmentofNaturalResourcesof theCornell

University inNewYork, and collaborators (Wanget al., 2014) the socioeconomic impactsof

largedamprojectshavetodowiththreeclassesofwealth:

1) Material wealth (concrete things that can easily be measured like land/real estate,

crops,houses,householdandagriculturedevices,livestock,andforests);

2) Embodied wealth (wealth that is implicitly carried and built-up by a person during

his/her life, like the skills one uses tomake a living; this wealthmay be difficult to

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weighupintheprocessofassessmentandnegotiation);

3) Relationalwealth(wealthprovidedbymeansofecosystemservices,culture,andthe

commons.Individualsprofitfromthisclassofwealthbutdonotmateriallypossesit.It

comprisesthesocialinfrastructure-i.e.aperson’ssocialnetwork,language,customs,

and traditions, and thephysical infrastructure – e.g. access to transport, healthcare,

education,drinkingwater,fish,andthefertilityprovidedbytheriverrunoffpatterns).

Proponentsofhydropowerdams,fundingagencies,anddecision-makershavearguedthatthe

benefits generated by hydropower outweigh its costs, (i.e. eventually the investment in

hydroelectricitywouldhaveapositivenetbenefit)andthiswouldbeasensiblereasonforbig

hydropowerdamprojectstobeapprovedandimplemented.However,whenitcomestothe

lossesregardingpeopleaffectedbydams’embodiedandrelationalwealthaswellastheshort-

,mid-,andlong-termconsequencesofthebiologicalerosioncausedbydamsforlifeonEarth

andhumanwelfare,the“negativeweights”onthisscalebecometrickyasitisnotpossibleto

properly measure them using standard scientific and/or monetary units (as commented

above).Furthermore,itistheseintrinsicsubjectivecharacteristicsofthesocio-environmental

component thatmean that thecostsofhydropowerdamshavebeenoverlookedduring the

processesofassessmentanddecision-making(McCully,2001;Namy,2007;Vale,2010;Moraes

and Pimentel, 2013; Ansar et al., 2014; Little, 2014; Zen, 2014; Fearnside, 2015b). The

testimonialofoneofmyparticipantsdemonstrateshowmatters classifiedas embodied and

relationalwealthcanbeaspreciousas(orevenmorevalueablethan)thosebelongingtothe

materialwealth.

“[…]

MarileneRibeiro(myself,researcher)–IncasethePanambidamisbuilt,whatyoudonot

wanttolose,Ailton?

Ailton–Iwouldn’tliketolosemyoccupation[asasmallfarmer].Iwouldn’tliketolosethe

thinginwhichI’vegotproficiency,whichI’vemastered.ThisiswhatI’velearnthowtodo,

thisiswhatI’vegottheexpertisein.ThisiswhatIliketobe.[…]”

Note thatAiltondoesnotmentionanyconcernabout losinghis landorhiscropsbut rather

something thatmakeshimhimself: his vocation, his history, his identity. Compensation and

Reabillitation Programmes of dam schemes usually concentrate in listing, pricing, and

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“replacing” thematerial wealth that is lost due to these endeavours. Yet, they have not

succeededintacklingtheothertwoclassesofwealth.

Iperceivethisdiscussionconcerningthecostsversusbenefitsofdamsasatensionthatwillbe

irresolvable ifwe insist in applying the same filter for different substances (and thiswill be

elaboratedoninChapterThreeandintheConclusions).Usinganotherstrategytomakethe

magnitudeofthesecostsmore“visible”,Iselectedphotographyasamediumthatcanbetter

absorbandpresent thesematters (particularly those related to theembodiedand relational

wealth), than more traditional scientific techniques. As images are a powerful means to

communicateabstractideasinamoreunderstandableformforabroaderaudience(Franklin,

2016:76 and 199). Apart from the brief examples used in this Chapter, this process and its

outcomeswillbepresentedinthenextChapters.

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BLANK

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Chapter2:Exploringtheintersectionsbetweenphotography,anthropology,andcollaborativeprocesses

84

Aimsofthischapter:

- Addressing the intersection between anthropology and photography as a promising

sourceofresearchwithinbothArtsandHumanitiesinmypractice.

- Discussing collaboration with the subject as a reliable approach to undertaking

projectsinbothanthropologyanddocumentaryphotography.

- Addressingthecurrentroleofcollaborationwithinacontemporaryvisualartscontext

aswellasthetheoreticaldiscussionstriggeredandinspiredbycollaborativeworksof

thetwenty-firstcentury.

- Stressingtheimportanceofthisproposedresearchasaninnovativewayofproducing

a relevant body of visual work as well as data to support further arguments and

discussionsregardingtransdisciplinarity,collaborativepractices,photography,andthe

impactofdams.

- Introducing works that have also used the interstices between collaboration,

photography, and anthropology to explore something new, such as those by Susan

Meiselas,JimGoldberg,AnthonyLuvera,andSharonLockhart.

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2.1Workingin-between

As addressed in Chapter One, assessing the socio-environmental impacts of the dams is a

complex task, as they involve not only physical, measurable results, but also psychological

phenomena,socialandculturalissues,lossofecosystemservices,andgeneticerosion.These

aspectsarehardtodefine,astheyareoftensubjective,intricate,anddifficulttoevaluatevia

traditional scientificmethods used in academic disciplines such as Anthropology, Sociology,

andBiology(McCully,2001;Namy,2007;Little,2014;Silva,2014;Wangetal.,2014).

Taking this myriad of complexity into consideration, a photographic work undertaken in

collaborationwithlocalpeoplewhoseliveshavebeendrasticallychangedbythedamsoffers

ausefuladditionaltoolinassessingtheeffectsoftheseengineeringworksonbothpeopleand

the environment, as addressed in the Methodology. As such, my practice adds to

understanding,andhas itsownmeritasacontributiontothedebatearoundboththeneed

fordamsandcollaboration.

As also detailed in theMethodology section, I lead this collaborative practice through the

intersticesbetweenthedisciplinesofphotographyandanthropology.Thisequipsmewiththe

tools andmeans to accomplishmy aims. The transdisciplinary approach I propose is based

upon the perspectives of Jay Hillel Bernstein interwoven with the views and arguments of

Arnd Schneider and Christopher Wright, Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, Grant Kester, and Claire

Bishop.ApartfromBernstein,whose interest is focusedontransdisciplinarityasasubjectof

inquiry in itself (as already addressed in the Methodology), these other thinkers have

challengedthewayanthropologic,imagery,andcollaborativemeanscanbeunderstoodonce

applied together. It is their discourses that I concentrate in analysing and expanding in this

Chapter. However, I do not restrict my rethoric to them, bringing other sources into the

discussion,whenapropriate.

ArndSchneider(anthropologist)andChristopherWright(specialistinvisualanthropologyand

filmmaker) have jointly written two seminal papers on the exchanges between artistic and

anthropologicalpractices(SchneiderandWright,2010,2013).Theyencourageproposalsthat

comeintoexistencethroughthisintersectionbetweenanthropologyandarts,proposalsthat

profitfrombothfieldsinordertoraiserelevantinformationaswellasvisualartworks.These

authorsurgeimage-makersnottorestrictthemselveswithintheframeworksofthedisciplines

theyoriginallystudiedandthisiswhatIalsopursueinmyresearch:toabsorbwhatthesetwo

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fieldshavetoofferandblendthisaccordingtomypurposes,i.e.togenerate“data”exposing

the socio-environmental impacts of large dams, as well as to explore new perspectives in

documentaryphotography.

AnticipatingSchneiderandWright’sproposedblendedground,MagnumphotographerSusan

Meiselasassembledtwodistinctlong-termprojectsthatinvolvedananthropologicalaswellas

collaborativeapproach:Kurdistan:intheshadowofHistory(1998/2008)andEncounterswith

theDani:storiesfromtheBaliemValley(2003).

In Kurdistan, a project conceived over six years (1991-1997), Meiselas uses a methodology

closetotheoneemployedbyanthropologistsandhistorianstoassembledistinctstandpoints

ontheKurdsandtheissuestheyhaveenduredasahumangroupovertheyears.Todothis,

sheundertookaprocessofgatheringandsettingout imagesmadebyKurdsthemselvesand

by anthropologists, missionaries, journalists, soldiers, colonial administrators, and

photographers(includingherself)whohavebeeninKurdistanoverthelasttwocenturies.The

personaldiaries, letters,government reports,news,advertisements,maps,andphotographs

sorted and organised by Meiselas reveal multiple layers of representation, juxtaposing

different orders of historical evidence and memories, thus allowing the reader to discover

voicesoftheKurdsthat,inmanycases,contesttheWesternnotionsofthem(Fig.2.1andalso

Appendix6–SusanMeiselas’answertoquestion11).Herprojectalsohasavirtualplatform

allowing people online to search, make comments, and add visual/textual information

regardingtheKurds.

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FIGURE.2.1.ImagesfromKurdistan:intheshadowofHistory(Meiselas,2008).

Theabove imagesassembledbyMeiselaspresent theKurdsnotas fiercehumanbeingsbut

ratherasindividualswithauniquecultureaswellasvictimsofpersecutionandactsofcruelty

perpetratedbyothers(actsthatsometimesaresupportedbyWesterncountries).

a)“Juive”,wifeofaKurdishchieftain,ca.1890-95.AntoinSevruguinwasanArmenianphotographerwhotravelledthroughout Persia in the latenineteenthcenturyandphotographedmanytribalchieftains.©AntoinSevruguin

b)Taymour AbdullahAhmad, Kurdishboy, displays bullet wounds in hisback, 1991. The Kurdish boy showsMeiselas the scar resulting from abullet wound received during amassexecution of Kurds by SaddamHussein’s troops. He was the onlysurvivorofthisevent.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©SusanMeiselas/MagnumPhotos

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At the same time,SusanMeiselasaddressesherprojecton theDanipeopleasa “projectof

reconstructionand stitching together stories form theBaliemValley [inPapua-NewGuinea]”

(Meiselas, 2003:194) from public and private archives she came across (photographs,

newspapers,weblogs,letters,diaries,interviews,etc.).

Meiselas firstmet theDaniwhen invitedby the anthropologist anddocumentary filmmaker

RobertGardnertocollaborate inapieceof researchhewasundertakingwiththem, in1988

(twenty-sevenyearsafterhehadfirstfilmedthemintheBaliemValley,in1961).From2001to

2003 she sought collaborationwith journalists, anthropologists,photographers,etc. inorder

toaccomplishheraims:

“I wanted to explore the ways in which the Dani have been seen by travellers,

anthropologists, missionaries, colonialists, and perhaps themselves, throughout this

century,andthroughavailabletechnology,createaccesstothatworkandadialoguewith

theDaniaboutthatrepresentation.”(Meiselas,199912)

TheDani’s everyday life aswell as thedistinct relationships constructedbetween themand

these other participants (travellers, anthropologists, missionaries, journalists, etc.) are

presentedalongsideMeiselas’book ina layoutthatresemblestheformatofanthropological

works. She also sets out the book chronologically in order to show how the Dani’s habits,

values, and traditions have been transformed (and sometimes seized) over time as a

consequence of their contact with other cultures, perhaps risking their own integrity as a

group(Fig.2.2).

12Excerpt from Meiselas’ statement in the webpage dedicated to this project on her website. [online] At:http://www.susanmeiselas.com/archive-projects/dani/#id=book

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FIGURE.2.2.ImagesfromEncounterswiththeDani(Meiselas,2003).

a)OneofthefirstcontactsmadewiththeDanipeoplebyWesterners,in1945.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©CollectionofJohnS.McCollom/JaneDeuser

b) Inthe1970s,amilitarycampaigncalledOperationKoteka ledbytheIndonesiangovernmentwhichaimed to civilize ‘primitive communities’ in Papua-New Guinea forced the Dani to abandon theirtraditions,imposingthattheyattendschools,coveruptheirbodies(and,indoingso,thecharacteristicornamentwornbymalesaroundtheirpenis),andwearordinary‘civilized’cloths,etc.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©UniversityofNorthTexas/DepartmentofAnthropology

90

c)WhenGardnerarrivedtofilmtheDaniagain,aboutthirtyyearsafterhisfirstcontactwiththem,hefound them completely deprived from their traditions and land, outsiderswithin their own territory.Indonesian general Acub Zainal dictated the rules. For example, even the film starring Madonna,depictedinthisphotograph,doesnothavethesubtitles ina languagethattheDanicouldunderstandbutinBahasaIndonesia.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©GeorgeSteinmetz1993

d) By the late twentieth century,theDanipeopleweredepictedasa“tourist attraction”. After havingtheir traditional livelihooddestabilized, they tried to profitfrom this in order to “survive”.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©AlMiller/www.pedropoint.com

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Inbothprojects,shecreatesamultifacetedperspectivebygatheringinformationfromdistinct

sourcestodiscussrepresentationandpolitics,toquestionthe“singleandunbiasedtruth”of

documents, to question the role of the documentary photographer and ethnographer as

“deliverers of facts and reality”, and possibly to eventually claim rights for these human

groups.Meiselas’workswillbefurtherdiscussedinChapterThree.

ThemethodologyMeiselasappliestoachieveheraimsrelatescloselytotheabove-mentioned

SchneiderandWright’sadvocacyforworksthatrunintheintersectionbetweenanthropology

andarts.

SchneiderandWright(2010,2013)alsoaddresshowthemethodologiesinanthropologyurge

ashiftawayfromthetraditionalmethodsofresearchersimmersingthemselvesinascenario

andattemptingto(re)presentafterwardswhatwasexperienced(throughher/hisreflections)

of a subjective nature, to a more diffusional approach (i.e. absorbing and including the

subject’s perspectives within this analysis too). Regarding this point, anthropologist, and

specialistinanthropologyandethics,CarolynFluehr-Lobbanstatesthatanopencollaboration

with the subject is in fact theethical formof the twenty-first century anthropology (Fluehr-

Lobban,2008).Sherecommendsthatresearcherstakeuptheirsubjectsasactualpartnersof

theresearchprocessinanon-hierarchalrelationship.Shestressesthatproposalswhichco-opt

the people to be studied as co-creators, actively participating not only in the process of

producing data but in the process of outlining the “reciprocally informed consent” (as

addressed by the author), designing the methods, and publishing the papers, are keen to

generate more reliable data and better outcomes. While I tend to question the actual

feasibility of projects that fullymeet Fluehr-Lobban’s criteria, since it demands a long-term

almostdailyproximity to theresearchbase, the targetcommunity,and theresearch-related

facilities (laboratory,office, library,etc.), Iembraceherconsiderationsontheethicsandthe

social scientific reliability and authenticity of researches undertaken in this collaborative

fashion,whencomparedtostudieswherethislevelofmutualparticipationislackingoreven

entirelyabsent.Vitally, these twopointsunderpinmyresearch:1) Iarguethatcollaboration

withmysubjects(peopleaffectedbydams)isessentialtobringingtolighttheactualcostsof

hydropowerandforthisreasonIdiscusswithparticipantseverystepregardingtheprocessof

making and editing the images (and intend to discuss the final resultswith all communities

thatengagedwith thisproject too,when thework is completed,as Iwillexplain inChapter

Five, p. 299); 2) I also opted for working closely with the National Movement of People

Affected by Dams (Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens –MAB, in Brazil), an institution

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whichhasfoughtfortherightsofcommunitiesaffectedbydamsalloverthecountrysincethe

1970s,asIbelieveitisethicaltosharemypracticeandoutcomeswiththosewhohaveactively

participated in the anti-dam movement (as outlined in Chapter One, p. 69-70). Moreover,

MABisabletodisseminatemyfindingsanddrawtheattentionofabroaderaudiencetothe

hydropower-leddamages,asthisorganizationisalreadyengagedinstrategiesthataimtoraise

awareness,mobilizepeople,andpersuadedecision-makersinBrazilandLatinAmericatotake

actionconcerningafairerenergypolicy:bothlocallyandnationallyspeaking.Thus,theaimsof

my collaborators (i.e. speaking up for what they have gone through as well as for their

evaluation of the whole picture concerning the construction of dams) will hopefully be

achieved via the MAB’s activities, which might use and distribute the photographs and

informationdevelopedthroughthisresearch.

Currently, Idonotbelievethatacompletelynon-hierarchal relationshipbetweenresearcher

andresearchedispossible,butratherIperceiveandworktowardscreatinganoptimalbalance

inwhich researcherneitheroppressesnor strictlyguides the researched,a relationshipbuilt

onadegreeofunderstandingwheretheresearchedfeelssufficientlycomfortabletoexpress

her/hisownideasandsufficientlyconfidenttocarryouttheplansshe/hehasconceived.Iaim

towelcomeanatmosphereof intimacywherebothresearcherandresearchedcanplanand

developideaswhichcoexistandinterweave,buildingabodyofco-operativework,insteadof

obstructingoneanother’svisions.Regardingthistopic,ArndSchneiderandChristopherWright

(2010, 2013) have similar thoughts concerning this researcher-researched hierarchal

relationship.Accordingtothem,thereareintrinsicdifferencesbetweenresearchersandtheir

research subjects (concerning power, economics, politics, educational training, self-ascribed

identities, etc.) that cannot be denied or overlooked, “since difference is part of it” (as

highlightedbyBensonandO’Neill,2007).Thus,forSchneiderandWright,theresearchermust

be aware of this, not taking the subjects of their fieldwork encounters blindly as equals.

However,researchersmightusesuchdifferencesinordertoachieveaproductiveencounter.

On the other hand, cultural theorists Roland Barthes (1981) and Christopher Pinney (1992,

2014)remindusthattheparticipationofthesubjectintheproductionofaportrait(evenfor

systematicandpredefinedaims)cannotbeunderestimatedtoo,asitisaninherentpartofthe

contingency of the encounter. According to Pinney (ibid), the photographermight carefully

directher/hissitterbuteventhoughthesubjecttriestodoher/hisbesttoposeaccordingto

thephotographer’swishes,the“unlikely”participationoftheverysitterintheconstructionof

themeaningwillhappen,whereasBarthes(1981)arguesthatthesitterconsciouslyinfluences

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theproductionoftheportraitaccordingtohis/herownwishesandnottothephotographer’s

exclusiveone.Then,forBarthes,portraitureisalwaysastrugglebetweentheoneinfrontof

andtheonebehindthelens:sitterdrivingphotographer’s(andconsequentlyviewer’s)eyesto

theformer’saimsandphotographerpositioninghis/herlens(andconsequentlyalsodrawing

viewer’sattention)accordingtoher/hisowngoals.

Taking the rolesof researcherand researched further,ElizabethEdwards (2014) claims that

collaborationhasalwaysbeenasignificantpartofanthropologicalstudies,withnegotiations

andcompromisestakingplaceonbothsidesformanyreasons,evenifthisissomehowveiled.

AccordingtoEdwards,thesubjectalsoretainspower:thepowerofrevealingjustwhatshe/he

wantsandwhenshe/hewantsto,thepowerofcontrollingandmaintainingownershipofthe

knowledge, and also drawing the researcher’s/photographer’s attention for what she/he

wants, even considering the asymmetries of the researcher-researched relationship. The

subjectisalsoawareoftheopportunityofdocumenting(andthusperpetuating)whatshe/he

considers important (e.g. her/his community’s traditions) that comes with the work of a

photographerand/oranthropologist.TheseperspectivesarealsosharedbyanthropologistH.

RusselBernard(Bernard,2006:197-200).

Forthepurposeofclarification,hereinafter,wheneverIusetheword“collaboration”referring

to this research, Imeancollaborationbetween theparticipantsof thisproject (i.e. riverside

dwellers)andmyself.

Sincetheoriginalityofthisresearchisbasedupontheexchangesbuiltupoverthecourseof

theencounters Ihavehadwithmysubjects(inordertogather,analyse,shape,andpresent

informationon thedimensionsof theharmsof largedamprojects), Inotonlyacknowledge

theviewsandthoughtsofPinney,Barthes,andEdwardsbutalsorespondtothembyactively

encouragingandpushingtheboundariesofthesitter’spower.Iwantparticipantstoexpress,

toarticulate,tothinkof,andtoreacttotheinformationtheyown,andeventuallyprovokethe

viewerstoexpandtheirthinkingandknowledgeonwhatis,infact,involvedwhenitcomesto

the construction of hydropower plants, as well as the relevance of the consequences of

dammingariver.Fig.2.3providesanexampleofthis.ParticipantfromtheSobradinhodam,

Hilarino,wantedtoshowcasethehuthehadtobuildforhisfamilytoliveinaftertheenforced

move (location chosenbyHilarino), andhighlight their struggle togetdrinkingwater in the

newsite(objectchosenbyHilarinotoappearwithhiminhisportrait:thecrockthathisfamily

used to collect and store drinking water). For Hilarino, Sobradinho dam/hydropower plant

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signifiedsorrow(feelingnamedbyHilarino),lossofaproperhousetolivein,anddeprivation

fromdrinkingwater(Fig.2.3).

FIGURE.2.3.LocationandsequenceofportraitsofHilarino.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR©HilarinoNunesdosAnjosandMarileneRibeiro2015

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Considering Schneider and Wright’s suggestion about the use of the intrinsic differences

between researcher and researched in order to achieve a productive encounter, I do not

attempttoconcealordisguisemypresenceinthiswork,asimpartialdocumentaryworkdoes

not, Iwouldargue,exist.Rather, Itrytonotonlyreaffirmthisbutalsototakeadvantageof

thisfactbyusingmyexpertiseasaphotographertobringeverysitter’sideatolifeintheform

ofphotographs,co-creating,step-by-step,thisjointdiscoursetobeshowcasedtotheOther13.

Hence, more than co-workers, the subject and I become accomplices in what takes place

throughoutthisprocessofmaking.Ultimately,Iwantthevisualnarrativepresentedasaresult

ofthisresearchtoembodytheintimacyandintensityoftheexchangesintheseencountersas

wellastheactualcostsofhydropower.Byopenlyelaboratingthisnegotiationofknowledge

andrepresentationalongwithmycollaborators14(i.e.theactualsitters),Ialsointendtopush

theboundariesoftraditionaldocumentarypractices.

According to photography writer Derrick Price, in the seminal book edited by scholar and

researcherLizWellsPhotography:acriticalintroduction,theproblemthattraditionalformsof

documentary have faced is connected to the way photographers generally depict their

subjects: “[…] photographers often rendered those they recorded into passive sufferers […]

rather thanactiveagentsof theirown lives.” (Price,2015:98).As Ihavenoticed throughout

this project, my subjects do not intend to set out photographs that depict themselves as

stereotypesofvictimhood.Rather,theatmospherethatinhabitsthesecollaborativeportraits

ismoreaboutthesitter’sperceptionsandreflectionsconcerninghim/herselfbeforethedam

works and also before his/her own life.My collaborators are embedded in the community

they belong (or belonged) to, thus I invite them to transpose their personal and collective

thoughts,attitudes,andmemories intoourwork.Weincorporatewhatwebothconsiderto

berelevantintotheprocessofproducingmeaningandthisallowsforthesubjectsportrayed

to present themselves as active agents in the social fabric instead of reinforcing the

perceptionthattheyaresimplysufferingvictims(Fig.2.4-seealsoAppendix9,forthewhole

set of portraits assembled throughout this research). Building upon Price’s standpoint, the

approach I use in this research might be considered a turning point within documentary

practicesbecause,evenifthephotographsinmyprojectconcentrateonthesitters’(usually)

negativefeelingsregardingtheroleoflargedams,theformerdonotappeartobeaskingfor

pity or passive contemplation from the viewer. Rather, these collaborative portraits depict

13i.e.everyoneelsebutthesitterher/himself.14SeeMethodologyfordetails.

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(andcall for)attitudes:photographedsubjectsdeliberately construct theirpose, choose the

location,setuptheobjectstodisplay,andactivelypresenttotheviewerwhattheyarethere

for.

FIGURE.2.4.SequenceofportraitsofJoãoEvangelista(a)andportraitofEliezé(b).

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a) João Evangelista’s overwhelmingfeeling regarding the move from Alto do Melão village due to Sobradinho dam works was that oflonging. He said hemissed the fertile soil that provided everything he and his family needed to eatthroughouttheyear (“HowImiss that landthatprovideduseverything.”).Hechoosesashisobjects:cassavaandsweetpotato,torepresentallthevegetablestheyusedtogrowattheriverside.Duringthephotoshoot,JoãoEvangelistaproposesdifferentpositionsinwhichtopresenthimselfandtheformerlymentionedblessedfoodprovidedbythat“land”.ThelocationchosenbyJoãoEvangelistais:hiscurrentliving room (which contains some parts of his old house in Alto doMelão). During the shoot, JoãoEvangelistadoesnotposeasan individualasking formercy, insteadhecomesupwith ideas toshowhowtheecosystemservicesofferedby theoffshorewaterpatternof the riverarecrucial forhumanlives,howpeoplelivingbythebanksofthisrivercan,giventhechance,beself-sufficient.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JoãoEvangelistadoEspítiroSantoandMarileneRibeiro2015

b) Eliezé’s idea for his own portrait: “I wantmy photograph to be taken by the deadwater [by thereservoir,whosewater,accordingtohim,nolongercontainslife].Thelampbulbisgoingtorepresentthepurposeofall thisdestruction.”Eliezéuses thecameraasa tool todeliberatelydrawthecostsofhydropower. He does not even consider portraying himself as a sufferer. In contrast, he wants theviewer to be aware of the extinction of life he has witnessed as a consequence of the process ofdammingtheSãoFranciscoriver.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©EliezédosSantosSouzaandMarileneRibeiro2015

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I shall carry onwith the debate around documentary photography andmy own practice in

Chapters Three and Five, when I set out some perspectives concerning the role of each

protagonist of thephotography triangle (i.e. the subject, thephotographer, and the viewer)

throughthelensesofcommunicationandcitizenship.

2.2Hybridizationofperspectives,ideas,andknowledge

As outlined above, this practice-based PhD research is about photographer and subject

exploring one another, jointly working, exchanging knowledge, experiencing together the

processofproducinganarrativethatabsorbsthemagnitudeofthesocialandenvironmental

impactsoflargedamsprimarilyfromthesubject’spointofview.Myintendedresultisavisual

storytellingfromahybridperspective,theperspectivesofbothphotographer/researcherand

subject/researched, learning and discovering together. Hence, its agency rises from what

happens during the process ofmaking, in-between, and thiswill support the discussions as

wellastheessenceoftheworkIproposehere15.

ForAlfredGell(1998),anthropologistwhosebodyofworkwasfocusedontheanthropologyof

art, theagencyofanartwork resides in thewholebackgroundof theartistaswellas in the

processofmaking, reflecting,andadjusting,what is latelyappropriatedby thevery finalart

piece.Inotherwords,theprocessofcreationiscontroversiallythemostimportantpartofan

artobject–the“soul”ofit,whereitsagencylies.

Inthisprocessofbecomingthroughcollaborativelabour,participantsinitiallycontributewith

theirbackground,i.e.theknowledgeconcerningtheirlocalenvironment(seasonalpatternson

theriversystem/floodplains,plantandanimalcommunities,namesandhabitsoflocalspecies,

culturalfeatures,traditions,etc.)aswellastheirhistoryandtheirthoughtsontheirindividual

andcommunallivesinrelationtothesehydropowerplantprojects.Mybackgroundismyskills

in the fields of photography and ecology, and the experience I have built up fromprevious

collaborativeartworksIhaveworkedin.Fromthisstartingpoint,weelaboratetogetherforms

to expose, reveal, critique, and reflect on the energy systemand its consequences for both

15This is also one of the reasons that underpinmy choice for juxtaposing text and image in thiswork, as I willexplaininChaptersThreeandFive.

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nature and people. This process subverts the “individual”way of producing artwork, as the

visual result of each portrait is embedded in the phenomena that emerged during the

encounterbetweeneachparticipantandme, fromdiscussingand finding together themost

fitting solutions to present participant’s thoughts/feelings by means of photography, and

expressingour ideasanddirectingeachotherduringthephotoshoottowalkingaroundand

perceiving together the sites of importance to each sitter, even when nothing is verbally

communicated.Hence, thepower (andalsotheagency) ineachportraitof thiscollaborative

workliesintheseuntouchable,unseen,thingsthathappeninbetweenthepicturemakingand

thatare symbolised in this final image.Asa consequence, in thisPhDwork,Gell’sagency is

expandedtoembodymanypeople’sthoughts,insteadofjustrepresentingoneindividualmind

alone.

Regarding this “expanded agency” and this process of jointly “carving” an art work, Grant

Kester (2008, 2011), art historian and critic whose work has been dedicated to analysing

collaborative methods within contemporary art practices, postulates that collaboration

operatesatthreedifferentlevels:

a) The most basic, according to him, are those termed technical collaborations – i.e.

collaborationbetweentwoartists,amongthreeormoreartistsorbetweenanartist

andadesigner,journalist,etc.;

b) At the second level are those in which the artist transforms spectators into

participants;

c) At the third are those in which the artist is involved with a given site or group of

people/community.

Kester(2008)arguesthatworksofartthatcomprisethefirstlevelofcollaborationmightnot

be considered a cutting-edge approach, as such collaborations do not go beyond the

boundariesoftheartisticcommunityanditsrelatedinstitutions,whereascollaborationsthat

stand at the third level are the most emancipatory and immersive, as not only do the

boundaries between artist and his/her collaborators become indistinguishable, but also the

conceptionoftheartistasanentitywithspecial“gifts”seemstomelt.

ThisPhDproject isaresultofablurringoftheseboundaries,asdescribedbyKester,making

them sufficiently ambiguous to interfere in theway the audience perceives, interprets, and

reacts to what they are looking at, since they will be witnessing a process of blending

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perspectives, creative ideas, and knowledge, which prompts them to question their own

stanceinregardtotheissuesofdamsandhydropower.

BacktoKester’spointsoncollaborationatthethirdlevel,ItakeBrazilianartistHélioOiticica’s

Parangolé (1964-1968) to expand my idea of a practice that blends perspectives, creative

ideas, and knowledge. Parangolé consists of mainly fabric-made banners/mantles/cloaks

conceivedbyOiticicatobewornbysomeoneelseotherthanhimself(hiscollaborators).The

concrete objects produced by Oiticica (i.e. the banners themselves) have no meaning if

presentedasstillobjects.Instead,they“cometolife”oncewornbyparticipants,inthiscase,

primarilythesambadancersoftheEscoladeSambaEstaçãoPrimeiradeMangueira(dwellers

of Mangueira shantytown, in Rio de Janeiro) with whom the artist had already built a

relationship/dialogue(Oiticicahadpreviouslylearnthowtodancesambathere,madefriends

thereandspent time immersed inMangueira’sdaily life).The“object”onlyexistswhen the

bannerembodiestheparticipant’sperformance,asthedancermoves,appropriatelydisplaying

its composition of colors, its shape, its materiality, and also politically pungent statements,

like:“Incorporoarevolta”(“Iembodyrebelliousness.”),writtenbyOiticicaonthebanners(Fig.

2.5).

FIGURE2.5.StillsfromOiticica’sParangoléperformedbysomedwellersofMangueirashantytowninRiodeJaneiro,Brazil.

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Previouspage:participantwearingOiticica’sParangoléandrevealinghiddenpartsofitashemoves(includingthewrittenpart“Iembodyrebelliousness”).Top:Oiticicadepictedintheforegroundandparticipants(wearingOiticica’sParangolés),inthebackground.Bottom:twoparticipantsdancingattheirownwill,hencetransformingthebanner(e.g.mixingitscolours,changingitsshape)intotheultimateworkofart.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©CentrodeArtesHélioOiticica/RJ(previouspageandtop)andIvanCardoso,1979(bottom)

Parangoléisinfactconceivedfromthebackgroundofboththeartistandhiscollaboratorsand

its agency stands on what happens when the skills of Oiticica and his collaborators work

together, mixing and becoming indistinguishable from each other when the “final product”

rises (whatOiticica calls “in-corporação”/”in-bodiment”: the body embodies the banner and

the banner embodies the body–H. O., 1978). Even 50 years later, Oiticica’s proposal is

revolutionary in relation to howhe pushes the boundaries of this blendbetween artist and

collaborator and how he uses each party’s skills interchangeably to raise the agency of the

artwork; as a consequence, what is presented to the audience is what develops from this

momentumofcommitmentbetweentheartistandhiscollaborator.

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Movingtowardsphotographyandmorerecentworksthataddressthiscommitmentbetween

artistandparticipants(aswellasquestionsomeofthecritiquesondocumentaryphotography

– see p. 95): from 2003 to 2008,Magnum photographer Jim Goldberg undertook a project

(entitledOpenSee)onthestoriesofpeoplewhohadfled(orwantedtoflee)Ethiopia,Congo,

Bangladesh, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Egypt, Palestine, Kurdistan, Iraq, Russia, Afghanistan,

Albania, Ukraine, Pakistan, Bulgaria,Moldavia, and China to Europe. Instead of drawing the

viewers’attention to thestrict sufferingofhis subjects,Goldbergopts for focusingonother

relevantpointsinvolvedinthecontextofillegalimmigrationeithertriggeredbywar,disease,

religious conflicts,political insurrections,oreconomic crash: thedeprivation from thebasics

(food,house, lawsupport, family,andidentity),thedreams,aswellastheresponsibilitiesof

allcountriesinthisscenario.Heembedshisphotographswithhissubjects’opinionsaboutthe

situationsthattheylivein,byaskingthattheyphysicallyinterferein(andthenre-signify)the

imagesmadeandgatheredbythephotographer(Fig.2.6).

FIGURE2.6.SomeimagesfromOpenSee(Goldberg,2009).

Noteparticipants’writingsonthephotographs,providingnewandpersonal informationtotheviewerregarding the themes of migration, international relations, and boundaries, thus, re-signifying thesephotographs.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JimGoldberg/MagnumPhotos

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Goldberg’sworkfulfillshisaimstonotsimplyshowwhatisinfrontofthecamera,butrather

whatisbehindandbeyondthephotographicimage,whenhegivesroomforhiscollaborators

toexpressthemselves16,interactingwithhimandthephotographshetakes/gets,merginghis

subjects’perspectivesanddiscoursewithhisown;beforegeneratingthe“finalpiece”.

Inmy research, I investigate the significanceof a collaborativework betweenphotographer

and subject in presenting the harms associated with the construction of large dams;

consequently,Ialsobelievethemoremysubjectsengageinshowingtheirpointsofviewand

interfereintheprocessofmaking,themoreeffectivetheresultswillbe.

Also interested inexploring thisenvironmentof co-creationand trying toevolve fromsome

issuesrelatedtothedocumentaryapproach(especiallywithregardtothehierarchythatmight

be commonly established between the photographer and his/her subjects of enquiry),

Australian-born artist Anthony Luvera has run collaborative projects with people who have

experienced homelessness in the United Kingdom since 2002. Luvera’s method consists of

running workshops where individuals from this group are invited in, trained to use

photographic equipment, and asked to photographwhat is relevant to them. An important

partof thiscollectiveprojectconsistsof self-portraitsmadebyeveryparticipant (Luverahas

also trained them to use large format cameras, flash, and other devices and techniques to

workon theirownportraits–what Luvera later calledAssistedSelf-Portraits, as Luverawas

on-hand to guide them throughout the process)17. The result of this long-termparticipatory

project is abuilt-upmemoryaswell asamaterializedexistenceof thesepeoplenotonlyas

individuals but also as part of the history of the cities they live in (e.g. Belfast, Colchester,

London,andBrighton).Thiswork,then,functionsasdocumentary,ascollaboration,asarchive,

asaprocessofempoweringpeopletobecomeapartoftheir localandhistoricalcontext,an

embodiment of the relationship developed between Luvera and participants of this project

(Fig.2.7).

16Noteworthily,itseemsthat,sometimes,Goldberghadtopushhiscollaboratorstospeakas,duetowhattheyhadfaced,theywerenotusedtospeakforthemselves.17FormoredetailsonthecontextwhereintheAssistedSelf-Portraitsseriesemergedfromandhowthiscollaborativedocumentarypracticeevolved,seeAppendix6–interviewwithAnthonyLuvera.

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FIGURE2.7.Residency-AssistedSelf-Portraits.Belfast,NorthernIreland(Luvera,2008).

a)documentationoftheprocess(left)andportraitofChrisMcCabe(right).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©ChrisMcCabeandAnthonyLuvera.

b)someparticipants’assistedself-portraitsarrangedinagrid–Polaroidshots.Notethatitisassuredthattheframingincludestheautomatictriggerheldbytheself-portraitist.©AnthonyLuveraandcollaboratorsfromtheworkshopinBelfast

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WhiletalkingaboutthisworkintheroundtableinterviewthattookplaceduringtheBrighton

Photo Biennial 2014, Luvera stressed: “[…] I really wanted to be true to the fact that my

interestswereaboutexploringtheperspectivesofpeopleIwaslookingatandlookingwith,as

opposedtobeingakindof ‘communityphotographer’. […]” (Burbridgeetal.,2014). Inother

words, likeGoldbergand I, Luvera is keen toelaborateavisualdiscourse thathighlights the

participants’pointsofview.Obviously,theportraitswe,theaudience,seeholdmorethanjust

oneperspective, i.e. thesitter’sperspective: theiragencyresides inall the immaterial things

thathappenbetweenLuveraandparticipants throughout thisprocessofcreatingthe idea—

the sitter’s ideaof representinghim/herself andwhat is relevant tohim/her to theOther—

codifyingitandeventuallypresentingitbymeansofphotography.Despiteeachsitterframing,

staging, and operating the camera, Luvera is there to assist, to mediate the relationship

between every sitter and the audience. Hence, the work exists with and through the

involvement of both artist and participant/sitter interchangeably. Luvera formally

acknowledgesthisblurofauthorshipbyensuringparticipants’namesgotogetherwithhisown

nameonthecredits.

I intend to push the boundaries of the paradigms regarding authorship and the exchanges

addressedinLuvera’sAssistedSelf-Portraitsevenfurther.LikeLuvera,myresearchalsoseeks

toimmerseeverysitterintotheprocessofconstructingtheirownimagetotheaudience.Yet,

itmergesevenmore the rolesof eachoneof theactorsof thisprocess (i.e.myself andmy

collaborator/sitter), as the onewho operates the camera, frames the shot, and presses the

shutterreleasebutton(myself)isnottheonewhocomesupwiththeinitialthoughtsforthe

portrait and devises further modifications on the photograph to be taken (participant).

Interestingly,my research also incorporatesperformative acts undertakenby the sitter/self-

portraitistalongtheshoot(e.g.testingofposesthesittermakeswithher/hisselectedobject,

theinclusionornotofrelativesinthephotograph,etc.)aspartofthefinalwork,makingthis

processofimagemakingmorevisiblethanthatofLuvera,wholargelyreliesonthecodingof

conventional portraiture—i.e. one upright photograph (see Fig. 2.7b)—as the result of his

collaborativeproject.

Regarding this point, and also in the endeavor to situate my own practice within the

contemporary scene of initiatives in collaboration and photography, artist Sharon Lockhart

also acknowledges these performances and applies a participatory as well as an

anthropologicalperspective inherApeú-SalvadorFamilies:Portraits,partofherworkTeatro

Amazonas (2000)—which comprises a video and other types of photographs too. Lockhart

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asked to join thework that anthropologists Ligia Simonianand Isabel Soaresde Souzawere

undertakingwithfamiliesintheAmazonia.OnceincontactwiththefamiliesselectedbyIsabel

SoaresdeSouzainApeú-Salvador,Brazil,Lockhartexplainedtothemherproposal:shewould

photographthemusingaPolaroidandaprofessionalcameraatthesametime.Theywouldbe

askedtoselectalocationfortheportrait.Theywouldbealsoallowedtoposefor4shotsina

rowandtheycouldrearrangethemselvesbeforeposingforthenext,final3shots,afterbeing

abletocheckeveryPolaroidfilmout.AllthePolaroidshotswereleftwitheachphotographed

family/person. The strength of Lockhart’sApeú-Salvador Families: Portraits work lies in this

interferencehersubjectsmakeinherroleasphotographeraswellasintheoptionofchoice

the subjecthas to representhim/herselfbefore the camera,beforehis/herown family, and

beforetheeyesofthebeholder(Fig.2.8).

FIGURE2.8.TeatroAmazonas–Apeú-SalvadorFamilies:Portraits(Lockhart,2000).

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©SharonLockhart

My interest in Lockhart’s approach is focused on how she experimentswith her subjects of

Apeú-SalvadorFamilies:Portraitspossibilitiesofself-representation,howherproposaldisrupts

the control the photographer holds before the ones she/he photographs and questions the

solerightsoftheauthorship,asthesearealsopointsassembledinmywork.

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Lockhartalsointendstodeveloparelationshipofreciprocityandrespectwithhersubjectsby

giving all the original photographs (i.e. all the Polaroid shots she takes) to her sitters

immediatelyafterbeingproduced,and thatwasoneof the reasons Idecided touse instant

filmsasoneof theactivities Iproposed formy fieldwork in theGarabi-Panambidamregion

(seeChapterFivefordetails),insteadofphotographicfilmrollordigitalphotography:toleave

immediately to each participant an object that could represent something important to

him/heraswellasourexchanges.

In contrast,despite the fact that shewelcomesher subjects’participation in the creationof

theirownportraits,IconsiderLockhart’sapproachtimidwhencomparedtoLuvera’s,interms

of the level of engagement required by her collaborators, as both Luvera’s and my work

involvediscussionswithourparticipantsaboutthechoicesmadebytheartistandparticipants

during the entire processwhereas Lockhart’s subjects do not hold this sort of power in the

worksheproposes.Moreover,inLockhart’swork,sittersarenotallowedtointerfereineither

thephotographer’sperspective(e.g.settingand/orsuggestingwhethertozoominorout)or

numberofshotstobetaken(asthedealwasrestrictedtofourshots-threerearrangements).

2.3Challengesandcontroversiesofcontemporarycollaborativepractices

TheworkIproposeasthisPhDisunderpinnedbytransdisciplinarityandreciprocityaswellas

engaged with an important contemporary political and economic dilemma (energy,

hydroelectricityand its costs), characteristicshighlightedbyGrantKester (2008,2011,2013;

KelleyJr.andKester,2017)andClaireBishop(Roche,2008;Bishop,2012)asthecoreofproper

collaborativeprojects.

In2006,arthistorianandcriticClaireBishopwroteaboutwhatshecalledThesocialturninart

practices(Bishop,2006a).Inherpaper,Bishopacknowledgestherolethatsocialandpolitical

agendashaveplayed indrivingproposals that she consideredavant-garde.However,Bishop

alsostressesherconcernaboutworks labelledas“art”despitenothavingany impact in the

fieldofarts,accordingtohercriteria.Shearguesthatactualcollaborativeartpracticeshaveto

bemorethanjustethicalformsofsocialisationwithapoliticalaim,butratheragenciesthatre-

think the society in whichwe live. For Bishop, good intentions and the self-sacrifice of the

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artist’sautonomy/authorship(inspiredbythediscourseofthe“Christiangoodsoul”)arenot

enoughtoclassifyasociallyengagedpieceofworkas“art”.

She later (Roche, 2008) added that she appreciates and welcomes transdisciplinary

collaborativeprojects thatare in factequallycommitted incontributingtoall the fields they

comprise.Sherathercriticisescollaborativeprojectsthatoverlooktheaestheticsandclaimto

be artworks just because they merge cooperative tools with art-related techniques (like

drawing, collage, photography, video, etc.). Bishop points out that more than ameliorating

directlythesituationofthecommunityinvolvedinsuchprojects,actualartworksaddressthe

dominant conventions and the socio-political dilemmas of their times, even indirectly.

Accordingtoher:

“[…] Icompletelyagreethatturningtootherdisciplinescanhelptosharpenourmodeof

discussionaboutworksofart,particularlythosethatstepintothesocialarena.[...]Butif

theclaimsfortransdisciplinarityaretobetakenseriously,thentheseprojectsshouldalso

functionwithin other discourses too [i.e. these projects should contribute to discussions

withinbothSociologyandArts].ThesituationIwouldwanttoavoidisof inconsequential

practicesthatmakenoimpactoneitherfield.[…]”(ClaireBishopapudRoche,2008:205)

In response to Bishop’s points, Grant Kester (2006) argues that

collaborative/participatory/socially-engaged art is in fact a continuum that ranges from

community-guidedreactionstothecurrentsocial-political-economicsystem(like Imagensdo

Povo, Hackney Flashers, or theAA Project byAla Plastica) to “performances” that provoke

socialinteractionsaswellas“indirectly”(usingBishop’sword)pointoutasociety’sissue(like

Luvera’sproject,regardingthesituationoflivinginthestreetsintheUK,andGoldberg’swork,

showcasing the points involved in illegal immigration to Europe). Kester (ibid) criticizes

Bishop’s presumed bias on relational projects that either directly pursue social/political

awareness/change or work essentially as an environment for community interactions and

empowerment.HedefinesBishop’sargumentsasstrict,aswellasareflectionoftheprejudice

art criticshavewitheverything thatcansomehowsuggest socialandpolitical “activism”.He

replies that the art projects she addresses as “good examples of collaborative art practice”,

likeSantiagoSierra’sworks18,donoteither threaten theartist’sautonomyor in factengage

18Santiago Sierra addresses the tension between labour and freedom by conceiving “collaborative art pieces”whosemarginalizedgroupsarecalledtoparticipate inperformancesruledbytheartistwhichusually involvetheenduranceofphysicaldiscomfortasanexchangeformoney(paidbytheartist),e.g.prostitutesgottheamountof

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participants in the process of labouring together, as the artist pays for

“participants/collaborators” to take part in his constrained proposal instead of stimulating

participantstoactuallyembracehisdiscourseandaims.

For Kester (2011, 2013), collaborative art practices arise as a challenge for art critics and

curatorsastheypushtheboundariesofthecurrentunderstandingofwhatartisfor,i.e.these

socially engaged art forms somehow transgress andquestion the commonplaceof defining

and evaluating art. Such practices generate new forms of signification, directly addressing

issuestotheaudience.TheygeneratewhatKesterentitlesadialogicalaesthetics.Goldberg’s

workOpenSee(2009),forexample,wouldnotbeconsideredart,accordingto“artstandards”

effective twenty years ago. Kester (2008, 2011) stresses that traditional art and humanities

theories are not able to fully absorb or adequately contribute to the discussions on social

interactions and the emancipatory potential involved in collective proposals/actions. He

argues that upcoming research into collaborative art committed to an open condition of

practicethatoperatesacrosstheboundaries(i.e.acrossdisciplines)will,however,becapable

of understanding, analysing, and underpinning theoretically this new form of producing

agencies and that is the reason he also considers collaborative/participatory practice-based

researchas“avant-garde”(Kester,2013).

TakingbothBishop’sandKester’saboveanalysesoncollaborativepracticesinthetwenty-first

century, my position is that ethics and aesthetics do not have to be taken as immiscible

entities.Theartisthastobearinmindthattheworkproposedhastoinfactconsiderbothof

themequallyduringthewholeprocessofmakinganddisseminatingher/his ideas.Theartist

has to keep this as a constant reflection and evaluation in his/her practice (and actually all

artistshavetotakebothaestheticsandethics intoconsideration inanyformofartpractice,

not just collaborativeprojects) and “guide” thewholeprocess inorder tonot let it become

loose or empty in meaning, at the end (i.e. end up being a mere form of socialization, as

Bishopstates).Iamnotclaimingthatartistsshouldcontroland/orrearrangeeverysteptheir

collaborators take (and that is what happens in Santiago Sierra’s works—the reason for

Kester’scritiqueonSierra’swayofworking),orevenoverlookideasor“products”createdby

their collaborators, when presumably not looking like “aesthetical objects”, but rather that

artiststaketheresponsibilityfortheprocessofworking,notinanoppressiveor“closed”way,

but at the same timepushing their collaborators’ thoughts and creativity to get thebest ofmoneytheypaid foroneshotofherointoallowtheartist to tattooa lineontheirbacks,homelesspeoplewerepaidtostandfacingabarewall insidethegalleryforonehour, illegal immigrantworkerswerehiredtorandomlymoveheavyconcrete-madeblocksaroundthegalleryatthelocalminimumrateofincomeperhourofwork.

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these joint experimentations, equally considering the socio-political and aesthetical context,

likeLuveraandGoldberghavedone.

According toKester (2006,2013),curatorsandartcriticshaveabiasagainsteverything that

mightchallenge theirauthorityormightbeoutof their frame, i.e. theartistasabeingwith

“supernatural capacities”, and critics and curators as superior creatures who hold absolute

powertoshepherdthemasses(thatis,therestofmankind)throughthecomplexandelevated

tunnel of the arts. Could this behaviour beunderstood as “the artmarket’s self-protection”

against competition as well as against the loss of its value as a closed group in charge of

producing vital knowledge for society? In his article A collaborative turn in contemporary

photography?, Daniel Palmer (2013), academic with expertise in the field of photography,

highlightshowtheartworldhasstruggledtobreakfreefromtheghostof“singleauthorship”

in photographicworks.Despite the awareness that collaborationhasbeenused in this field

since the nineteenth-century, there still seems to be an attachment to the idea of a

photograph being the creation of one single person (or of two, or three people working

together,butbelongingtothesameartcommunity)asapremiseforaworktobeconsidered

asart.Inhisrecentlylaunchedbook,Palmerrestateshispositionwithregardtophotography

(Palmer,2017:5-13)andspendsits174pagestodemonstratethatcollaborativepracticeshave

resultedingoodqualityworksaestheticallyspeakingtoo.

Althoughkeennot todismissBishop’s concerns,what I believe thathasalso todowith the

“obscure” use institutions (especially governmental ones) have made of socially

engaged/community-based art “tools”, since these institutions have financially invested in

projectsmistakenlylabelledascommunity-basedartasawayof:a)gettingridoftheformer’s

legalcommitmentstoimprovethesevulnerabletargetcommunitiesthroughothermeans,and

b) to state that they are fostering art (rationale that Bishop briefly cites in her response to

Kester – Bishop 2006b – and developsmore in her bookArtificial hells – Bishop, 2012:276-

277),IratherreaffirmKester’sthoughtsthatartandactivismcan,may,andhavebeenworking

together.Asaresponsetothenewpolitical,economic,andsocio-culturalscenariothatarose

during the1990s (and settledafterwards), characterizedbyan increasingly individualistic (in

spiteof “globalized”) societyunderpinnedby the capitalisticmodeofproduction,work, and

consumption, the so-called socially-engaged art, community-based art, experimental

communities, dialogic art, participatory, interventionist, research-based, or collaborative art

comesoutasapoliticalact,asanabilitytodisruptpowerstructures,asameansartistshave

found tomanifest their anxieties, tensions, desires, and reflections concerning (and to) this

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newsocialarrangement(Kester,1998,2011;Rancière,2002,2004).Hence,whenitcomesto

contemporaryworks assembled via the third level of collaboration described by Kester (see

above:2.2Hybridizationofperspectives,ideas,andknowledge,p.99),thereisnochoice,but

addressing, positioning, andworking through the social, environmental, andpolitical activist

arenas.Asashiftinthewayaworkofartisrendered,thesecollaborativepracticesinherently

bringtheirownaestheticsanditdoesnotmeanthatthisaestheticshastomatchthecurrent

art standard concepts and scores. At the same time, as a reflection of this contextwherein

projectsof this kindaregenerated, asnotedbyKelley Jr. andKester (2017:2)particularly in

Latin America, most of the conceivers of these works end up deliberately opting for

disseminatingtheworkviachannelsthatarenotrestrictedtothestrictlyartspheres,asaway

toestablishotherpathsofdialoguewiththepublicthantheoneshapedandconstrainedby

themainstreamartworld.

Ultimately, I intend my practice-based research to explore Kester’s following ideas: i)

Collaborativeartpracticesmeltthe“egoimperialism”oftheartist’sidentityastheauthorship

isdilutedamidstalltheparticipants,theycorrupttheconceptoftheartistasapowerfulentity

withadivinegift,theymaketheartistmoreaccessible(andless“glamorous”)ashis/herrole

hasmoretodowithbeingamediatorthansolelythecreator(e.g.Oiticica’sParangoléandthe

joint work Assisted Self-Portraits conceived by Luvera); ii) They move from autonomy to

interdependency, from the mastery of a technique to the atmosphere of contingency and

improvisation; iii) Their agency arises from an open-ended experience, driven by the inter-

subjective exchanges of the encounters in a fluid processwhere adaptation andmultiplicity

are part of the process. At the same time, I am also interested in producing with my

collaboratorsabodyofworkthatengageswiththeaesthetic,asclaimedbyBishop.

Ihopethisworkinvitesbothaudiencesandthinkerstoimmersethemselvesintheexperience

of collaboration, to reflect onwhat socially-engaged practices trigger and challenge, and to

perceivecollaborativeprocessesasnewshapesinwhereartmanifestsitself.

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2.4 Building upon the contemporary context of visual storytelling and collaborative art

practices

WheninterviewedbyJenniferRoche(Roche,2008),Bishoparguesthatrelational19artprojects

are about imagination, intelligence, risk, pleasure, and generosity of both artist and

participants. I claim that the practice I propose as my PhD acknowledges these points

describedbyBishop.

Furthermore,thisresearchisengagedwithaformofdocumentarywherenotonlytechniques

fromanotherfield(Anthropology)areabsorbed,buttheperspectiveofthephotographerand

the subjects (i.e. collaborators) blend in order to tell a story. Consequently, this work

addresses and intervenes in traditional conventions of visual storytelling. It is about the

subjectsteeringthephotographer’sworksandthephotographerenablinganewvisualization

ofthesubject’sstorysimultaneouslyandwithadegreeofreciprocationinordertosetoutto

theviewerthedimensionsofthesocio-environmentalimpactsoflargedams.Theparticipants’

actual involvement, presenting their perspectives and working collaboratively with the

photographer,isvitalforthisworktohappenandbemeaningful,apointthatIexploreinmy

nextChapter.

19 Claire Bishop refers to Nicolas Bourriaud’s concept of relational aesthetics. Bourriaud (1998) considersexperiments and art-practices involving social relations as rich environments, once the relations betweenparticipants(researchsubjects)andresearcher/artisttriggeredbytheprocessofmakingbecometheactualagentand producer of knowledge. For him, the work of art exists when a situation mediates an encounter/socialinteractionand theconsequenceof thisencounter/interactionhencegenerates itsownaesthetics: therelationalaesthetics.

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Chapter3:HydropowerandPower—photography,representation,andpoliticswithintheframeofmegadevelopmentprojects

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Loquedescribíasiguesiendocierto.El sistema internacional de poder hacequelariquezasesigaalimentandodelapobrezaajena.Sí, lasvenasdeAméricaLatinatodavíasiguenabiertas.WhatIwrotebeforeisstilltrue.The international system of powerworks aswealth feeds from poverty ofothers. Indeed, the veins of LatinAmericaremainopen.(EduardoGaleanoapudMarcos,2009)

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Aimsofthischapter:

- AddressingRolandBarthes’,CharlesPeirce’s,FerdinanddeSaussure’s,UmbertoEco’s,

and Jean Baudrillard’s discourses on representation and applying them towards the

purposesof thispractice inorder toenablecommunicationbetweenparticipantand

thebeholder.

- Discussing Jacque Rancière’s and Ariela Azoulay’s rhetoric on politics and images as

politicalacts,andintersectingtheinformationassembledwithotherpublicationsand

dataunfoldedbythisPhDresearch.

- DiscussingtheroleofsubjectandspectatorinPhotographyandtransposingthistoits

politicaluses.

- Exposing the behind the scene of policies underpinned by hydroelectricity—

internationalmarket, neo-colonialism, corruption, high profit, and propaganda—and

reinforcing theses facts by means of collaborators’ attitudes towards the proposed

researchmethod.

- Introducingworks that have also surfaced social, economic, andpoliticalmatters by

means of photography and collaboration with the subject, such as those by Susan

Meiselas,JimGoldberg,andAnthonyLuvera.

- Setting out Eduardo Gudynas’ concepts, reflections, and proposals regarding

development, well-being, Nature, and neo-extractivism, and tallying them with my

researchaims.

- Stressing the relevance of this practice-based research in dissecting and exposing a

multilayered issue, this project also attempts to build an ethical approach for

development.

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3.1WhatdoyouwanttoshowtotheOther?

Itisnotwithinthescopeofthisthesistoconductanin-depthepistemologicalandontological

inquiry into Semiotics, representation, and politics but rather to bring these concepts and

related phenomena together to assemble reflections on this PhD practice as well as its

implications on the world’s contemporary issues. In order to achieve this, in this Chapter I

combinetheseminalstudiesbyCharlesSandersPeirce,FerdinanddeSaussure,UmbertoEco,

Roland Barthes, and Jean Baudrillard with Ariela Azoulay’s, Jacque Rancière’s, Michelle

Bogre’s, andEduardoGudynas’ arguments to advocatenotonly the choice for photography

(particularlyfocusedonportraiture)butalsotheprocessofimage-makinginthisPhDresearch

as a powerful exposé of what is involved in mega-development projects throughout Latin

America(andmightalsobepertinenttoAsiaandelsewhere).

I also take into consideration the works by Anthony Luvera (Assisted Self-Portraits - 2002-

ongoing), SusanMeiselas (Encounterswith theDani -2003, and Kurdistan: in the shadowof

History - 1998/2008), and Jim Goldberg (Open See - 2009) concerning their perspective on

photographyasawaytocontrasteitherthebroadcastednotionsofspecificsocial,economic,

andpoliticalmattersorHistoryviacollaborationwiththeirsubjects.

3.2Makingmeaning

For communication to happen, it is mandatory that one individual uses a channel that is

understoodbyher/hisinterlocutor.In1976,theItalianphilosopher,novelist,andsemiotician

Umberto Eco stated, in his seminal book A theory of Semiotics: “[…] Every act of

communication to or between human beings […] presupposes a signification system as its

necessary condition.” (Eco, 1976:9). In other words, for Eco, every culture is the result of

processes of signification as well as the means for them to occur. Consequently,

communicatingisto“negotiate”throughasystemofcodes.Thissystemofcodesoperatesin

averypeculiarway,whereagivensense-mediatedstimulus(e.g.visual,scented,audible,or

tactilestimulus)promptsone’smentalactivityinordertogivemeaningtoit;forinstance,the

apparently simple act of looking at any image participants and I have produced in this

researchwillautomaticallydemandthebeholder’smindtogivemeaningtowhatshe/hehas

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just graspedwith her/his eyes from that given photograph she/he looks at. Continuing this

inquiryintocommunication,inthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcentury,theAmerican

philosopher, mathematician, and logician Charles Sanders Peirce and the Swiss linguist

FerdinanddeSaussureproducedaprolificamountofworkregardingthissignificationsystem.

Saussure’sandPeirce’sdiagramsandclassificationsonthisthemearestillwidelyusedamidst

scholars whose inquiries involve the Peirce’s so-called Semiotics (Berger, 1999; Chandler,

2007).Briefly,thesemioticprocesscomprises:agivensense-mediatedstimulus(whatPeirce

identifiedasobject–Peirce,1868,andSaussureapproachedassignifier–Saussure,1966:67)

whichhasthefunctionoftakingtheaddresseetoitssheermeaning(i.e.totheinterpretant,in

Peirce’s words, or to the signified, using Saussure’s term). This ultimate meaning is the

productoftheaddressee’smentalinterpretativeprocessthat,initsturn,ismediatedbysigns.

Sign is the entity that stands for the interpretant/signified (i.e. the entity that links the

object/signifiertoitsinterpretant/signified).Withinthisuniverseofsigns,Peirce(1868,1907)

identified and described three categories: i) icon (type of sign which operates based on

“likeliness”,i.e.theobjectresemblessomehowitsinterpretant,likeaminiatureofacar—itis

nottheactualcar,butmimicsthelatterinitsshapeandcomponents);ii)symbol(understood

viaculturalconventions,learntbyeachindividualwhobelongstoaspecificsociety,asdothe

green, yellow, and red colours in traffic lights and thewords themselves); iii) index (in this

case, theobjectdoesnotnecessarily resemble its related interpretantwhereascannotexist

withoutthelatter,e.g.smoke–object–indicatesfire–interpretant,clock–object–pointsto

time-interpretant).

Taking the above phenomenon forward, one given interpretant can lead to further

interpretations, i.e. it can start a cascade of object-sign-interpretant associations, which

eventuallyformourordinarythoughts.

“[…]Tosay,therefore,thatthoughtcannothappeninaninstant,butrequiresatime,isbut

another way of saying that every thought must be interpreted in another, or that all

thoughtisinsigns.”(Peirce,1868:112)

Importantly,theobject/signifierisnotfixedtooneexactsignonly.Theformercanleadtothe

signified(i.e.totheeventualmeaning)viamorethanonesign.Photographs,forexample,hold

aparadoxicalandalsocomplementarypositioninthisoriginalPeirce’sclassificationofsigns,as

theymaycarryindexical,iconic,andsymbolicfeatures(Johansen,1988:499).

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It is crucial to note that, for the system of signs to operate, objects (or signifiers) need to

presenttothebeholdersomethingthatisrecognizable,i.e.somethingthatshe/hehascome

across before (Barthes, 1972). In other words, the object needs to re-present to the

interlocutor,bymeansofthesigninvolvedinthecognitiveprocessofgivingmeaning,athing

he/shehasacknowledgedinhis/hermemorybeforehand.Then,oneneedstohaveaprevious

experiencewithin the signification process (i.e. previous contact with both signifier and its

supposed signified) to be able to “decode” the meaning of a given “object” (object here

understood as its broader definition as signifier) once perceiving the latter otherwise

communicationwillnothappen.Inotherwords,representationenablesthesystemofcodes

andmeaningstooperatebetweenindividuals.

When I askmy collaborators to both choose a location for their photo shoot and select a

concrete“thing”thatmightsymbolizetheirfeelingsregardingtheimpactofthehydropower

plant/damprojectontheirlives,Iaminfactmakingthemimmersethemselvesintothiswhole

context of representation outlined above. By coming up with and discussing ideas for and

throughout the shoot,my sitters/co-directors are actually shaping the resultant image(s) in

compliance with their thoughts, i.e. in compliance with the succession of object-sign-

interpretantconnectionsthatrunintheirmindsfromthemomenttheyhadopeneduptheir

individualexperiences(notonlybutmainlyduringtheinterview)untiltheverylastshot.

ThephotographsthateverysitterandIhaveassembledtogethermightnotmakeimmediate

sense to theviewer, asmypriority is toassure they represent theirownstory in theirown

terms.Nevertheless,thissortoffirstglimpsecommunicationnoise(generatedbyaprocessof

making chiefly driven by individual’s perceptions and history) provokes the audience as it

plays with the thresholds between the common sense/collective system of codes and

subjective experience/memory. By providing further information (like captions and/or

excerpts from the interview) along with the photograph itself, the message is likely to be

eventually delivered, as the beholder may be capable of putting into context what stands

beforeher/him.Thissubject-photographer-beholdersocialintercourseisonlypossibledueto

thesignificationsystem.

ItaketheintervieweesMarinês(Fig.3.1),MariaZilda(Fig.3.2),andMariaDalva(Fig.ii,p.46)

asexamples.

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WhenMarinês,herhusband(Dalmir),andIdecidetodepictthecoupleinasequenceofposes

thatindicate(viatheculturalsystemofinterpretationstressedbyEcoatthebeginningofthis

Chapter) they are dancing throughout the “stage” (i.e. the locationMarinês chose for the

shoot:thecouple’slivingroom),wedonotexpecttheviewertoinstantaneouslyunderstand

thelinkthatexistsbetweenthedanceandtheimpactofhydropower.Weratherbuildthislink

by: i) assuring the couple keeps a “standard de-coded” grave look throughout the entire

sequence–hencepromptingtheviewertoask:“whyaretheydancingiftheyarenotenjoying

it?”; ii) informing (through a written caption, for instance) that the performed dance

“represents”thecommunionofdwellersduring localcommunities’ fetes—occasions likethe

NossaSenhoradeFátima’sDay,inwhichpeoplefromneighbouringvillagesinthatstretchof

theUruguayRivergettogether,celebrating,amongotherthings,thespiritofbeingonesingle

family.Marinês and her husband know local folklore styles and are used to spending long

times dancing with each other, and also swapping partners with their peers during these

festivities.SheforeseestheGarabidam(originallyplannedtotakeplaceontheUruguayRiver

within the near future) ripping villagers apart and, consequently, bringing these times of

communalempowermentandjoytoanend.Forher,thisisoutrageous.ThusMarinês,Dalmir,

andIweaveherfeelingswithherdancethroughthephotographinordertospeakaboutthe

connexionsbetweenGarabidamandherstory(Fig.3.1).

FIGURE.3.1.SequenceofportraitsofMarinês.

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Marinês’feeling:outrageandrebelliousness“Object”chosen:thedancewithherhusband(Dalmir).Forthecouple,thisrepresentstheamusementof the community’s get together,whichwould finish if theGarabidam isbuilt, as theyassume theircommunity will be split, villagers will take different routes, then, these traditional festivities mighteventuallyend.Locationchosen:livingroomoftheircurrentplaceofliving(whichwillalsodisappeariftheGarabidamtakesplace).ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©MarinêsBernardiFinkandMarileneRibeiro2016

MariaZilda, inherturn,wasdisplacedbytheSobradinhodamin1975.Shemovedfromthe

riversideJuacemavillage(situatedbySãoFranciscoRiver),totheSãoFranciscoRiver’ssemi-

arid surroundings where her family and relatives have struggled to feed their goats,

themselves,and, foremost, togetwater.During the interview,sherecallshowblessed they

werewhenpreviouslylivingbytheSãoFranciscoRiver:theyusedtogofishingandgrowtheir

own beans, corn, sweet potato, squash, water melon, etc., their livestock could find

themselves abundant food and there was plenty of water from the river for all purposes.

Moreover,MariaZilda’sfamily,likeMarinês’family,waspartofariversidecommunitywhich

alsogatheredpeopleandsetupfestivitiesbeforebeingsubmergedbythedam-reservoir.Ever

since,MariaZilda’sfamilyhaslivedinanisolatedgroupofsixhousesinthemiddleofthevast

and remote stonyCaatinga. During the interview,Maria Zilda indeed recalls the traditional

dances,thefolksongs,thecommunity’sauction,theeverydaylifeinJuacemavillage(weeven

performedthesetraditionaldancestogether,aftertheinterview).Thesethoughtstakeherto

thecorefeelingregardingthecompulsorymoveduetotheSobradinhodamproject:sorrow.

Shecarriesonandcomparesthissorrowtothesamefeelingshegetswhenoneofhergoats

doesnotresisttheharshnessofthecurrentenvironmenttheyliveinanddie,orwhenoneof

hersonspassedaway.Weeventuallyagreetodepictoneofhergoats(oneofthoseshehad

to bottle-feed) alongwith her in her photo shoot in order to “represent” this sequence of

thoughtsaswellasthefeelingssheunfoldstome:love,death,andsorrow—whichweaimto

articulatetothepotentialviewerofthephotograph(Fig.3.2).

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FIGURE.3.2.PortraitofMariaZilda–lastshot.

MariaZilda’sfeeling:sorrow“Object”chosen:oneofhergoats(oneofthoseshebottle-fed)Locationchosen:livingroomofhercurrenthome,inPoçodoJuáORIGINALINCOLOUR

©MariaZildaAlvesdosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2015

ThesameistrueforthesequenceofportraitsofMariaDalva.MariaDalvawasalsodisplaced

fromthevillageof JuacemabytheSobradinhodam.Asher familywerenothappywith the

Chesf’s20re-housing“offer”:plotsof landwithfacilitiesatSerradoRamalho(aplacelocated

nearly 800km southwards from Juacema, in a region still to be colonized, in the Caatinga

region-asemi-aridbiomethatsurroundsSãoFranciscoRiver,inBahiastate),theydecidedto

headtoanareanotfarfromtheirprevioushome,howeverstillinthemiddleoftheCaatinga:

SãoGonçalovillage.Dalva’s familywerenotusedtothe lackofwater,astheyhadformerly

livedbytheriverside.Afterseveralyearsfacingthescarcityofwater,food,andaccesstobasic

lifesupport, likehealthservices,inSãoGonçalo,herfamilydecidedtomoveagain,thistime

to Sobradinho (site that arose as a dormitory for the workers of the Sobradinho dam and

latelywasturnedintoanactualtown).Dalvastated:“[…]SinceweleftJuacema,wehavelived

like roaming pigeons.” When asked about her feeling regarding this entire situation, she

20Chesf–theSãoFrancisco’sHydroelectricCompany(CompanhiaHidrelétricadoSãoFrancisco)-wasthecompanyinchargeoftheSobradinhodamproject,includingitsresettlementandrehabilitationprogramme.

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replied: “Memory.Memory on how goodwas our life in Juacema.” She chose herwedding

dresstorepresentherfeeling(shegotmarriedinJuacema),and,duringthephotoshoot,she

makesherexperiments,shemovesherselfandherweddingdressthroughouttheframeand

eventually ends up putting it on. Hence, the sequence of Maria Dalva’s portraits has the

quality of stills from a performance in which she plays with ideas of memory and

remembrance(seeFig.ii,Methodology,p.46).Infact,MariaDalvanotonlymentallylinksher

weddingdress to the feelings shehas forherprevioushome,providingus—researcher and

spectators—withanideaofthemagnitudeofwhatthesubmergedJuacemavillagemeansto

her (as viewers will be aware of what a wedding dress symbolizes to a bride, hence the

number of married women who keep theirs), but she also plays with the object chosen

throughouttheshots(metaphorically, Iwouldsaysheplayswithhermemory)toassurethe

viewer(andperhapsherself?)willunderstandtheemotionalresonanceofherexperiences.

At first glance, these juxtapositions of self-chosen sets create incongruity, which is the

“deformed”resultoftheprocessofde-codificationoccurringintheviewer’smind(which, in

its turn, had relied mainly on the cultural codes background to achieve an “intelligible”

interpretant–“whatisthepurposeofthiscoupledancingandstaringatmeatthesametime?

Whatisthisgoatdoinginthisphotograph?WhatdoIhaveto lookat itfor?Whatdoesthis

weddingdress stand for?”).Theadditional informationprovidedbyeach sitter’s testimonial

andattitudeduringtheshoot(whatispresentedinthismaintexthereandisalsosetupasa

piece of text alongside the portrait in the layout for exhibition purposes) not only

complements every photograph but, and particularly, strengthens as well as re-signifies it,

leadingtheaudiencetoperceivehowhydropowerhasimpactedontheseportrayedpeople’s

lives. Therefore, one of the foundations where this collaborative work stems from is this

processofdetachingandre-attachingmeaning,signifyingandre-signifying,mixingcollective

interpretation conventions with private mental processes as well as written language with

image-mediatedcodes.

Buthowcanthemagnitudeoftheimpactsexperiencedbymysubjectsbeaccessed?Iargue

that the relevance of this PhD research and its outcomes lie in the act of imprinting on

photographs the individual experience around a visceral and primitive trigger: emotions

(easilygraspedasaspoken/writtenwordbutoftennotfullyperceivedbytheinterlocutor).

The methodology applied in this practice-based research (i.e. the openness of the

“questionnaire” as a semi-structured interview, as well as the possibility of immediately

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seeing the image just shot and subsequently interfering with it) instigates participating

subjects to seek information in their own minds, to link meanings (via the process of

semiotics), and to reflect on all this assembled “data” to eventually transpose this to the

languageof the image.Thisprocessof speakingaboutandbringing to the surface the lived

experiences, environments, memories, beauties, values, powers, communities, struggles,

fears, loves, frustrations, disappointments, losses, profits, anxieteis, uncertainties, futures,

etc.makesparticipantskeentopublicizetheirperspectivesandtoengagewiththeprocessof

meaning-making. It alsomotivates them to showme special sites, objects, documents, and

photographstheyhavekept.Iamcompelledtosaythatthistimewespendtogetherdigging

andpolishing the very essenceof every sitter’s story anddiscourse is so intense that these

encounters touched and triggered further reflections not only in myself—as a researcher,

photographer,andhumanbeing—butalsoinmysubjects,asIdemonstratebelow.

GumercinoisacassavagrowerwhousedtoliveandworkinBoçorocavillage.In1975heand

his familywere forced tomovedue to theSobradinhohydropowerplantproject.His family

decided to settle in Sobradinho town, where the company in charge of the resettlement

programmeofferedhima standard town-sizeplotof land situated inamarsh (according to

Gumercino).Ashealsoneeded land togrowthecassavas,heandhiswifealsogotanother

plot,but itwas located in thesemi-arid landscapeof theBrazilianCaatinga,wherewater is

scarce.Despite this,Gumercino andhiswife started to grow cassava there. The couplehas

commutedbetweenthesetwositestobecapableofbothgrowingthevegetableandsellingit.

I interviewed Gumercino at his place in Sobradinho town.My assistants and I spent about

threehourswithhimaltogetherandIwasimpressedbyhisopinionsontheSobradinhodam

project aswell as onBrazilian politics as awhole. The day after, I cameback for his photo

shoot aswehadarranged.Hebrought alonganotebookand started: “Yesterday, after you

left,Ikeptthinkinganddecidedtowritedownsomewordsregardingthemove.”Gumercino’s

notessetthesceneoftheSobradinhodam:localsdeceived,dumped,theSãoFranciscoriver

anditsriverinelandscapedestroyed,animalsneglected,trauma(Fig3.3).

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FIGURE.3.3.TextwrittenbyGumercinointhenightafterhisinterview.

Re-photographedfromGumercino’snotebook.Originalasnotesonpaper.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©GumercinodaSilvaAnjos2015

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Englishtranslation:Our struggle, as inhabitants, with regard to the notorious hydropower plantprojectthatbuilttheSobradinhodam.All of us, riversidedwellersand the regionaltogether, donatedall ourmeansofsubsistence,our senseof community,what ledeachoneofus toanunbearabletrauma.Atthetime,theyremovedussorudelyaswewereunbreakableobjects.What they [those in charge of the dam project] called compensation was anarbitraryamount,nonegotiationallowed.Theysaidriversidedwellerswouldenjoyabetterlifewhenthedamwasfinished.How? They said riverside dwellers would have access to free-of-charge energysupply, drinking water, school, health care, roads. Even rain would be morefrequentintheregion.TheirproposedaffectedpeoplemightmovetotheAgro-villagesassembledbytheChesf in the area of the Bom Jesus da Lapa district.Many headed to there butsubsequentlydecidedtomovetoothersites.Nowadays,nobodyhearsabouttheAgro-villagesanymore.Thosewhodecidednot tomove to theAgro-villagesweren’tentitled tohaveanappropriate transport for their belongings. The company didn’t hold anyresponsibility concerning the displaced families. What became available was a‘pau-de-arara’lorrytotransfertheelders,pregnantwomenandchildren.The flood caused a mass destruction in the region, destruction of the bondsbetween local inhabitants, trees,andall sortofanimals thatexisted in the riverbasin.They[thoseinchargeofthedamproject]broadcastedsomanyadvantagesofthedam.Nomoreneedtosay,everyonecanseewhathappened:we’vejustgotthetraumaof a long goodbye hugwe exchangedwith thosewho are still alive butwhowehavenevermetagainafterthemove.

What caused aman towrite a two-and-a-half-page testimonial, during the night, about an

event that took place roughly forty years ago? Might this sort of question enable us

(researcherandaudience)toassessthemagnitudeoftheimpacttheSobradinhohydropower

stationhashad,notonly inGumercinobutalso intheentirearea?Gumercino’sfeelingsare

outrage,indignation,andrebelliousnessagainstwhatwasimposedbythedamproject,ashe

stated during the interview. Even almost a half-century latter, Sobradinho dam is still

somethingunbearabletohimbecausehehadwitnessedits(asthelettersays)cleardamages,

losses,andlies.Indignationandfurytookhimtohistextand,consequently,tookmyself,asan

interlocutorandresearcher,tohisagony.IndignationandragealsoguidedGumercinotohis

choicesforhisownportrait,asIshalldiscussfurtheroninthisChapter.

MyencounterwithCirlei (oneofmycollaborators fromthefieldwork intheGarabi-Panambi

dam complex region) was also powerful concerning participant’s feeling-led engagement,

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representation,andthesubjectivedimensionoftheimpactsofhydropower.ThePanambidam

hasbeenacasefortheBrazilianSupremeCourtsince201321. Itwasoriginallyplannedtobe

built in thenear futurebut its constructionhasbeen interdicteddue to the impact itwould

cause in one part of the UNESCO’s Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve (DEFAP/Programa RS

Rural,2005;InGá,2014).Ifithappens,itwillsubmerge60haoftheTurvoStateParkandwill

alsopotentiallyaffectover20,000people,includingCirleiandNilson(Cirlei’shusband).During

myinterviewwiththecouple,Cirleisays:

“[…]It’shard…whenwegoforatrip,weleave,butweknowwe’recomingback.Whata

holygift istocomeback.However, ifwehavetomoveduetoPanambi, it’sgonnabefor

good.It’snoreturn.Everythingwenowseeherewillvanish!Onlythatstagnantwaterwill

remain… […] Animals, trees, plants, theseareall precious tousotherwiseNilson [Cirlei’s

husband] and I wouldn’t have planted trees, you wouldn’t have seen so many animals

aroundhere.Thesehaveahighvaluetous.Furthermore,ourhistoryliesinourland,inour

community, and this history will be erased. Nilson was born and raised where we are

stepping on right now. I was born and raised in this community too. No money will

compensatethisaltogether. Impossible!Nomoneywillreplacetherelationshipwe’vegot

withthispatchofland.Ifwekeepsilenthere,wehearthebirdssinging.Iftherearebirds,

it’sbecausetherearealsotrees,thereisalsofood.Thiswillallvanish.Nottomentionthe

fishandtheriveritself.Myhusbandisnotaprofessionalfisherman,buthecatchesfishto

feedus.Wehavestartedtogetpreparedtoleavebecausewe’reawarethatwhenitcomes

to thegovernment,power,money, it’snotourwill that isatstake, it’s thegovernment’s

will,thegovernment’sintereststhatruledecisionsinstead.Wehaven’theardofanysingle

damthathasbeenfullystoppeduptonow.Ittakestime,butsoonerorlatertheybuildit.

Then,we’ve been trying to get prepared to not get ill by the time it eventually comes…

[weeping]…it’shard…sometimesit’shardtostandit…Weneedtobepreparedinorderto

notget ill,becausegetting illwillmakethingsworse.Weneedtobepreparedto face it.

But, asNique [her husband’s nickname] says, ‘we thinkwe are prepared to…When the

timetopackwhatyoucanandleavecomes,itwon’tbeeasy…’becausethethingswelove

here,wecan’tpack:ourland,ourlittlecorneroftheworld,ourplants,ouranimals.Evenif

wetryhardtogetprepared,whenthetimecomes,wewon’tbepreparedatall.It’ssortof

a thief breaking through your place: ‘make yourmove otherwise I kill you’, in this case:

21FortheoverallcontextoftheGarabiandthePanambidams,seeChapterFour.

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‘make your move otherwise you drown’. We hope Panambi doesn’t happen…” (Cirlei

HemingDawies,interviewedonFebruary23,2016)

Nilsoncompletes:

“We’vegotabombinourhands.Uptonow,nobodycantellifitwillexplodeornot...But

the fact is: this bomb is connected to our minds and hearts.” (Nilson Roque Dawies,

interviewedonFebruary23,2016)

CirleiandNilsonchose tobeportrayedat “tunnelof trees” locatedat themainentrance to

theirland(thefirstsightthatremindsthemtheyarebackhome,afteranytrip,astheysaid).

Shepositionedherself byoneof theover six hundrednative treesherself andherhusband

havebeenplantingandlookingafter intheirproperty.Wesetthedetailsupandstartedthe

shoot.As Iwasabout to start clicking,Cirlei lookedat (through?) thecamera lensand tears

startedtorolldownherface. Iwaitedabitbeforeclicking, inordertogivehertimetowipe

them away, or to recover herself, if she wished for it, but she remained there, posing,

convincedofherattitude,eyeing“me”throughthelens.ThenIcarriedon(Fig.3.4).

FIG.3.4.PortraitofCirlei(Nega)andNilson(Nique)–firstshot.

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Cirlei’sandNilson’sfeeling:sorrowLocationchosenbythecouple:tunneloftreesatthemainentranceofCirleiandNilson’sproperty.Objectchosenbythecouple:trees.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©CirleiHemingDawies,NilsonRoqueDawies,andMarileneRibeiro2016

Asthephotoshootfinished,sheexplained:“whileIwasstandingthere,itcameout.Idecided

not to hold back but rather let it flow. After all, it is all truth, isn’t it?” Somehow, our

encounter touched her in a way that she ended up finding herself overwhelmed by her

thoughtsandfeelings.Herbodyengagedinpresentingherselftothecameraasnothingelse

butCirlei’s (genuine) feeling. She consciouslydecided tobedepicted in thatway—“quietly”

weeping. Cirlei resolved not to conceal her pain from the Other22, probably because she

wanted her arguments clear enough towhoever receives the image produced as it openly

speaks (tome, to theaudience, toherself,andmainly, Iassume, todecision-makersandall

those in favour of the Panambi dam project): look at what the Panambi dam project

representstome.Notably,Cirlei isnotcryingformercy,she ispreciselyshowingtheviewer

howdamagingthePanambidamlooks.

As Ihavebriefly cited in thepreviouschapter,after some time,whenmy timestayingwith

Cirleiwas coming to anend, she stated:“take it for sure:myhusbandand Iwill talkabout

this23tonight…This time togetherwithyouwas really strong forus.” Ididn’t sleepwell that

night and I guess neither did Cirlei, because of the emotional resonance of our encounter,

whichIhopewascaptured,tosomeextent,inthephotographwemade.

LikeGumercino, IsabelwasalsodisplacedbytheSobradinhodam.ShemovedfromFazenda

das Pedras village to Correnteza village, then to Algodões village, and finally to Sobradinho

town, where she currently lives. During the interview, she recalls her origins, Fazenda das

Pedras’legends,traditionalfolksongs,landscape,anddescribesthedayofthemove:

“Thesaddestthingwastowatchfamiliesbeingtornapart.Relativescrying,passingout,

throwing themselves in the river... desperate… desperate about taking distinct routes.

People who might never have met each other again...” (Isabel Aniceto, interviewed on

22Everyoneelse,butCirleiherself.23The issues concerning the Panambi dam project along with Cirlei’s and Nilson’s thoughts on them and theirexperienceswiththephotoshoot.

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April22,2015)

IsabelnamedherfeelingwithregardtotheSobradinhodam“dismantlement”andchosethe

iron which had formerly belonged to her mother to represent this lively scene she had

described.Somedayslater,whenIreturnedtosay“farewell”toIsabel,shereplied:

“Thankyou,Marilene,forgivingusself-esteem,forredeemingourhistory,forlightingup

thingsthatwerefadinginsideus,formakingusrememberwhatweshouldneverforget.”

What led Isabel to the above “conclusion” about our encounter?Whatmotivated Isabel to

keep thinking about our experience together even during all those days I was not there

anymore?Was the assembled feeling regarding the Sobradinho dam – dismantlement – as

well as was her shoot that triggered such thoughts? Isabel’s words suggest participants

eventuallynotonlymakingmeaningtotheOtherbutalso(re-)shapingsignsandrelationsin

theirownmindstopresentoutcomestothemselves.Assuch,theworktheparticipantsandI

undertook together became a channel for empowerment—as will be elaborated in this

Chapter, building my arguments on subject and power in the realm of photography and

politics.

Iarguethattheotherreasonforthestrengthofthisresearchliesintheotherfoundationof

the practice, i.e. the medium selected as method of inquiry: photography. When Jean

Baudrillard, French philosopher, sociologist, and photographer, also interested in Semiotics,

published Simulacra and Simulations, in 1988, he urged that media like photography, and

video (especially television, within the author’s discourse), emulatewhat they represent in

suchapeculiarandprecisewaythattheyendupoverlayingthe“reality”,eventuallybecoming

the“reality”(Baudrillard,1988).Thisiswherethepoweroftheseécran-madeimagesliesin:

bypretendingtobethe“real”,theyimmediatelyconvincethosebeforethemthatwhatthey

seeisinfactthe“real”andnolongermererepresentationsofthe“real”.RolandBarthes,also

aFrenchphilosopher, literaryandculturaltheorist,andsemiotician,hadpreviouslyreflected

onthisfeatureofphotographyinhisseminalbookCameralucida(1981)—originallypublished

inFrench,in1980.AccordingtoBarthes,everyphotographpertainsthespectraofitsreferent,

consequently,whataddressees in factperceive,oncebeforeaphotograph, is the real thing

that “was there” facing the lens tomake the shothappen– i.e. oncebefore aphotograph,

viewers are not looking at a piece of paper (the print, e.g.)which represents something or

someone“that/whowasthere”whenthecameracapturedthatgiveninstant,theyarerather

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lookingattheverything/individualasdoestheartistwhiledrawingthroughacameralucida:

theartist is lookingattherealmodelbeforeher/himandatthedrawingpaperatthesame

time,whatisinfrontofhim/heristheactualreferent(Barthes,1981:106).Thisphenomenon

addressed by Barthes and later expanded by Baudrillard makes photography, video, and

televisioneffectivemeansforclaims,protests,activism,andsoon,astheynotonlyseizethe

audience’sattentionbutalsoimpeltheaudiencetoreacttothemasthelattercannotsimply

ignorethat“realthing”which/whoperformsbeforetheirveryeyes.Evenawareofthedigital

manipulationofimages(andthepostproduction/editthathasaccompaniedthesemediasince

their early times), one cannot help having this prompt reaction: this was there (Price and

Wells, 2015:19-20), which also relates to the indexical property of the photograph 24 .

Therefore,oncelookingattheportraitofCirleiandNilson(Fig.3.4),forinstance,thebeholder

mightperceivetheactualcoupleinfrontofhim/herandmentallyinteractwiththem25.These

reflectionsdrawmetothepoliticalattributesofphotography.

3.3Photographyandpower

Idonotaimtoanalysepolitics inall itsaspects, includingtheargumentsthatcoveritssheer

definition (as this would deserve a further entire thesis). Nonetheless, I am interested in

discussing the role of photography in the process of negotiation between individuals and

groups, therefore, in politics as its strict (but not less elaborate) definition: the complex or

aggregate of relationships of people in society, especially those relationships involving

authorityorpower26.

AlthoughtheFrenchtheoristandphilosopher JacquesRancièredeconstructs the termby,at

theverybeginningofhisgatheredvolumeDissensus (2010),affirmingthatpolitics isnotthe

exerciseofpowerbut rather theeveryordinaryactofeverypersonwithinagivensociety–

societywhich is ruledbysystemsor,asRancièrestresses,“regimes” (Tenthesisonpolitics–

Rancière,2010:27-44),Itendtoconsiderthat,despitetheauthorseemingtodistancepolitics

frompower,heis infactbringingthelattertothedailyindividuals’negotiationarena(which

is,intheend,organisedbythoseinpower,e.g.marketdemand).24Evenifnowadays,withtheadvantageofsoftware-generatedphotographs,thisindexicalcharacteristichasbeenquestioned(e.g.Price,2015:93;andLehmuskallioetal.,2018)25Alsobecausethecouple“stands”beforetheviewerintheir“livecolours”–seeMethodologyfordetailsonmychoiceofcolourphotographyinthisproject.26OneoftheovertenpossibledefinitionsbytheCollinsdictionary.[online]At:https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/politics

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Also,according toRancière (2004), thesystemthat regulatesaesthetics,equipsartpractices

(e.g. photography) with a political agency, i.e. the inherent characteristics of art make its

practiceabletoestablishrelationsbetweenpeoplebymakingtheinvisiblevisibleandleading

thoseinvolvedinsuchnegotiation(i.e.producerandrecipient)toart-mediatedactions,what

he calls the “meta-politics of the sensory community”27. For him (Rancière, 2004, 2010),

aesthetics and politics cannot be considered antithetic, or inter-excludable agencies as they

runtogether,blendedandoverlaid.Atthesametime,Rancière(2010)highlightsthatitisnot

the object of art itself (i.e. what the beholder sees limited by the frame only) that will

determinewhether itwill be faced as political or not but the discoursewhere suchwork is

embedded, the contextwhere it is inserted into. Thisunveils the role that artist (producer),

audience(recipient),andthesitewheretheworkispresentedtoitsviewersplayinmoulding

theexistenceofthepoliticalagenciesinagivenwork.

The artist, curator, and photography writer Ariella Azoulay shares the same vision of

Rancière’s. During the last eighteen years, Azoulay has been working with the role of

photographyandcitizenry in contemporarydisasters (withher special interest in the Israeli-

Palestinian conflict) and has produced two groundbreaking books: The Civil contract of

Photography(2008)andCivilimagination–apoliticalontologyofPhotography(2012).InCivil

imagination(2012),Azoulayretakesthedebatearoundthevalidityofworksthatreclaimthe

political.Formostartcritics,curators,andarthistorians (whoAzoulayaddressesas“trained

spectator”)nothingelseshouldbelabelledas“art”buttheformallypresentedbeauty–taking

theformalandbeautyasqualitiespre-determinedbytheregimeoftheartworld(e.g.bythe

art market community), which Azoulay refers to as the institutionalized “third judgment of

taste”. According to these trained spectators, everything that looks “too political” does not

deservetoberegarded(i.e.considered“art”)as,forthem,thepoliticalandtheaestheticsare

oppositionalandimmiscibleagencies,hence,“toopolitical”means“notaestheticalenough”to

beperceivedasart(Azoulay,2012:38-41).Shedeniesthisassumptionbyaffirmingthatevery

artpieceismadeofthepolitical(“aspaceofrelationsbetweenpeoplewhoareexposedtoone

another in public” – Azoulay, 2012:52) and the aesthetics (the arrangement of form, shape,

contrasts,opposites,etc.):hence,apieceunderscrutinycannotbejudgedbasedontheinter-

exclusionbetweenpoliticalandaestheticalasthesetwofeaturesareintertwined.Again,using

asanexampletheportraitofCirleiandNilson(Fig.3.4):aestheticchoices,likehowtoposition

27Meta-politicsisdefinedasawayofdoingpoliticsotherthanthewaypoliticsisusuallyrun.

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the couple in relation to the lane, the field and the trees, how to make use of lines and

diagonal, lightandshadow,etc.,arethoughtoutwhenthephotographisbeingmade;atthe

sametime,relationsbetweenthephotographer,thetwositters,andpotentialviewersofthis

portraitaretriggeredbythephotograph,i.e.bytheobject.Notably,themainpurposeofCirlei

andNilson’sphotographistoexposetheharmscausedbythePanambihydropowerproject.

Hence, besides the strong politicalmessage it contains, aesthetic elements are designed to

reach the viewer. As I have explored inChapter Two (p. 110-113), Grant Kester’s discourse

(1998, 2006, 2013) has also reinforced Rancière’s and Azoulay’s. As I have also stated in

ChapterTwo, IamcompelledtoagreewithRancière’s,Azoulay’s,andKester’sargumentsas

wellastoadvocateforbodiesofworknottobemalignedbecausetheylook“toopolitical”or

appear as a formof “activism”as, in theend, both advocacy andpolitics are at the coreof

whatartis.Inmyunderstanding,artconsistsofanindividualoracollectiveprovokingsociety

byarticulatingtheirperceptions,enquiries,inquiries,anguishes,andcriticismsabouttheworld

theylivein.Artistsareinapositiontosomehowchallengetherule-ruledrelationship.

This same logic applied by trained spectators seems to be the cornerstone for a not less

fervent debate involving art, photography, and politics for the last thirty years: the

aestheticizationofthesuffering.

Critics,journalists,writers,academics,etc.havestressedthatsomeworkslook“tooaesthetic”

to advocate for anything but art itself, as their beauty ends up concealing the actual issue

portrayed,makingitappearbanal,predictableandthereforemundane,not“politicalenough”,

whereas, to be political there needs to be a “jarring” element to stimulate the viewer (see

Strauss,2003:6andAzoulay,2012:42-43,101,118-119).Regardingthis,oneartistthatsprings

tomindistheBrazilianphotographerSebastiãoSalgado.Salgado’sworkhaslongbeenwidely

criticizedforbeingmuchtoobeautifultobeabletoexposehisaudiencetotheinconceivable

tragedyhetriestodepict28.CriticshavesaidSalgado’sphotographsdistracttheviewer’seyes

fromwhatneeds tobe lookedat—whetherone intends to takehisworkasaclaimforhow

unevenandcruelthisworldweall liveinis—towardsthebeautiful light,shapes,andtexture

presented(seePires,2015).

DavidLeviStrauss,anAmericanessayist,poet,andeducatorwhohasproducedasubstantial

work for theApertureFoundation,opensuphisarguments regarding this theme,whichhas

28MostmemorabledrawbackanalysesfromSalgado’sworkcomingfromTheNewYorker’sjournalistIngridSischy(Sischy,1991)andtheNewYorkTimes’writerMichaelKimmelman(Kimmelman,2001).

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insistently haunted social documentary photography, in an article he wrote back in 1992

(entitledThedocumentarydebate:aestheticoranaesthetic?Or,what’ssofunnyaboutpeace,

love,understanding,andsocialdocumentary?)andre-published later, in2003,aspartofthe

gathered-essay bookBetween the eyes - essays on photography and politics. Strauss argues

thatoncetheaestheticsistheresultofthecodifyingprocessusedbyhumanbeingstovisually

communicatetoeachother(i.e.theresultofsemiosis)theformerisinherentofphotography

despite its area. In other words, even the named social documentary photography has no

optionbuttopresentitselfas“aestheticized”totheviewer.

“Torepresentistoaestheticize;thatistotransform.Itpresentsavastfieldofchoicesbut

itdoesnot includethechoicenottotransform,nottochangeoralterwhatever isbeing

represented. Itcannotbeapureprocess, inpractice.Thisgoesforphotographyasmuch

as for any othermeans of representation. But this is no reason to back away from the

process.Theaestheticsisnotobjectiveandisnotreducibletoquantitativescientificterms.

Quantitycanonlymeasurephysicalphenomena,andit ismisappliedinaesthetics,which

oftendealswithwhat isnotthere, imaginingthings intoexistence.Tobecomelegibleto

others,theseimaginingsmustbesociallyandculturallyencoded.Thatisaestheticization.”

(Strauss,2003:9)

Bystressingthis,Strausstriestocounter-pointTheNewYorkerwriterIngridSischy’sstakeson

Salgado’s photographs, as Sischy had argued that beauty does not claim for action but for

contemplationonly;hence,Salgado’s“beautificationoftragedy”wouldnotbeacceptableasa

political act—i.e. as socially-engaged photography (Sischy, 1991). Strauss is not defending

Salgadobutactuallyconsideringthefactthatbeautymightbeastrategytograsptheviewer’s

attentiontoasocialissue.Againstsocialdocumentaryphotographycreatedtobeanobjectof

consumption (conceived aestheticised with the aim to be saleable in the art/photography

marketortobeusedaspropaganda—toindoctrinatepeople),Straussstressesthatthereare

photographers who are honestly engaged in communicating the tension they perceive and

they will make use of every skill needed to communicate, which will inevitably involve

absorbingtheaestheticsintotheirworktoo(Strauss,2003).

TophotographywriterMarkDurden,beyondtheissuesrelatedtotheso-called“beautification

ofthesuffering”,theweaknessoftraditionaldocumentarypracticesmightlieinthewaythat

many documentary photographers capture and present those who stand in front of their

lenses(Durden,2000).Inhiswriting,Durdensuggeststhattheempatheticinvolvementofthe

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researcher(i.e.photographer)intotheresearched’sworld,theengagementoftheresearcher

with her/his subject’s perspectives (an example of this affiliation can also be found in

Photographytoday–Durden,2014:300)aswellastheuseofsubjectivityinthemaking/setting

up of the work could overcome these problems related to documentary practices and,

potentially, prevent the social documentary work from being turned into an object for

contemplationonly(asSischyhaswarned)orratherintoacommodityfortheart(oreventhe

advertisement) market. In his first book, Durden (2000) takes as example James Agee and

Walker Evans’ book Let us now praise famous men (1941). He compares Agee’s (writer of

Praise) toWalker Evans’ (photographer of Praise) approach. Durden points out that Evans’

objective, clinical, almostdidacticwayof presentinghis subjects (sharecroppers in Southern

United States) transforms them into mere icons of the effects of the American great

depression, hence the resultant images are not capable of triggering any response from

viewers but the punctual acknowledgement of the factual situation and the harmonious

composition of the portraits they see. In contrast, Agee’s texts concerning the same tenant

farmfamiliesexudetheauthor’sreflectionsandinsightsregardingthelivesofhissubjects(and

alsoconcerningtheexperiencesofthewriterandthephotographerwhenstayingwiththem,

albeit temporarily), not restricting himself in presenting a straightforward vision of the

situation sharecropperswere facing.UnlikeEvans’,Agee’s “book”bringsuphis engagement

andempathywiththoseherepresents.Concludinghisanalysis,Durdeninvitesphotographers

toexplorethissubjectiveandmoreempatheticandsensitiveapproach.

“ […]Whiledrawingattention toPraise Iam lookingback toamoment indocumentary

history,butamomentcrucialinunderstandingtheveryrealanddifficultsocialexchanges

which have to be negotiated in documentarymaking today.Praise helps us rethink the

ideaofdocumentaryassimplyoneofdisengagement,thedisengagementoftheaesthetic

spectacle of celebrated artistic forms of documentary practice, the disengagement of

emotionlessTVnewsreportingofdisasters.Instead,LetUsNowPraiseFamousMenhelps

us acknowledge the need for a documentary which is more empathetic, subjective,

engaged.Andthismovetoengagement[…]opensupaspaceforcontestation,orientsus

toaction.”(Durden,2000:37)

In this PhD project this sort of subjectivity and engagementwith the “depicted subjects” is

pursued. Firstly, because participants’ feelings are at the core of this practice; secondly,

becausethenarrativeconstructedisrootednotexclusivelyinmyownevaluationandframing

of the situation riverside dwellers (my “subjects”) have faced but in what rises from the

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altogether participants’ andmy own perceptions regarding the dams surveyed. Participants

feedandaddtomyunderstandingand,at thesametime,myproposalgives themroomfor

reflections and externalisation of their thoughts. This commitment between us then

permeatesboththephotographsdeliveredtotheaudienceaswellasthejuxtaposedtextual

information that accompanies—and contextualizes—these images. Furthermore, the

photographsweworkondonotintendtosetthedepictedpersonasanobjectivevictimbutas

aspeaker29.Thatsaid,itisworthytonotethat,atthesametime,Iamnotdenyingorputting

theaestheticsasidethroughoutthemaking(asIhaveaddressedinp.133-134),as,likeStrauss

hasremindedus,theaestheticsisinherenttotheprocessofenablingcommunicationbetween

peoplethroughavisualmeans—inthiscase,photography.Then,everyportraitinthisworkis

carefully arranged, posed, and taken based on my technical training as a visual arts

practitioner.

Building upon Strauss’ discourse previously outlined here, Azoulay (2008, 2012) draws her

argumentsincompliancewithhisinsighttodemandthatphotographycan(andmust)beused

notonly to communicatebut also to appeal for action concerning regime-madedisasters30.

Sheacknowledgesbothsubjectandviewerasactivepartsintheprocessofphotographyand

not mere “things” that respectively reflect light and passively observe the image but as

protagonists that enable the politics through the photography thread to happen. By

positioninglikethis,Azoulaytacklesanotherdilemmaofphotography:doesphotography(or

art)haveanypowertochangetheworld?

This is a key aspect of my practice. However, the power of art (including photography) in

politics issimultaneouslyalwaysindoubt,taketheAmericanartistandwriterMarthaRosler

in her striking paper In, around and afterthoughts (on photography) (1981). Even decades

after itspublication (whichwas followedbyanotherpiecedelivered in2001—entitledPost-

documentary, post-photography?), the rationale presentedbyRosler has been taken as the

ground to sustain the arguments that photography (including documentary photography)

wouldnotmakeanydifferencetothewoundsinflicted(andthatwillcontinuetobeinflicted)

bythe“regime”.ForRoslerandherfollowers,photographywouldendupsimplydocumenting

29AsalreadyoutlinedinChapterTwo(p.95-97).30AccordingtoAzoulay(2008),regime-madedisasteriseverycatastrophe(famine,genocide,oil“accidents”inthesea,globalwarming,etc.)thatconsistsofnothingelsebuttheoutcomeofthesystem(regime)ofpowerinwhichwelive(capitalism,democracy,etc.),i.e.thesystemoperatesinawaythateitherallowsorfosterssuchdisasterstohappen.

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these wounds and reinforcing the social and economic extremes it exposes, like a reverse

mirrorthatshowsandremindsthosebeforeitwho(luckily)arenotthem.

“[…]Theliberaldocumentary[theworkthat isdealtasacommoditybyboththemedia

and the art gallery system]assuages any stirrings of conscience in its viewers theway

scratchingrelievesitchandsimultaneouslyreassuresthemabouttheirrelativewealthand

social position; especially the latter, now that even the veneer of social concern has

dropped away from the upwardly mobile and comfortable social sectors. […]

Documentary,asweknowit,carries(old)informationaboutagroupofpowerlesspeople

toanothergroupaddressedassociallypowerful.”(Rosler,1981:307)

Rosler’s “afterthoughts” can make even more sense today, considering the interest of

photographyfestivals,gallerydealersandtheirclientsintransformingthe“threats”depicted

in thephotographicwork“into fantasy” (adoptingRosler’swords),orconsidering theabuse

the internet and socialmediamake of socially-engaged/activistic images, shifting the latter

from exposé/claim for reaction to common place and noise, consequently numbing their

audience.

However, Michelle Bogre (2012) responds to Rosler’s arguments by suggesting that

photographycanmakethedifference,notasanendbutasoneoftheinterconnectedmeans

thatwilleventuallyleadtochange.Asawriterandeducatorinthefieldofphotography(alsoa

photographer), Bogre reminds us that the photographs from Vietnam changed the public

opinionregardingtheroleoftheUnitedStatesandtheheroiclookofthewar,triggeringthe

anti-war movement. She also cites the work photographer Marcus Bleasdale has done for

overtenyears:coveringtheviolence inflictedbytheLord’sResistanceArmy(LRA)uponthe

civiliansoftheRepublicDemocraticoftheCongo(RDC).Thiswork,whichhadbeenpresented

at the United States Senate, the United Nations, andMinistry of Foreign Affairs in France,

eventuallycontributedtoPresidentObamasigning, in2010,thebill thatpledgedfor logistic

andfinancialsupporttoputanendtotheLRA.

In2012,ApertureFoundationandtheSmithsonianInstitutepublishedthebookPhotography

changeseverything(editedbyMarvinHeiferman),withoneofitschaptersdedicatedtostress

the power of photography as a relevant tool for change. The author, FrankH.Goodyear III

(2012), associate curator of photography of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in

WashingtonDC,likeBogre,acknowledgestheimpactofphotographyintheunderstandingof

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social (and, I need to add here, environmental) outrages as well as in the struggle for a

“revolution” in the social, political, and economic norms.Myunderstanding is that this has

beenoneofthemajorusesofphotographywithinsocialmedianowadays(selfiesanddiary-

relatedpostsapart)—take,forinstance,viralphotographs(andvideos)thatuncoverappalling

facts,whichthenmotivatepeopletosignonlinepetitionsthaturgeforthebanofplasticbags

intheoceansorforthepermissionofarrivalsofrefugeesinagivencountry.

Regardingthesereflections,photographerAnthonyLuveraadds(Luvera,2017)31:

“Ithinkphotographyandphotographscanhaveverypowerfuleffectsonpeople–Iknow

that they certainlyhaveonme. Therewouldbemoments inHistorywhere theuseofa

particular image has a really extraordinary effect on the political, social, cultural

moments, that is something that is very well documented, and very well written and

thoughtabout,youknow…Iforgotthename…thereisthephotographerwhocreatedthe

imageofthemanfallingfromtheTwinTowers,forinstance…Therearekeyimagesthat

emergedfrom,let’ssay,theVietnamWarorfromtherefugeecrisis–[theimage]withthe

smallboywashedupon thebeach32.Someof that imagery thatcameoutof the recent

Grenfell Tower’s tragedy, I think, will be burnt on people’s consciousness in relation to

debatesaroundhomelessnessandsocialhousing.So, Idothinkthatphotographsplaya

veryimportantroleinmediatinginformationaboutevents,people,andplaces.”

31FortheentireinterviewIundertookwithAnthonyLuvera,pleaseseeAppendix6.32RegardingLuvera’sstatementandyetconcerningthepowerofphotographyasameansforchange,thereistheheadline of an article at The Independent about the images of this little boy: If these extraordinarily powerfulimages of a dead Syrian childwashed up on a beach don't change Europe's attitude to refugees,whatwill?[headline]“Theboywaspartofagroupof11SyrianswhodrownedoffthecoastaltownofBodruminTurkeyafteranapparentfailedattempttofleethewar-ravagedcountry.[…]Theyareextraordinaryimagesandserveasastarkreminder that,asEuropean leaders increasingly try toprevent refugees fromsettling in the continent,moreandmorerefugeesaredyingintheirdesperationtofleepersecutionandreachsafety.TheIndependenthastakenthedecisiontopublishtheseimagesbecause,amongtheoftenglibwordsaboutthe‘ongoingmigrantcrisis’,itisalltooeasy to forget the reality of the desperate situation facingmany refugees. […]” (AdamWithnall, September 02,2015, The Independent) Photographs © Reuters 2015 [online] At:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/if-these-extraordinarily-powerful-images-of-a-dead-syrian-child-washed-up-on-a-beach-don-t-change-10482757.html As also discussed in this Chapter (a topic that I willreturntoinChapterFivetoo),theimagesofthedeadboyledtofeverousdebatesontheneedornottoexposereaders/viewerstoimages ofatrocities,notonlyamidstsocialmediausersbutalsoamongstnewspaperreaders,astestifiedbyalongtextthatfollowedthereleaseoftheimagesdepictingthedrownedboybyTheGuardian–textthatprovidedreaderstherationalebehindthedecisionofTheGuardianstafftopublicisethoseimages:“[…]Newsphotographs, when used in the context of reporting, can become tipping points in changing attitudes andawareness. […]” (Jamie Fahey, September 07, 2015, The Guardian) [online] At:https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/07/guardian-decision-to-publish-shocking-photos-of-aylan-kurdi

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I insist that such impacts are only possible to achieve because photography embodies the

simulacrum: the “actual thing”, in fleshandblood, is unfolding in frontof the viewer. Iwill

comebacktothesediscussionsinthechapterdedicatedtomyownpractice(ChapterFive).

Photographer Susan Meiselas also notes images as potential igniters of transformation in

society (Meiselas, 2017)33: “Photography can influence how we see, think, understand and

perhapsattimesengageoract.Wesimplycannotalwaysmeasureortracehowitworkson

ourmindsandactions.”

Unfortunately, most socially and/or environmentally engaged photography works do not

causesuchquickresponsesfromeithersocietyordecision-makers,theyratherbecomeoneof

the steps ina longprocess that can takedecades,orevencenturies to transforma specific

matter (and, as Meiselas has stressed above, the participation of photography in such

transformationwouldhappenthroughpathsthatareusuallydifficulttotrack).But,aspartof

theprocess,theyareequallynecessaryforthechangetohappen.Hence,itisimportantthat

this kindofwork isundertakenaswe, individuals living in society,need to seeourselvesas

part of the system, i.e. part of the problem and its accomplices too (but also part of the

solution,asBogreandGoodyearIIIhaveillustrated).Ireinforcemyaboveconsiderationsusing

Rancière’s,Azoulay’s,andBarthes’reasoning.

WhendiscussingwhatRancièrehadcalled“criticalart”,hestated:

“Criticalartisanartthataimstoproduceanewperceptionoftheworld,andthereforeto

createacommitment to its transformation34.Thisschema,verysimple inappearance, is

actually the conjunction of three processes: first, the production of a sensory form of

“strangeness”; second, the development of an awareness of the reason for that

strangeness and third, a mobilization of individuals as a result of that awareness.”

(Rancière,2010:142)

Furtheronheassumesthat“criticalart”35hasbeenmovedtowards“testimonyart”,inwhich

thepracticeturnsto“[…]testimony,archive,anddocumentationprocessesseekingtogiveus

33FortheentireinterviewIundertookwithSusanMeiselas,seeAppendix6. 34Myemphasis:underlined.35Criticalartaccountsforthosepracticesthataimtoproduceasensoryclashinthebeholder-e.g.byjuxtaposinganiconicimagetoa“new”context,i.e.settingupthisimage“out”ofitsoriginalpurposeorinterpretation-inordertospeakaboutanissuethatneedtobechanged.MarthaRosler’sworkHouseBeautiful(bringingwarhome)(1967-

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(spectators) a new perception of the traces of our History and the signs of our community”

(Rancière, 2010:145) in order to present “proofs” to the audience regarding how a given

societyoperatesto,surprisingly,questionandcriticizeit.Hepresumes“testimonyart”would

bemoreeffectivethan“criticalart”inrupturingthecommonsense.However,thesameabove

schemaelaboratedbyRancière(apartfromtheword“strangeness”whichshouldbeswapped

to“evidence”)drives“testimonyart”.Inotherwords,bothcriticalandtestimonyartcometo

life to advocate for something that one (its conceiver) believes must be rethought, as a

consequence,oneandanothercouldbetakenasamanifestationof“activism”.

ReflectingRancière’sabovereasoningonmyownpractice,participantVilberto,fishermanwho

wasalsodisplacedbytheSobradinhodamaboutfortyyearsago,decidedtobeportrayedby

the riverside holding his fishing net,which ledme to photographhis fisherman IDs and the

diapositivefromhisformerplaceof livinghismother-in-lawhadkept(Figs.3.5and3.6).Our

choicesmeanthatweareinfactdocumentinghowthelifeintheriversidecommunitiesused

tobebeforethedam.Atthesametime,wearewitnessingwhattheregimehasseizedfrom

these people (because his portrait and the photograph of his ID are brought togetherwith

additional images, testimonials, and information that communicates thismeaning—adesign

that Iwill develop and exemplify inmore depth inChapter Five). By testifying,we are also

denouncing something thatneeds tobe rethought: thewayenergy,people,and thenatural

landscapeareregardedinthesocietythatwecurrentlylivein.NotforgettingthatVilbertoand

Iaremakinguseofaestheticstoaccomplishthis.

FIGURE.3.5.PortraitofVilberto–3rdshot.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR©VilbertoAlvesNeriandMarileneRibeiro2015

72),whichconsistsofcollagesofphotographsgatheredfromnewspapersandmagazinesthatputtheVietnamwarliterallyinsidetheAmericanfamilies’homes,isanexampleof“criticalart”,accordingtoRancière.

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FIGURE.3.6.(a)Vilberto’sFishermanID,variabletimes;(b)onionplantationneartothecurrentlysubmergedJuacemavillage,ca.1970(Vilberto’swife:atthecentre,wearingawhitedressandahandkerchiefaroundhead).

a)

b)

Re-photographedfrom(a)Vilberto’sand(b)Valdenice’spersonalarchive.Originalsas(a)printedIDcardsand(b)diapositive.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2015

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BothworksconceivedbyphotographerSusanMeiselas,EncounterswiththeDani:storiesfrom

theBaliemValley(2003)andKurdistain:intheshadowofHistory(1998/2008),emphasizethis

approachhighlightedbyRancière:“testimony,archive,anddocumentationprocessesinorder

to reaffirmandquestion”.Bygathering“documents” (e.g.newspaperandmagazinearticles,

missionaries’ diaries, anthropologists’ testimonials, etc.) from distinct periods of time and

distinct sources, including herself and collaborators who belonged to the researched

community(i.e.respectivelyDaniandKurd),Meiselasreaffirms,intheformofabook,theway

our society understands and undertakes history. At the same time, Meiselas’ work raises

questionsconcerningwhethertheso-calledexpertstoldthe“truth”aboutfacts,whethertheir

accountsareunbiased,what is the “truth”when it comes tohistory.Given thathistoryand

anthropologyareacademicsubjects thatadhere topoliticalnormsregardingknowledgeand

facts, have the voices of those who have been the subject of study been included in the

process of recording history?Meiselas’ books de-construct our pre-conceivedWestern idea

about natives from New Guinea and Mesopotamia, by considering the kaleidoscope of

possibilities to tell one story, particularly from the Dani’s and Kurds’ perspectives on

themselves(Fig.3.7;seealsoChapterTwo–Figs.2.1and2.2,p.87,89-90).Shealsopointsto

howdisastrous the relationship between human beings fromdifferent cultural backgrounds

can be and even this fact can be concealed, depending on the way the story is told. The

rearrangementproposedbyMeiselasquestionstheauthorityoftheideaofasinglehistory,as

it has been embedded in our education. For Meiselas, History as our society currently

understandsitshouldbechallenged.

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FIGURE. 3.7. Some images fromKurdistan: in the shadow of History (Meiselas, 2008). NotehowMeiselas gathers andweaves different sources of information in order to play arounddistinctpossibilitiesofinterpretationsoftheroleoftheKurdsthroughouthistory.

EverydaylifeinSulaimania.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©Rafiq–Kurdishphotographer

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Note(right):also“everydaylife”inSulaimania.Kurdsdepictedaswarriorsandpeopleofwar.©MahmudEfendi-Kurdishphotographer(fatherofRafiq)

Fromthenoteatbottom-leftKurdistanprincessrevealsharemdances!HeretheKurdishcultureisdepictedasafairytale.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©M.Camuzzi/KurdishInstituteofParis(left)©Unknown/UPI/Corbis-Bettmann,NewYork(right)

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MapoftheKurdishtribesinIran.ReproducedinHassanArfaTheKurds(1966).NotetheexistenceofKurdistanasageographicalterritory(Kordestan).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©HassanArfa

Top-left:HumanitarianMedicalMissionID;right:archive;Bottom-centre:Kaplan’stestimonialaboutthestruggleoftheKurdshewitnessedhimself.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JonathanKaplan

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KurdishrefugeefleeingduringSaddamHussein’sregime.Kurdsportrayedasrefugees.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©AnthonySuau/Life1991

ReportageonthemassmurderofKurdsduringSaddamHussein’sregime.Inthiscase,thejustfoundmassgravewiththekilledvillagersofKoreme.Kurdsasvictimsofgenocide.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©SusanMeiselas/MagnumPhotos

“Critical”or“testimony”labelsaside,thisuneasyfeelingawakenedbyeveryworkofart(with

my interest here specially in the photographic work) has to do with the property of art to

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deliverwhatRancière(2010)names“dissensus”.Theregimeinwhichpeopleinterrelateworks

sustained by the “consensus”—something agreed by the whole given community, and

reinforcedbythosewhorulesuchregimes,asthenaturalorderofthings,hence,takenasthe

comfortable truth (e.g.we, contemporary society,needenergy, thusweneed to cope—and

cooperate—with thissystemaswecannotseeanyotherscenariobut thisone).Dissensus is

anyproposalthaturgesforadifferentrule,disruptingthatwidelyacceptedconsensus,evenif

this proposal is conjectural. It might happen that, after some time, this first collectively

inconceivable proposal (dissensus) is absorbed and accepted by that given community,

becominganewconsensusuntil the timecomes foranotherdissensus to rise. ForRancière,

this is how politics is performed: between this transit and tension between consensus and

dissensus.Thosewhorule(“thepolice”)usetheconsensustoauthenticatetheirpower.Those

whoareruledcaneitherreproducetheconsensusorproducedissensus.But,iftheirvoicesare

not listened to, they are virtually excluded from any action. As ruled-excluded, they would

havenooptionbuttofollowthatwhich is imposeduponthembytheothertwoportionsof

society:therulersandtheruled-included.Thisisalsothecasefordemocracy:ruler-ruled(and

inamongst the ruled, thosewhosevoicesare includedorexcluded).Obviously, thispolitical

playisnotfixed,itcanchangeovertime,asrevolutionsmayoccur.

If photography can be a “place” fordissensus tomanifest, thus it is a channel for pleading

againstenvironmentalandsocialabusesthatarewidelyacceptableasthecostspaid forour

wayofliving,orthesacrificesofthe“development”(consensus)aswellasforurgingforanew

order. If photography can embracedissensus, it is a relevant piece in the process of social,

political,andeconomicchange,hencephotographymaybeusedthus.Ifboththeenvironment

and specific communities have been overlooked and silenced for the global economic good

andthislogicneedstobereviewed,thenphotographycanbeoneofthemeanstowardsthis

redefinition in the social norm. Especially because photography also holds another crucial

feature for triggering reflection (and action): “photography has something to do with

resurrection”(Barthes,1981:82).

RolandBartheswarnshis readersby thesecondpageofCamera lucida (1981),andexpands

thisconceptthroughouthisbook,thatoneofthepowersofthephotograph(asasimulacrum)

uponitsbeholderresidesinitsabilitytoreproducetotheinfinityaneventthathastakenplace

onlyonce.Manythinkershavealsoacknowledgedanddiscussedthischaracteristicalongthe

Historyofphotography(e.g.Sontag,2001),but it isAriellaAzoulay(2008,2012)whofiercely

plays with it within the arenas of politics and citizenship. Azoulay defines the “act” that is

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being unfolded when the camera, the photographer, and the subject occupy the same

time/space as “the event of photography”. The resultant image that eventually becomes

available (or not) to us, beholders, via TV news, magazines, newspapers, the Internet,

museums, institutions’archives,etc.—which isdefinitelynotcapableofcapturingeverything

thatwashappeningatthatcertainspace/time,butratherprovidinguswithaselectedfraction

ofitonly—isthe“photographedevent”.Evenconsideringthislimitation,thephotographstill

has theability toresonatethe“eventofphotography” in the future, informingthebeholder

about what might have happened. However, this is not the sheer information that the

photographbringswithitself,asIhaveelaboratedaboveinthisChapter,whenthebeholderis

looking at the photograph she/he is watching the actual event of photography happening

again, like inaplay, “live”.Asanactual thing, thebeholdercannot ignorewhatshe/hesees

and has no choice but to be somehow touched by such a thing, as also noticed by Barthes

(1981). Azoluay carries on concluding that the beholder (reader of the image) holds a

fundamentalroleasanactivepieceinthephotographynet(whichRancièrehasalsoasserted

–seep.133)andurgingshe/hetotakethispowerfurtherasaninstrumentto(onceawareof

the“thing”she/hehasjustseen)negotiatewiththeregime,asameanstocitizenship.

“[…]Theciviluseoftheattributesofphotographyformspartoftheefforttoreadthepast

from a vantage point other than that of the regime – the regime of disaster – and to

describe it in terms of a vocabulary that contests the rhetoric of the regime [the

consensus?].Thisistheattempttocontesttheclaimsoftheregimethroughtheevocation

ofacivillanguagethatitconsistentlyfailstorecognize.”(Azoulay,2012:241)

Whether theexperienceof the “eventofphotography” from the “photographedevent” can

leadindividualstopsychologicalreactionsaswellastoeverythingelsederivedfromthis,then

photographycanbeanefficientmethodtoreachthosegeographicallyorsociallyfarfromthe

“event”,toraiseawareness,andtopursuechange.OnecannotdenythepoweroftheInternet

and social media in pressing for changes, and photographs are a vital part of their

accomplishmentswithregardtoenvironmentalandsocialclaims(ascitedonp.139).

Azoulay calls every individual to stand for his/her citizenship by reading the history hidden

between the lines through thephotographs available toher/himandalsobyusing the civil

imaginationtomentallystitchtogethervisualinformationthathasbeendeniedbytheregime

(the “photographs not taken”) as well as to chase a different “reality” (dissensus), starting

fromquestioningtheconsensus.

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Azoulayadvocatesthatweshouldall“talkabout”(Azoulay’sempahsis)the“photographsnot

taken” or rather destroyed/censured by the regime, i.e. not available to the public. These

resultant“madeupimages”(assembledinourminds,whileweputtogethertheactualfacts

we hear/read in the news, articles, conferences, magazines, social media, etc. about a

situationthattheaccesstotheconcretephotographwasdeniedtotheaudience)iswhatshe

callsthe“civil imagination”(Azoulay,2012:232-235).Forher,this istheonlywaywehaveto

fullyunderstand thepower the regimeholdsuponusand toperceive the realdimensionof

thesituationsthathappenfarfromourveryeyes.

In this PhD research, I proposewedo the reverse: participants and I invite the audience to

picture—imagine, mentally piece together—the consequences of the regime of large dams

(theregimeimposedbybothcorporationsandheadsofstate,andsomehowreplicatedbyus,

theruled)fromthedepartingpointofthephotographstaken(i.e.thephotographsproduced

during this research). Once the propaganda of hydroelectricity as a sustainable and green

alternativeonwhich theworld shouldpinall itshopeshasbeenwidely spread (asaway to

eventuallycontrol thepopulationbecause“theneed formoreandmoreenergy isurgent to

sustain the cities and the countries’ development”—that is the discourse, the consensus),

mankind finds itself having no option but hydropower (another consensus). Using the same

path proposed by Azoulay (i.e. using the “civil imagination”), participants and I expect the

viewers to build up the information that has been denied to them by interacting with the

making and the outcomes of this work (i.e. the testimonials, the proposals made by each

participant/collaborator regarding his/her portrait, the gathered photographs, and the

sequenceofportraitsthemselves).Byfirstlypresentingtotheaudienceimages,subjectsandI

expecttheimage-readermightbeabletosetthesceneconcerningtheimpactsinvolvedinthe

actof fragmentingariveraswellasconcerningthearticulationofpowerthat facilitatesand

maintains this veiled dictatorship of the dams. In summary, complementary to Azoulay’s

thoughts,Iproposethisvisualworktobeusedasasourceforthecivilimaginationtohappen,

sincewritteninformationconcerningtheissuesofhydropowerhasbeenrestricted,concealed,

ordeformed.

I would also suggest the noun “spectator” (based on the long discussion outlined above)

shouldbeshiftedto“provoked”or“collaborator”,as Iunderstandtheviewer/beholderdoes

notfunctionasapassiveobserver,insteadshe/he,likethephotographerandthesubject,also

“plays”photography.

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Regarding this citizenship of photography, Azoulay (2008) speaks about the urgency of the

“spectator”(i.e.the“provoked”)totakewhathe/sheseesbeforehim/herassomethingthat

concerns herself/himself too, once what she/he looks at is a result of the regime-made

disaster,isaresultoftheso-calleddemocraticregimeinwhichweallparticipate(butsome—

many?—have no voice). In her acclaimed paperThe cosmopolitical proposal (2005), Belgian

philosopher Isabelle Stengers acknowledges those who are excluded from democracy even

livingin(consequently,takenasbeingpartof)ademocraticsociety—thosenotcontemplated

bythemattersofchoiceandrights;whichtakesmetothescenetheessayistJohnBergersets

in the Introduction he wrote for David Levi Strauss’ book Between the eyes: essays on

photographyandpolitics(2003).Berger’sthoughtscouldnotbemoreup-to-date.Inhisessay,

Berger charges the contemporary tyranny that rules the world (the one inflicted by

transnational corporations, the Pentagon/National Defence, politicians, the global market,

economicliberalism,capitalism,andtheCapital,altogether)fortheunnecessarypainsuffered

byeitherecosystemsandbillionsofpeopleworldwide(headdressesthecaseofAIDSinAfrica

andinotherpartsoftheworld,wherepeoplesufferanddiesimplybecausetheydonothave

access to treatment that would cost less than two dollars a day). According to Berger, this

tyranny would lead to uneven decisions that would benefit some and compromise the

majorityoftheothers.

“[…] Today the fundamental decisions, which affect the unnecessary pain increasingly

suffered across the planet, have been and are made unilaterally without any open

consultationorparticipation.[…]”(Berger,2003:xi)

HeusesthewithdrawaloftheUnitedStatesfromtheKyotoProtocolin2001asanexampleof

thesebiaseddecisions.Attemptstospeakuptheseissuesaswellastofightthistyranny—by

“thosewhohavedifferentvisionsorhopefortheworld,alongwithwhocannotbuyandwho

survive from day to day (approximately 800million [by 2003])”—have been labelled as, for

instance, “terrorism” in order to promptly block any threat to the supremacy of those in

power,tothesupremacyof“theregime”.Impressively,Aronor’stestimonial,in2016,ratifies

thisscene.Aronor,participantfrommyfieldworkintheBeloMontedamarea,isafisherman

whobelongstotheJurunaethnicgroupandwasdisplacedbytheBeloMontedamacoupleof

years ago. As amember of theXingu Forever AliveMovement (Movimento XinguVivo para

Sempre—MXVPS), he has fought the Belo Monte dam project since its early stages. While

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speaking about the losses of the people of the XinguRiver due to theBeloMonte dam, he

unburdens:

“What drives us evenmadder is this:whenwe go demanding for our rights, the police

comeandtreatsusascriminals. Idon’tunderstand…Ikeepwondering, ‘MyLord,where

arewe?’IbarelybelieveweareinBrazil,suchademocraticcountry…and…ithappensto

happentoushere?!Manytimeswewonder,wetrytofigureitoutbecausewecan’ttell

whereweareanymore.”(Aronor,interviewedonOctober14,2016)

Whether those who have been ruled and excluded by the “regime” or those who want to

manifest thoughts that question (dissensus) the comfortable truth (consensus) organise

themselvesinordertohavetheirvoiceheard,theycanbetaggedascriminals…terrorists.For

them(oncemore),nomercy.

The MXVPS rose in 2009 as a collective initiative by the local catholic church,

environmentalists,and individuals fromareas tobeaffectedby theBeloMontedamproject

againstthishydropowerplant.Asthenamesuggests,theywereawareoftheconsequencesof

theBeloMontedamproject,theyknewitwouldbeadisaster,theyknewthatthedamwould

destroy the Xingu River. Like the National Movement of People Affected by Dams - MAB

(alreadysetinChapterOne),theMXVPSwasaresultofindividualsgatheringandputtingtheir

sharedurgenciesforward.BoththeMABandtheMXVPShavebeencrucialforthisresearchto

happen.WithouttheMABthisPhDpracticesimplywouldnotexist,astheyhavebeenakey

element for my fieldwork to run and for my close understanding of the role of the social

movementwithin this puzzle involving power (which has also nourishedmy enthusiasm for

this already passionate subject throughoutmy inquiry). Also,without theMABmuchof the

informationconcealedwouldnotreachthecommunitiesaffectedandtobeaffectedbyfuture

dams,withouttheMABthewoundsboththecompaniesinchargeofthedamprojectsandthe

governmentinflictupontheaffectedcommunitieswouldbeevenworse.Whileworkingside-

by-side,researcher/photographerandsocialmovementinterweavetheircontributionstothe

dissensusandthisnodoubtmakesrespectivepracticesandtheiraimsstronger.

Photographymay not change anything on the ground, but it helps change the way people

think, as regarded by the references I have used in this discussion. What if it is used to

“document”, to “testify”, to expose what is taking place far from the majority of the

population’s eyes (and bodies!)? What if such a “document” is put towards the social

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movement’s goals in order to strength its struggle and pledges? After all, one cannot deny

whatshe/heseesbecauseofthepowerofphotographyinreverberatingoutandloud:thisis

here,thisisnow.

But what if, regardless of all my efforts, no major changes happen? Does it matter?

Photography struggles to change theworldyet itdoeshave impact. Thedissensus hasbeen

revealed, the concerns of the people affected by the dams resonates in the project, the

thoughtsandemotionsexploredbymycollaboratorsandIhavebeenunfoldedandexchanged

betweenus.Wehave learnt fromeachotherand thework itself speaks,and,dependingon

themethods chosen to disseminate it, it will speak tomany others.Most importantly, the

subjects’voicesareoutthere.

3.4Subjectandpower

Azoulay (2012) focuses her arguments on the role depicted subjects also play in the

“photographedevent”asactiveparticipantsoftheprocessofphotography.Shestressesthat

subjects, once aware that the “event of photography” is taking place, will also assume a

posture (like the photographer) in order to arrange a discourse to potential viewers.

Moreover,thephotographer-subjectencountercanalsoleadthephotographertoquestiona

specificsituationortowanttofurtherexploreaspecialmatter,impellingthelattertopursue

further “images” to build upon this first encounter-mediatedperception (Azoulay, 2012:59),

i.e.,attheend,thesubjectwieldsinfluenceuponthephotographer’sperspectivesandchoices

too.

Jim Goldberg’s work Open See (2009) provides a simple way of clarifying and developing

Azoulay’s standpoint. Goldberg’s interest in undertakingOpen See started as a commission

fromtheHellenicCulturalHeritage,in2003,tocomeupwithaportraitofmodern-dayGreece

(a project entitledPeriplus –Magnum photographers in contemporary Greece) tomark the

OlympicGames in Athens (2004). This commission asked twelveMagnumphotographers to

constructanarrativearoundthethemeandGoldbergcameacrosstheimmigrantsthatwere

fleeing mainly Africa and Asia, dreaming of better days in Europe. These first encounters

Goldberghadwithhissubjectsinstigatedhimtogodeeperintothisissue,whichconsequently

tookhimnotonlytoflytoBangladesh,Ukraine,andLiberia,but,eventually,todelveintothe

politicsofillegalimmigrationinEurope.Hence,OpenSeeisaworkconceivedfromasubject-

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mediatedexperience. Italsobrings to the foregroundtheroleof thedepictedperson in the

processofmakingmeaningthroughimagery.

Regarding the subject’s active role,Azoulay (2008, 2012) reframes andbuildsuponBarthes’

notionofeverysubject’sconsciousnessregardingthepowershe/healsoholdsintheprocess

ofmakingmeaning:“(…) Infrontofthelens,Iamatthesametime:theoneIthinkIam,the

oneIwantotherstothinkIam36,theonethephotographerthinksIam,andtheonehemakes

useof toexhibithisart. (…)” (Barthes,1981:13).And IwouldaddtoBarthes’statement: the

“one the viewer interprets I am” too. For Azoulay (2012:44 and 51), when it comes to

situationsof conflict, thephotographedperson facesphotographyasa spaceofappearance

thatopensbeforeher/him(inwhichshe/hecanpotentiallydrawher/hisdiscoursethrough),

asapossibilitytobeheard.

Goldberg’s subjects literally write their thoughts to the viewer on the photographic work,

highlighting the intricate political, economic, and social matters involved in the wish for

fleeing, like theaftermathsof the imperialism, religiouspersecution, andHIV (Fig. 3.8 – see

alsoFig.2.6,ChapterTwo,forfurtherimages).Photographedindividualsconsciouslyinterfere

and re-arrange the piece that will be presented to the Other37. By unveiling the global

responsibility for illegal immigration,Open See questions the common European argument

(consensus?) that illegal migration is not Europe’s full responsibility as it inherently starts

outsideEurope:hence,Europeshouldnotbeexpected toprovideemployment, shelter,and

facilitiesfortheoutcomesofsuch“external”issues.

FIGURE.3.8.SomeimagesfromOpenSee(Goldberg,2009).Notehowtheconditionsthatleadpeople to flee are part of a bigger issue, which has no borders but rather concerns everycountryintheworld.

36Myemphasis:underlined.37i.e.toeveryoneelsebutthephotographedindividualher/himself.

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ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JimGoldberg/MagnumPhotos

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In contrast to Goldberg, Anthony Luvera does not use the camera himself to capture his

subjects. He rather transfers this power to the latter by teaching participants how to take

photographsofthemselves(Fig.3.9–seealsoFig.2.7, inChapterTwo).Obviously,Luvera is

stilltheretoassistandexchangeideaswithhissubjects:inotherwords,Luvera’sinfluenceon

thefinalimagescannotbeignored(and,somehow,norcanGoldberg’s“participation”inwhat

is eventually written by his subjects on their own portraits, once he is there watching and

encouragingthemto“speak”).Nonetheless,everypersonthroughouttheUKdepictedinthe

Assisted Self-Portraits makes use of photography as a tool to somehow show her/his own

perceptions, history, memory, and emotions—which are not usually explored in the

mainstream media when it comes to speaking about people living in a condition of

homelessness.

FIGURE.3.9.Residency-AssistedSelf-Portraits.Belfast,NorthernIreland(Luvera,2008).

Left:DocumentationofthemakingoftheAssistedself-portraitofCarolineMcDonnell.Right:Assistedself-portraitofCarolineMcDonnell(2006-2008).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©CarolineMcDonnellandAnthonyLuvera

Atthesametime,SharonLockhart’sattitudetowardshersittersinherApeú-SalvadorFamilies:

Portraits (part of her work Teatro Amazonas, 2000)—i.e. giving them the option to see

themselvesonthe“anthropologicalstyle”photographjusttaken(viaPolaroidfilmsshelately

gavetoeachphotographedfamily)andsubsequentlyrearrangingthemselvesattheirownwill

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for the next shot to be taken (see Fig. 2.8 – Chapter Two)—can also be interpreted as a

strategy to empower the subject/researched not only before their audience but before the

researcher(s) (anthropologists Ligia Simonian and Isabel Soares de Souza) andphotographer

(Lockhart herself) too, as every family’s imagery and social order eventually finds its space

withinthefinalscientificandartisticpublications(i.e.withinSimonianandSouza’spapersas

wellaswithinLockhart’sexhibition).

InthisPhDproject, Igofurther: Iwantthosephotographedtoexplicitlyreclaimtheirroleas

committed protagonists within the civil contract of photography as all portraits assembled

during my fieldwork are conceived based on each sitter’s testimonial and initial ideas to

transpose their thoughts to the final image (something that resembles Luvera’s proposal).

Moreover,alongtheshoot,thesesittersworkouthowtobestrepresentthemselvesandtheir

ideas to the viewer (which canbe scrutinizedas anevolved versionof Lockhart’smethods).

However, differently from Luvera and Lockhart, I rather highly hybridize my subjects’

perspectives with my own during the process of image-making (because both sitter and I

discussandco-interfereintheprocessthatcomesupwiththevirtualimagethatwewillwork

onaswealsodo in theactual sequenceof shotsduring thephoto shoot, yet, theonewho

operates the camera is still myself and not the subject him/herself), bonding our mutual

engagementinthephotographwepresenttoourviewers.

Byproposingthatmyparticipantsspeakaboutwhathashappenedtotheirlivessincethedam

projectwasannouncedand,afterthis,toimagineawaytoplacewhattheyconsiderimportant

withregardtothisthemeinaphotograph,whichwilldepictthemselvesassitters,aswellasby

enabling them to instantly see each photograph taken and co-direct their own shoot, I

automaticallysharethepowerphotographersusuallyholdwhentheyrunwhatwecouldcalla

“classic”documentaryphotographyproject(whichistraditionallygroundedonthesoleimage-

maker,oragroupofthem,shapingwhatwillbecapturedbythecamera).Atthesametime,I

amthereinthemomentofcreation,Icontrolthetechnicalfeaturesofthephotograph-to-be

and press the shutter release, then, I do not deny my interference in this thread of

communication. All this described above happens simultaneously, dynamically, interwoven,

andwithoutatotalcontrolofeachpart—photographerandphotographed:noneofuscantell

what that specificphotographwilldisclose,beforewemeet;noneofuscan tellbeforehand

how the researcher-researched experience will operate, because this is all part of the

encounter. By acknowledging a major voice (who was supposed to systematically set the

“stage”totheviewer)inthis“play”toeveryactualactor(i.e.everysitter-collaborator),but,at

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thesametime,byconsideringthewholeplayasanoutcomeofallsortsofexchangesthattook

placebetweeneveryactor-directorandtheso-called“maindirector”(i.e.thephotographer—

myself),thisapproachendsuppushingtheboundariesofdocumentaryphotography.

This co-experience of (self-)representation intends to be a channel for visibility. Firstly, it

reinforces and builds upon this participation of the subject noted by Barthes (1981) and

advocated by Azoulay (2012). Secondly (and mostly), it spotlights voices that have been

silencedbytheregimeofthedams.

I couldhave easily photographedmy subjectsmyself, straightforwardly, likeGideonMendel

has done with those whose homes have been affected by catastrophic floods as a

consequence of climate change, for example (Mendel, 2007-2015).Why didn’t I go for this

instead? Again, politically I believe that involving my participants co-operating at all levels

providesamorepowerfuleffectandwayofworkingthantakingphotosIconceivedorstaged

myself.Iwantedmy“subjects”toexposewhatIbelieveneedstobeheardandhowthisneeds

tobeheard. Iwanted themto join thegameof signification inorder toprovoke theviewer

withtheirfullexistenceinthephotographsthatpertaintheir iconicandindexicalpresence. I

wantedtosharethepowerthephotographerholdsinconceiving,directing,framing,clicking,

andeditingtheshootherself—this is, for instance,quitedistinctfromtheapproachBrazilian

photographersJoãoCastilho,PedroDavid,andPedroMottausedtopresentthestoryofthe

region thatwasaffectedby theconstructionof the Irapédam,also inBrazil (Castilho,David

andMotta,2008).Regardlessofbeing constructedasa collectivework,Castilho,David, and

Motta’sprojectconsistedofacollaborationbetween individuals fromthesame“group”, i.e.

themselves(the“lesschallenging”typeofcollaboration,accordingtoGrantKester,astheyare

all photographers – see Chapter Two, p. 99), and was focused exclusively on their own

perceptions and interpretations concerning the local scenarios that unfolded as the

construction of the dam progressed. Apart from engaging in this co-operation with my

“subjects”,Ialsowantedtolearnfromthemandfromtheriverineenvironment.Iaffirmthat

what they (the local environment and my subjects) bring to the photographic image is

inconceivabletoassemblewithouttheirintervention:thevividdimensionoftheimpactsthat

largedamshavecaused.

I also consider this practise-based research an agency for empowerment: it has provided

participants amoment to revisit theirmemories and strengthen their history, to reflect on

theirown individualexperiencesasaffectedpeople, to situate themselveswithin this social-

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environmental-economic-politicalscenario,todigesttheirownthoughtsandmanifestthemby

meansof (theirown)speechand imagery, i.e.using themethodapplied in thisPhDproject.

Summarising, these researchmethods have offered participants a channel into politics and

citizenshiptoo.Thisempowermentalsomakesthisworkstandout fromtraditional formsof

documentarypracticethatsimplytrytoillustrateeventswithinaspecifictheme.

For participants, this working together has functioned as protest, claim, catharsis, and

memory.Iwillpresentalongerdiscussiononthisphenomenoninthechapterdedicatedtothe

practice,butIconsiderthatitisimportanttosetheresomereflectionsonmyencounterwith

Gumercino, Nelci, and Maria Rosa as a proof of what I have drawn above regarding the

subject,photography,andpower.

As Ihavementionedbefore,Gumercino’s feelings (outrage, indignation,and rebelliousness)

guidedhimtohischoicesforhisownportrait.Duringhisbrainstormingwhilelookingforthe

objectthathewilluseinhisportrait,hecameupwiththis:

“IcansetinthestagethewatertankandthesolarpanelIhavetotakewithmebasically

everyday,whenIheadtomyplaceoutofSobradinhotown–theplacewhereIgrowmy

cassavas.Theywillexposemyindignationandenragementforsure!Becausetheonewho

willlookatmyphotographwillwonder,‘whatthehellarethiswatertankandsolarpanel

for,inthisphotograph?’andIwillreply,‘ThisisbecauseIwasafflictedbyahydropower

plantandhaven’tgotteneitherwaterorenergy!’.”(Gumercino,interviewedonApril18,

2015)

During the shoot, Gumercino tries different positions for the solar panel and himself (Fig.

3.10). He also proposes that he does not look at the camera aswe shoot, in order to look

“unaware” of the “click” towards thepotential viewer (Fig. 3.10 - fourth and last shot), i.e.

pretendingnot toplay any relevant role in the “eventof photography”.He said: “let’s now

makeasIlookunaware.”

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FIGURE.3.10.SequenceofportraitsofGumercino.

Gumercino’sfeelings:outrage,indignation,andrebelliousnessLocationchosen:hisbackyard(wherehestraightensupthesolarpanelandthewatertankinthetrunktotakethemtotheplacehegrowsthecassavas)Objectchosen:solarpanelandwatertankFromtoptobottom,lefttoright:1stshot,2dnshot,3rdshot,4thshot,5thshot,lastshot.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©GumercinodaSilvaAnjosandMarileneRibeiro2015

Gumercino turns our encounter into his protest against the Sobradinho dam, especially

because those dumped by it did not have the option to oppose to the fate both the

governmentand thedam industryhad imposedupon thatentirearea (ashisnotes stress–

Fig.3.3).

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Nelci isa teacherwhowasbornand raisedby theUruguay riverside. Inher interview,Nelci

anticipates the uncountable losses that would be triggered by the Garabi dam project

(originallyplannedtotakeplaceintheupcomingyears):nativevegetationdown,animalsand

plants dead, fertile lands flooded, community and individual memories crashed, locals

impoverishedandknockedout.BothNelci’sandherparents’placeswouldbesubmergedby

thedam.Forher,theGarabidamhasbeenaffectingpeoplepsychologicallyevenbefore it is

concrete: they will not be able to take with them the immaterial things that make them

themselves,theywillnotbeabletopassontheirlegacy,theycannotrelyonthefuturethey

haveforeseenforthemselves,theycannotguaranteewhethertheywillhavefood,ajob,anda

home.Uncertaintyandantagonisticrumourshavebeendrivingthemsick.

WhentheGarabi-Panambidamcomplexwasfirstlyannounced(atthattime:Garabi-Roncador-

São Pedro dam complex), back in the 1980s, the local population, tired of being ignored,

gathered andpulled, seized, and threw into thewaters of theUruguayRiver the stakes the

companyinchargeofthestudiesfortheRoncadorandGarabidamshadinstalledalongthat

stretchoftheriverinordertomeasurethevariationsinitslevel.Thisactlaterbecameoneof

themarksofthepeopleaffectedbydams’struggleaswellastheinitialorganisationofwhat

would constitute the MAB too. Nelci took part in this act of protest. She recalls the

atmosphere of panic that hovered over the to-be-affected people by that time. Since

governmental agencies and enterprises have re-designed the project and re-presented it as

theGarabi-Panambidamcomplex,in2010(aspartofthesecondstageoftheBrazilianGrowth

AccelerationProgramme–thePAC2),thisairhascomebacktohaunttheUruguayriverside

inhabitants.

Before the interview starts,while I explain to hermy research aims, she does not hesitate:

“You need to show this [work] to Dilma [the then president of Brazil]! Because I think the

power is inherhands! Imean, inmyopinion, thepresident is theonewhodelivers the final

wordregardingtobuildornottobuildit.”(Nelci,interviewedonFebruary11,2016)

Again and again, during her interview, Nelci highlights that what is at stake for the to-be

affecteddwellers isnotaboutmoneyandmaterial thingsbutemotionalbonds, identityand

riches instead. She also stresses the situation of exclusion both affected people and nature

havebeenfacingintheprocessofdecision-making.

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Whenaskedabouthowshe feels concerning theGarabidam, she replies: “it’shard to tell…

reallyangry!”Then,wheninvitedtochoosea“thing”thatcouldrepresentthis“anger”before

herpotentialviewers,Nelcistaresatmeanddoesnotvacillate:“fire!”Shecarrieson:

“if they decide to run the damworks close to here, I tell you:what they put up on the

daylight Iwouldputdownby thenight. Iwould set fireatabarrelofpetrolandwould

throw it at them. If theydonot haveanymercyonme,why should I have it on them?

Angerdestroys,doesn’tit?”(Nelci,interviewedonFebruary11,2016)

Bearing inmindPeirce’sandSaussure’stheoriesoutlinedatthebeginningofthischapter(p.

119), one might notice the impact Nelci’s chosen object (fire) can have upon the viewer

because of the meaning (interpretant/signified) it is commonly associated with: power,

strength, destruction, rage, witchcraft, etc. Regarding the location for the photo shoot, she

alsohassomething inmind:herparents’house.Accordingtoher, itwouldbepainful tosee

thewaterslowlyswallowingwhatsheliterallyhelpedtoraisebrickbybrick.

Duringtheshoot,somethingpowerfulbloomsbeforemyeyes(andIrecordit):shotaftershot,

Nelcispontaneouslyproposestomoveherownbodyandthefirethroughoutthelivingroom

untilsheeventuallyasksmetoframethefireinfrontofherfaceinawaythatcouldturnher

faceintotheflames.ThecatharticsequenceofmovementsIwitnessisastunningpasdedeux

Nelciplayswithherveryfeeling(Fig.3.11).

FIGURE.3.11.SequenceofportraitsofNelci.

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Nelci’sfeeling:angerLocationchosen:herparents’place(whichsheliterallyhelpedtobuildbrickbybrick)Objectchosen:fireORIGINALINCOLOUR©NelciBárbaroandMarileneRibeiro2016

At theend,sheexclaims:“for thosewhowillwatchthis ‘reportage’, for theGodsake, this is

ourplea:Donotdothis[theGarabi-Panambidamcomplexproject]!Thiswilldestroyalot!This

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will destroy lives, and lives, and lives! Those who receive this material, look at it carefully,

analyseitwithcare.”

WhatNelciandIexperiencedtogethertakestheformofprotest,butalsocatharsisandclaim

to not to be silenced. Our encounter unfolds as an action—a performance on the stage of

politics.

My first contactwithMaria Rosa, a dwellerwhose familywas displaced by the BeloMonte

damin2015,showedmehowfarthesystemthathides“inappropriateinformation”cango.

ConversationoverthephonewithMariaRosa’shusband,Jaime:

“[…]

Researcher–MariaHelena,ZéPreto’sdaughter,hastoldmethatRosa’sfatherusedtobe

one of themost prestigious leaders of traditional celebrations in the region of Palhau.

MariaHelenahasalsotoldmethatRosaandhermother,Antônia,werebornandraisedin

Palhau,andtheybothonly leftPalhauduetotheBeloMontedam.Theybothremained

thereuntiltheverylastday.

Jaime–Indeed.

R–So, IthinkRosamighthave importantthingstotellme,as Iassumesheknowsa lot

about everything concerning the region aswell as she probablywitnessedmany things

duringallthistimehermotherandshewerestillthere.

J–IsyourresearchcommissionedbytheNorteEnergia[theconsortiuminchargeofthe

BeloMontedamproject]?Ifso,wearenotinterestedintakingpartinit,becausewe’ve

beenalreadyinterviewedbythemacoupleoftimes,buttheyneverpasswhatwe’vereally

saidon.Theychangeourwordsandbroadcastthisinawaythatisappealingfortheirown

interests,instead.”

My encounter with Maria Rosa’s family was intense and also very powerful. The couple

detailedtheunfairandinconsistentprocessofreparationsfortheirland,crops,cattle,house,

andstable;thetoneofmenaceforthefamilytoacceptthefinalamountthecompanywanted

to pay for them to leave their land, even aware that they should receive at least a

higher/honestamount for the tangible things theyhad; the furniture thecompanyburied in

site,asMariaRosa’sfamilytooktoolongtomoveitout;theharmslorriesandheavymachines

inadvertently caused to local animals, like pacas andmarmosets, while clearing the area in

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their backyard; the dismantling of the community and the consequent disappearance of

traditionalcelebrations;theclearanceofthewoodlandsherfatherhadcherishedduringallhis

life; the islands and living beings of the Xingu River either drowned or left to die from

starvation.ForthosewoundedbytheBeloMontedamthereisnooutletallowed,but,instead,

eitherresignationordeath.

MariaRosaandJaimepushitbeyond:

“[…]

Maria Rosa – They never tell the truth!We’re at the centre of it, we seewhat’s really

goingon,butitnevergetsout.Theycoveritup!It’sonlythegoodstuffthatgetsreported.

Weseeitwheneverit’son[popularTVcurrentaffairsprogramme]Fantástico–theyonly

showthehousingtheybuilt,justthegoodstuff!

Researcher–Fromyourpointofview,whatisthetruth?Foryou.

MR–Thetruthwouldbetoshoweverythingthatpeoplearegoingthroughhere:hunger,

suffering.What they showdoesn’t exist! Thearea they cleared,which they left just the

waytheywanted,theydon’tshow!…Weseethatnature…somanyislands…theboyjust

toldmethattheislandsaredying![…]

R–DoyouthinkthattheBeloMontedamhasbeengoodforsomeone?

MR–I’mnotsure…Ithinkit’sbeengoodjustforthem[thosewhoconceivedandhaverun

andfosteredtheBeloMonteproject].

Jaime[inthebackground]–Forthosewhodon’tbelongtohereforsure!Onlyforthem.

ForthemandforthosetowhomtheywillselltheenergygeneratedbyBeloMonte,forthe

bigonesbasedinothercountries–thosewhoarejustlookingforprofit–thesepeopleare

livinggoodlife,theyarenotenduringwhatwehavegonethroughhere–forthem,Belo

Monteiswonderful!Butforus…

R – Do you think the energy from BeloMonte has been or can be a good deal for the

environmentorthepeopleoftheXingu?

MR – I don’t think so. BeloMonte has not been and won’t be good either for nature,

animals,oranyonebutforthem,theforeigners,forthosewhowillruleitsenergy.”

After the interview, I explained to the family about themethodology regarding the “object”

and“location”fortheirportraitandleft,givingthemtimetothinkaboutwhattheywantedto

choose.Thatnight,whenIcalledthembackforustoarrangetheshoot,Jaimespoke:

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“We’ve decided already about our portrait: we’re gonna take the whole family to

Antônia’s formerplaceof living–where is the lake [reservoir]now–andweallwillget

intothefishingnetfortheshoot.We’vealsoagreedacaptionforourportrait, ‘Byusing

thesamemethodweapplytogetourfood,theNorteEnergiasilencesitsaffectedpeople.’

Howaboutthis?”

Rosa’sfamilynotonlygotintothefishingnetbutalsoperformedreactionsasthey“realised”

theywere“immobilized”bytherulers(Fig.3.12).

FIGURE.3.12.PortraitofMariaRosa’sfamily(MariaRosa:the4thlefttoright).

Byusingthesamemethodweapplytogetourfood,theNorteEnergiasilencesitsaffectedpeople.MariaRosa’sfeeling:rageLocation chosen byMaria Rosa: hermother’s former plot of land (whereMaria Rosawas born andraised, and also where locals used to celebrate the Imaculada Conceição fest), currently partiallysubmergedbytheBeloMontedamObjectchosenbyMariaRosa’sfamily:fishingnetORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariaRosaPessoaPiedadeandMarileneRibeiro2016

TheideafortheportraitofMariaRosa’sfamilywaslikeareleaseofeverythingtheXinguRiver

and its inhabitants have been forced to witness, lose, and accept since the dam project

started.Itexposesthetensionthathasbeenconcealedbythepropagandaofhydropoweras

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sustainableandgreen. Iturgespeoplewhohavebeeneradicatedandtheirstoriesthathave

beenveiledbythesystemtosurface.

Ultimately,participantschoosehowtheywanttobeperceivedbytheOther,howtheywant

tobeincluded.Theyalsoenduppointingtotheotherunattendedactorwithinthisfabricof

power:nature.

3.5Natureandpower

Participants, through their own portraits, highlight the complexity of the things that are at

stakewhenawatercourseisdammedandonecriticalpointconcerningthisthemeishowwe,

society,havebeendealingwith“Nature”.

TheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturyEuropean-centredmercantilistandimperialistvisionof

understanding and mapping to control and monetarily profit from it still insists in

reverberatingnowadays.Usingasimilarlogic,theutilitarianandanthropocentricperspectives

have founded the way people perceive and should value “things” like water, earth, other

species,etc.Fromtheseviewpoints,naturewouldbeamereproviderofresourcesforhuman

beings to use and, as such, these resources shouldbeput (at theirmaximumcapacity) into

service in order to feed and sustain economic development. For nature: no power, but

subservience. After the paradigm shift that followed the new notions of the limits of the

economic growth associated with the carrying capacity of ecosystems, in the 1970s-1980s

(Meadows et al., 1972; Gudynas, 2013), the market turned its attention to the concept of

sustainability38,tryingtofitthelatterintoitsagendaviawhatwould,morerecently,benamed

sustainable solutions/development alternatives. The label “sustainable”would then refer to

everything involvedand,atthesametime,preventtheoverexploitationofthoseresources,

andworkside-by-sidewiththepremisesofconservationforthewelfareoffuturegenerations.

The“sustainable”(and,lateron,alsothe“green”)flagquicklygainedspacewithinthepolitical

arena,especiallyaftertheacknowledgementofglobalwarmingastruthbyboththeindustry

and heads of state (as already set out in Chapter One). This is the context in which

hydropowerre-emergesasasociallyandpolitically“acceptable”strategyto,infact,maintain

38Definitionofsustainability/sustainabledevelopment,accordingtotheIUCN,UNEPandWWF’sreport(1991:10):“improvingthequalityofhumanlifewhilelivingwithinthecarryingcapacityofsupportingecosystems”.

168

the same old engine of power continuing. This new discourse once more revisits

anthropocentrism and utilitarianism: if Brazil (and China, India, Cambodia, Ghana, and

elsewhere) has an outstanding potential for hydroelectricity (i.e. a significant area of free-

flowingriverswithitsassociatedco-evolvedbiota)whyshouldn’twe‘dispose’ofit?(i.e.why

notdamtheseriversanduseittoboostoureconomy?)Afterall,itisbetterthanburningoilor

coal?Thisrationale,generallytakenasaconsensus,provokesfurtherquestions:i)whatvalue

do free-flowing rivers and their associated biota have in themselves, apart frombeing used

(andabused)byhumanbeings?And, if theydohavevalueotherthan inbeingautility,who

cares?;ii)whatistherelationshipbetweendams,nature,andpower?Iwilldealwiththislast

querynowandwillleavethefirstonefortheendofthisChapterandtheConclusions.

The trade of commodities plays a vital role in global business (Gudynas, 2015; Fearnside,

2017),becauseurbanrequirementshingeuponsteel,gold,copper,aluminium,meat,grains,

and,notleast,energy.Alltheseproductsexistasaconsequenceofaninterferenceofmaninto

natural landscapes: hence, the market of commodities impacts upon the environment.

Notably,thesectorofcommoditieshaslongbeenrulingnotonlyBrazil’sbutalsothemajority

of Latin American countries’ economy. Thus, the wealth (and the likelihood of growth,

according to the currentlyacceptedmodelofdevelopment)of LatinAmerican countrieshas

beenhistoricallypinnedontheirabilitytoprovidethoseresourcestotheworld—atanycost.

Mines need a huge amount of energy to operate as theirwork continues non-stop all year

round.Thisindustryisrootedonmaximumprofitandsubsidisingpoliticalparties,lobbyingand

makingsure“provider”countriescomply.Asenvironmentallawshaveevolvedinternationally

andbiodiversityconservationhasgained importanceamidstsocietyamongthe lastdecades,

bothgovernmentalandprivateagencieshavefoundinthediscourseofthe“sustainable”and

the “green” a cosmetic to cover up their real interests and the actual dimensions of the

negative impactoftheiractivitiesuponbothnatureandspecific fractionsofsociety.Assuch

hydroelectricity is touted by politicians, companies specialised in providing technology and

know-how for infrastructure projects, and even the stockmarket (Little, 2014; see also Fig.

3.13).Together,alltheseactors(thestockmarket,miningandinfrastructurecompanies,and

decision- and policy-makers) co-operate to consolidate and perpetuate their sovereignty

(Little,2014;AleixoandCondé,2015;Fearnside,2017).

169

FIGURE.3.13. (a)ANDRITZ (aglobally leading supplierofplants,equipment,andservices for

hydropower stations) and (b) POWERCHINA (one of the world’s leaders in the business of

hydropower) websites illustrate the strategy of the “sustainable” and the “green” as a

cosmeticdiscoursetowardscustomersandsociety.

a)ORIGINALINCOLOUR©Andritz2017[online]At:http://www.andritz.com/index/hydro.htm

b)ORIGINALINCOLOUR©Powerchina2017[online]At:http://en.powerchina.cn/

170

The contentious Belo Monte dam39provides some facts that are not exceptions but the

common scene throughout theworld concerning this relationshipbetweenhydropowerand

Power(Barnett,1999;Brookes,2000;Gudynas,2015).

PoliticiansclaimedBeloMontewouldbeaboosterforthedevelopmentintheAmazonaswell

as a keystone to sustain Brazil’s economic growth. It was also declared that it would be a

modelofasuccessfulsustainableproject(MinistériodoPlanejamento,2011;TVFolha,2014).

Since theBeloMonte projectwas approved, TheCanadianBelo SunMining Corp. has been

fiercelynegotiatingtoestablishBrazil’slargestopen-pitgoldmineinastrategicarea“located

onlargegreenstonebelt,whichremainslargelyunexplored’”—onlyfourteenkilometersaway

fromtheBeloMontedamandexactlyinthestretchoftheXinguRiverthateventuallyhadits

water level reduced (consequentlymore land/rockexposed)due to theupstreamdamming.

This non-Brazilian corporation advertises gold and sustainability to potential investors (Belo

Sun, 2017). Since 2010, the Mais Democracia Institute (a Brazilian Non-Governmental

Organisationwhoseresearchseekstobringmoretransparencytotheprocessesinvolvingthe

Brazilian economy and politics) have investigated the net of interests behind the energy

policies in the Brazilian Amazonia. Their final report, entitledWho are the owners of the

hydropowerplantsintheAmazon?(QuemsãoosproprietáriosdashidrelétricasdaAmazônia?

– Aleixo and Condé, 2015), uncovers the entangled thread that involves transnational

corporations, development-fostering agencies, infrastructure engineering companies, and

political parties.BesidesBelo Sun, the reportnamesmanyother transnationalorganisations

requesting licenses to operate within the area under the influence of the Belo Monte

hydropowerplant in the last decades, among them, theBritishAngloAmerican, theBritish-

Australians BHP Billiton and Tinto Rio, the South-African Anglogold Ashanti, and the

multinational—with49%of its sharesbelong toBrazilian investors—Vale (AleixoandCondé,

2015:39-41). It is important to note that 6,621.203 ha of these areas requested formining

purposesarelocatedwithinthebordersofIndigenousReserves(AleixoandCondé,2015:39).

IndifferentwaysSiemens-Voith,Andritz,Alstom,andHydroChinahavealsoencouragedand

profited from the dam building business by supplying components to the Belo Monte

hydroelectric plant. Activists fighting “the destruction of the Amazon” (because Siemens,

Alstom,andAndritzhadco-signeda€500millioncontracttoprovidethetwenty-fourturbines

oftheBeloMontedam),weretold“wemakeourdealsbasedontheproposalspresentedtous

39BeloMontedamisoneofthecasestudiesofthisresearch.DetailsonitsstorycanbefoundinChapterFour.

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andtheBeloMontedamproposallooksethicaltous”(MXVPS,2014;CountDownamXinguV,

2016; 9:34-10:52). Apparently, killing 22 tons of fish, bringing over 15,000 ha of rainforest

down, and letting thousands of people (including indigenous groups) without subsistence

means(MPF,2015b;ISA,2016)donotseemtobemattersofconcernforthesecompanies.

Notlessimpressiveistheroleofconstructioncompaniesinsolidifyingthisarmoredblock.By

bribingpoliticiansandexecutivesinordertogainthecontractstobuildthedam,thesefirms

endupnotonlymonopolizingthebusinessofinfrastructureprojects(andbecomingmoreand

more powerful) but also interfering in the process of presidential/state elections aswell as

influencing national policies. Once elected, these politicians/political parties turn their

agendas towards theneed formoredams,perpetuating thecycle (seeChapter Four for the

boldcaseoftheBeloMontedam).

Noteworthily, themajority of these projects are funded by agencies that run based on tax-

collectedmoney, liketheWorldBank(WB), theChinaDevelopmentBank, theExport-Import

BankofChina,Inter-AmericanDevelopmentBank,andBrazil’sNationalBankforEconomicand

Social Development(Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social—BNDES), as

showninFig.3.14(FundaciónProteger,InternationalRivers,andECOA,2017).Inotherwords,

apart from ignoring the populationswill and claims (as in the case of the BeloMonte dam,

whose protests against the dam echoed from various parts of the globe), dam projects are

concretisedusingpublicmoney.

FIGURE.3.14.InteractivewebsitejointlycreatedbyFundaciónProteger,InternationalRivers,

andECOA,whichgathersandoverlaysdataaboutthedamsintheAmazonregion.

a)

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b)Note(a)thefuturescenariofortheAmazonia,consideringthenumberofdams-to-be(redandpinkdots)and(b)thefilterappliedbytheresearcher—fundersinvolved—highlightingthemajorsupportersoftheseprojects.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©FundaciónProteger,InternationalRivers,andECOA,2017

Above all, the most striking fact regarding large dam projects is the authoritarian way

governments, and infrastructure and mining corporations haveimposedtheir plans over

nature and human beings. In the case of the Belo Monte dam, for instance, altogether,

Brazilian federal public prosecutors have sued Norte Energia and the Brazilian Government

twenty-four times,demanding that theprojectbecancelledor suspended.Bothprosecutors

and scholars advocated that the social and environmental impacts of the BeloMonte dam

wereinadmissible.Ignoringalltheselawsuitsandscientificevidence,thedamwasbuilt.

In addition to this, in the last decadepoliticians in LatinAmerican countries have arbitrarily

changed laws aiming to alleviate the commitment of these transnational corporations with

workers,nature,andlocaldwellersaswellastofacilitatetheimplementationorthewidening

of theirbusinesses inordertopleasetheglobalcommodities industry (likeallowingthemto

useenergyatlowerprices),whichwill,inexchange,maintainthesepoliticians/politicalparties

inpower.ExamplesfromBrazilareBrazil’snewCodeofMining-PL37/2011,thePEC65/2012,

andBrazil’snewForestCode,inforcesince2012(asdiscussedinALeidaÁgua,2014;ElBizri

et al., 2016; Fearnside, 2016b). This “trend” is acknowledged by the Uruguayan researcher

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Eduardo Gudynas as one of the characteristics of neoextractivism40(Gudynas, 2009, 2012,

2013, 2015). I will come back to Gudynas’ theories and afterthoughts concerning mega

developmentprojectsandstrategiesforeconomicgrowthfurtheron.

From what I have presented above, one can conclude that, when it comes to dams and

hydropower,whatisatstakeisneithersustainabilitynorthecountry’swelfareorthecombat

ofglobalwarming (Fearnside,2015b),but ratherhowtohighlyprofitandkeep“businessas

usual”.Whatisatstakeishowtokeepanddetainmoreandmorepowerovercountriesthat

containabundantnaturalresourcesaswellashowtocontrolpeople,rivers,andecosystems

(Marcos,2009;Little,2014;Gudynas,2015).Thisdrawsmeto thisadditional thought: if the

watercourseisconsideredtobeacommonproperty,consequently,itshouldnotbecontrolled

(or owned!). However, from the perspective of the (Azoulay’s named) “regime”, it seems

sensible to arbitrarily dispose of nature’s andmankind’s wealth: clean drinkingwater, food

(e.g.fishandfruits),fertilelands,species,geneticdiversity,andalsotherightsofbothhumans

andnature.

During my fieldwork, participants’ words and postures have overwhelmed the feeling of

violationthatinvolvesthesemegadevelopmentprojects:violationofnature,violationofthe

affectedpeople’s identity,history,culture,andcitizenship.Shortstatementsbycollaborators

AronorandJoséNunes,duringtheirrespectiveinterviews,provideaglimpseaboutthis:

“[…] They [Norte Energia] didn’t respect anything, either individuals or nature. […]”

(Aronor,interviewedonOctober14,2016)

“[…]What’sitliketoday,theislandwhereweusedtolive?Theonewithallthetrees,the

rubber trees? It’s deserted. They [employees ofNorte Energia] chopped down the trees

andburiedeverything.Whattheydidn’tbury,theyburnt.WhenIpassintheboat,Iseeit.

It’sjustadesert.[...]”(JoséNunes,interviewedonOctober23,2016)

BrazilianjournalistAnaAranha(whohasproducedseveralreportsabouttheBeloMontedam

issues) directed a video entitledAshes of BeloMonte (Cinzas de BeloMonte, 2015), which40Neoextractivism is defined by Gudynas (2009, 2012) as the twenty-first century’s approach of running thebusiness of commodities with remarkable governmental support.Neoextractvism subordinates a country to theinterestsoftransnationalcorporationsandencouragestheoverexploitationoftheformer’sownnaturalresources.Neoextractivism bonds the virtual country’s economic growth to the sacrifice of both nature and traditionalcommunities(viathesubsidesprogressivegovernmentsthroughoutLatinAmericahasgottenfromminingactivitieswithintheirterritoriestofightpoverty,forinstance).

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depicts this process of “chopping down and burning” the vegetation of islands to be

submerged by the dam addressed by José Nunes. While she was interviewing one of her

subjectsinsitu,sometimeaftertheburninghadhappened,thelatterspottedthecorpseofa

crocodile,killedbytheheat,amidstthedeadvegetation.Asherinterviewee(whowasalready

emotionallytouchedbyallthatdevastatedlandscape)suddenlystopsspeakingandpointsto

“something”thattookherbyshockinthataltogethercreepyscene,thecameraimmediately

turns and shows us what Ana Laíde Barbosa (the interviewee) was also obliged to witness

(Cinzas de Belo Monte, 2015, 4:12). This unexpected scene from Aranha’s video

instantaneously resonated Aronor’s testimonial in my mind (indeed, “they didn’t respect

anything,eitherindividualsornature”).

Thisscornaboutlifeledbytheregimeofthedamsandalsotheneglectregardingthefragility

andvulnerabilityofthelinesthatinterconnecteverypartoftheriverineecosystem(including

the riverside dwellers as one of these parts) makes these hydropower projects even more

unacceptableasastrategyto(sustainable)development.

MariaEliete,anothersubjectcollaborator(alsomentionedinChapterOneandChapterFour),

isa teacherandthedaughterofManoel Juruna, formerchiefof thePaquiçamba Indigenous

Reserve.ThePaquiçambaIndigenousReserve(ethnicalgroupYudjá/Juruna) is locatedbythe

Xingu River, downstream of the Pimental dam (the major wall of the Belo Monte dam

complex).Afterdescribinganddetailingthestruggleshercommunityhaveenduredsincethe

damprojectwasannounced,shespeaksofherfeelingsofdesperationandsorrow.Particularly

with regard to the rupture of the characteristic Amazonian cyclic regimen of flooding and

drought in that stretch of the Xingu River and its consequences for the link between

trees/fruits and fish, since the Pimental dam sluice gates were closed for the first time, in

November2015.Usually,fromNovembertoMarch,thedischargeoftheXinguRiverincreases

considerably,partiallysubmergingtreessituatedinislandsalongtheriver.Thefruitreleaseof

these tree species is synchronizedwith this “high tide” season in order that fruit fall in the

water by the time they get ripe. As soon as they fall in thewater, fish eat them.Once the

waterleveldoesnotriseanymore(duetotheupstreamdamming),thesefruitsarenowfalling

on the sand banks that remain constantly exposed. Consequently, the seeds of these trees

cannotbedispersedandfishcannotfindfoodanymore.Fish,onceabundantinthearea,are

now rare. Many fish species are dying from starvation, some may manage to migrate.

Paquiçamba’s dwellers will have to shift their diet and habits too, as their main source of

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food/proteinisscarcenow.Elietechoosestohighlighttheseintricateevolutionaryconnections

andtheseveredamagestheBeloMontedamhasinflictedonthem(Fig.3.15).

FIGURE.3.15.PortraitofMariaEliete.

MariaEliete’sfeelings:desperationandsorrowObjectchosen:nativetreeswhosefruitscannolongerfallinthewaterandfeedfishwhichdependonthemtosurvivebutratherdropfromthesetreesontheexposedsandriverbankofthestretchoftheXingu River located downstream of the Pimental dam (stretchwhere Eliete’s home, the PaquiçambaIndigenousReserve,issituated).Locationchosen:thedam-ledexposedriverbankoftheXinguRiver,wherethePaquiçambaIndigenousReserve(Eliete’shome)islocated.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariaElieteFelixJurunaandMarileneRibeiro2016

Besides having all their references of nature, identity, and belonging torn apart, affected

peoplearealsoactivelyencouraged toacceptemployment in the constructionof thedams.

Every timeanewdamplan isannounced, the joboffersskyrocket.Theuncertainty involved

forthoseaffectedwhentheyunderstandtheyaregoingtobedisplaced(includingtheconcern

forhavingenoughfood inthenearfuture) forcesthemtoaccepttheserolesthateffectively

destroy their homes, landscape, history, and identity, a cruel irony that must be

psychologically torturous. Frequently I came across affected individuals who built the wall,

operatedcomputers,cookedfortheemployees,etc.InmyfieldworkintheregionoftheBelo

Monte dam, virtually allmy interviewees or their relativesworked for theNorte Energia at

176

somepoint.Howcanasystemthat(economically)forcescitizensto“digtheirowngrave”be

conceivable? What are the psychological effects of this on these individuals? Practically

speaking,theyhavenochoicebutto jointheworksthatwillwipeoutall theirreferencesof

beautyandtheirownessence.

Delcilene(oneofmycollaborators)toldmethathercousinacceptedthejobofcollectingfish

thatdiedalongtheXinguriverduetothedamworks.Shesaidhedidnotlastinthisjobfortoo

long,ashecouldnotcopewithseeingallthosefish(somethingthatriversideinhabitantstake

as precious and beautiful) dead for no purpose (rather than being eaten). Taking this

straightforwardly,thesefishwerekilledbyallthosewhoweredirectlyorindirectlyworkingon

thedamwall, includingriverside inhabitantsemployedbyNorteEnergia.Azoulay (2012:243-

248) has also discussed this effect of regime-made disasters: they make contingency

perpetrators.Azoulay, likemyself,advocatesthat thesepeoplehavetherightofnotbeinga

perpetrator—likeanyother citizen.Butweneed to remember that thesepeoplehavebeen

considered“non-citizens”,thesepeopleandtheseecosystemsconsistofthe“excluded”:those

excluded from democracy, those not contemplated by the matters of choice and rights41,

thosewhovoiceshavebeenhistoricallyoverridden.Humanrightshavenotbeenabletoreach

thesepeople(Zen,2014),mainlybecausethesepeople’svaluesaredifferentfromtheonesof

thosewhorule.Thesepeople’srightshavetodowiththerelationshiptheyhavewiththeplace

theylivein.

Regardingtheplaceanditsroleinpolitics,therevisedConstitutionofEcuador(2008)isamark

in thisdiscussionas ithasmadeEcuador the first country toopenlyacknowledgeandgrant

inalienablerightstoNature:

“Article10.Persons,communities,peoples,nationsandcommunitiesarebearersofrights

and shall enjoy the rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution and in international

instruments.Nature shall be the subjectof those rights that theConstitution recognizes

forit42.”(ConstitucíondelaRepúblicadelEcuador,2008:11)

41IconsideredrepeatingthesamepassageIwroteinsection3.3–PhotographyandPower inordertoemphasizeherewhatIhadstatedbefore.42Myemphasis–underlined.

177

“Article71.Nature,orPachaMama,wherelifeisreproducedandoccurs,hastherightto

integral respect for its existence and for the maintenance and regeneration of its life

cycles,structure,functionsandevolutionaryprocesses.

Allpersons,communities,peoplesandnationscancalluponpublicauthoritiestoenforce

the rightsofnature.Toenforceand interpret these rights, theprinciples set forth in the

Constitutionshallbeobserved,asappropriate.

TheStateshallgiveincentivestonaturalpersonsandlegalentitiesandtocommunitiesto

protect nature and to promote respect for all the elements comprising an ecosystem.”

(ConstitucíondelaRepúblicadelEcuador,2008:33)

Asnotedabove,theConstitutionofEcuadorputsintopracticetheconceptofalllivingthings

havingthesamerighttoliveandflourish,ashumanbeingsdo,insteadofjustbeingregarded

as something at the service ofmankind’s needs. It “changes the status of ecosystems from

being regarded as property under the law to being recognized as rights-bearing entities.”43

Thenitistimetorevisitmyfirstqueryatthebeginningofsection3.5,askingaboutthevalue

in themselvesof free-flowing rivers and their associatedbiota, apart from functioning tobe

used by human beings. And, if they do have any, who cares about it? I also come back to

EduardoGudynastosupportmyfinalargumentsonhydropowerandPower.

Gudynas iswellknownforhisstudies involvingstrategiesofdevelopment,environment,and

traditionalculturesinSouthAmerica.InhisacclaimedbookDerechosdelaNaturaleza–ética

biocéntrica y políticas ambientales (2015),which came as a compilation of thoughts he had

builtupandpublishedbeforeintheformofvariousarticlesandbookchapters,hearguesthat,

for real development to happen, we all need to change our posture concerning what the

systeminwhichwe,societyoftheCapital,livehas“sold”tousasastandardofliving(i.e.the

definitionofwell-beingbeinggroundedinconsumerism,accumulation,overexploitation,and

mercantilist values). Gudynas challenges us to switch our perception of nature from the

Western widely accepted point of view—as resource—to the perspective of the traditional

43Statement by the spokesperson of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (a Pennsylvania-basedgroupthatprovideslegalassistancetogovernmentsandcommunitygroupstryingtomeshhumanaffairsandtheenvironment): entity that helped thewriting of this part of the newConstitution of Ecuador. AndrewC. Revkin,September 29, 2008, TheNewYork Times. [online]At: https://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/ecuador-constitution-grants-nature-rights/

178

Andean groups—as Pachamama (i.e. as a subject that enables and perpetuates life in its

broaderanddiverseform).Forthis,Gudynasbringsbacktherootsofdeepecology—aconcept

originally coined by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss, in 1989, and put forward by

George Sessions (1995), which later became one of the milestones of biocentrism44—and

blends itwith knowledge from ancestral indigenous groups in theway they relatewith the

environment they belong to. Those traditional groups do not have their daily lives ruled by

profit, accumulation, or overexploitation, but rather by getting from the environmentwhat

theystrictlyneedfor theirsubsistenceandwelfare,and,at thesametime, lookingafter the

areatheyoccupy,astheyareawareofitsimportanceinprovidinglifenotonlyforthemselves

butalsoforallothercreatures.Furthermore,thesecommunitiestakeseriouslythesubjectof

respectingandcherishingPachamamasoastoensurefuturegenerationscanalsoperceiveit

and enjoy it, as well as a matter of acknowledging the fundamental role it plays in their

everyday existence. There is also a sense of gratitude and responsibility, which creates the

needtogivebacktonature.

Gudynas also brings together visions from the feminist critique of his arguments on

perspectives for amore holistic approach to development,which affirms that for society to

thrive,itshouldturnitsfocusfromthesovereigntyofpatriarchalvaluesbasedonpossession

towards a more feminine perspective of living that ponders the ethics of care, equality,

sharing,andreductionoftheconsumptionofbothgoodsandenergy(Aguinagaetal.,2013).

Gudynasurgesfor“alternativestodevelopment”,i.e.“proposals[dissensus?]thattrytobreak

with the commonly accepted ideas [consensus?] of development as growth or progress.”

(Gudynas, 2013:32-33). He suggests that these proposals aim at “well-being” not from the

current Western/Modernist frame of accumulation, consumerism, industrialization, and

property,butfromtheperspectiveoftheseindigenous,feminist,andbiocentricgroups—what

Gudynas refers as buen vivir: a welfare based on conviviality; dematerialization of the

economy;andthehighvalueofwater,soil,naturalareas,anditsassociatedbeingsperse.

Thisallmightsound likeanaïveandromanticviewinfaceofthecravingforsupremacyand

control, but the fact is that global warming, alarming extinction rates, famine, and

desertificationhavedemonstratedthattheup-to-dategeopoliticalstructurecannolongerbe

44Deep ecology assumes that every component of nature is equal in the rights to exist and to be nourished as,accordingtotheseideologies,thenaturalworldhasavalueperse,independentlyofhavinganyotherpurposethanbeingthere.

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supportedorcontinued.Gudynas’reasoningsetsuptheethicalchoicefordevelopment(inits

full senseregardingwealthandwell-being45)eventually tohappenandsustain itselfandnot

surprisingly, this has been what my collaborators/participants have stressed along this

research.Forthem,theactualvalueoftheriverbasinecosystemandoftheirownwelfareas

part of it cannot be accessed using decision-makers’ tools because the latter comprises the

above-mentionedWestern’smeasuring devices. I argue that the ideasmodeled byGudynas

needtobeputforwardbypolicy-makersandsocietyasawholeandthisisoneofthepoints

tackledbythispractice-basedresearch:toexploreotherpossibilitiesfornatureandtraditional

communitiesratherthantreatingthemastradableresources.

45Here understood as Eduardo Gudynas’ perception of wealth and well being (which I personally agree andadvocate):biodiversity;culturaldiversity;sharing;evenaccesstofood,waterandculture;freedomandequalrightstoallspecies,races,andgenders;water,airandsoilhealth.

180

BLANK

181

Chapter4:Howandwhere–ThestoriesofSobradinho,Garabi-Panambi,andBeloMonte

182

Aimofthischapter:

- Providingrelevantdetailedcontextregardingeachdamsurveyed.

183

Toenableabettercomprehensionofthecontextwherethephotographicprocessunfolds(as

muchof participants’ andmyown arguments and explanations throughout the practice are

influencedbyabackgroundthatrelatestoeithertheBrazilianagendaandpoliciesortherole

ofLatinAmericainthegeopoliticsarena),Iorganisedthischaptertoprovideanoverallpicture

ofeachdamproject includedinmyfieldworkbefore Iproceedtoan in-depthanalysisofmy

practice.Itincludestechnicalinformationaswellasthestoryofthesedams.Incasethereader

needs to understand how the system of licenses for hydroelectricity schemes in Brazil

operates,theBrazilianEnvironmentalRegulatoryFrameworkforHydropowerProjectscanalso

beaccessedasAppendix1.

4.1Technicalinformationabouteachdamproject

AscitedintheMethodology,thisresearchcoveredthreehydropowerplantprojectsinBrazil:

theSobradinhohydropowerplanproject, theBeloMontehydropower complexproject, and

theGarabi-Panambihydropowercomplexproject (seeFig. i,p.39).Theyhavebeenselected

due to their specifics regarding geographic location, Biome, local ethnic groups, year, and

relevanceconcerningthecontexttheyareembeddedin.

4.1.1Sobradinhohydropowerplantproject

TheSobradinhohydropowerplantissituatedintheSãoFranciscoRiver(9°35’S40°50’W-ANA

2014),northeastofBrazil(seeFig.i,p.39).Itfeaturesa41m-highdamwall,34.1km3reservoir

storage capacity, and1,050MWofhydropower-installed capacity (CHESF,2015).More than

justalargedam,Sobradinhoisclassifiedasa“majordam”duetoitsreservoirstoragecapacity

(ICOLD, 2012). It is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world (Sperling, 1999), with a

surfaceof4,214km2(CHESF,2015).

The Sobdradinho dam is located in the Brazilian semi-arid region locally known asCaatinga

(MMA,2015andFig.4.1),inaclimatetypeclassifiedasBWh(accordingtoKöeppen’sclimate

classification),whoseannualprecipitationislessthan500mm.

184

FIGURE4.1.SurroundingsofthestretchoftheSãoFranciscoRiverwheretheSobradinhodam

is situated. (a) Local landscape and (b) detail of three local plant species (from left to right:

umburanadecambão,mandacaru,andxique-xique).

a)

b)ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©MarileneRibeiro2015

It was built between 1971 and 1978 (Fig. 4.2), during the Brazilian dictatorship, for

hydropower,irrigation,andnaturalriverseasonalflood-controlpurposes(Bragaetal.,2012).

In1979thehydroelectricplantstartedtooperate(CHESF,2015).

185

FIGURE4.2.Sobradinhodamworks(s.d.).

Re-photographedfromJoséVitorino’spersonalarchivein2015.Originalasdiapositive.ORIGINALINCOLOURAuthorunknown.

The Sobradinho dam (Fig. 4.3) is part of a hydropower complex comprising nine dams

constructed along the São Francisco River (i.e. Três Marias dam; Sobradinho dam;

Itaparica/LuizGonzagadam;Moxotódam;PauloAfonsoI,II,IIIandIVdams;andXingódam).

These damsdependon each other for the optimumperformanceof the systemas awhole

(Bragaetal.,2012).

FIGURE4.3.TheSobradinhodaminMay2015.

Damwallinthecentre,reservoirtotheright,andtheSãoFranciscoRiverdownstreamofthedam,initsoriginaldesign,totheleft.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro

186

Asoneofthelongestriversintheworld(2,700kmlong–ANA,2014),theSãoFranciscoRiver

has historically held a vital role not only because it has enabled the movement of people,

goods,andwildspecies,backandforthbetweenBrazilianinlandandcoastbutalsoduetoits

roleasanoasisforbothwildlifeandpeopleinaharsh,drypartofBrazil.

At the time of this dam’s construction, Brazil had an authoritarian government, then, any

discussion of the potential downsides of the Sobradinho hydropower plant were forcibly

repressed.Bearing this inmindandreflectingonmyapproachof invitingaffectedpeople to

openly express their feelings,memories, thoughts, and viewpoints about this projectmakes

merealizethat,intheSobradinhoregion,thismethodology,whichbuildsuponthefreedomto

speakaboutwhatwasonceaprohibitedsubject(eventhoughfortyyearshavegoneby),isa

politicalstatementinitself.

Itisimportanttomentionthat,paralleltothisenvironmentofrepression,theSobradinhodam

project did not go through the more strict Brazilian four-stage environmental regulatory

frameworkforhydropowerprojects,asthisprocessoflicensescameintoforcein1981(MMA,

2009b; Sánchez, 2013), but rather had its environmental impacts assessed more

straightforwardlyandonlybecause theWorldBank requiredanenvironmental impact study

priory to its approval for funding (Barbieri, 1995:80; IUCN/WB, 1997:123). This more

superficialformofassessmentwasalsotrueforotherlargedamprojectsapprovedthroughout

theworlduntilthelate1960s(Sánchez,2013).

The reservoir of the Sobradinho dam flooded a stretch of 400 kmof riparian vegetation on

eachsideoftheSãoFranciscoRiver(CHESF,2015),disruptinganimportantecologicalcorridor

aswellasextinguishingarefugeforthefauna(MouraandSchlindwein,2009).

Itisestimatedthatover72,000peopleweredisplacedbytheproject(SilvaandGermani,2009;

Observatório Socio-Ambiental de Barragens, 2015). The Resettlement Programme aimed to

movetheaffectedfamiliestoplotsoflandwithinfrastructure(dwellings,school,basichealth

unit, and space for livestockandcrops) that couldenable them tokeep their livelihoodand

subsistence—theso-calledSerradoRamalhoSpecialColonizationProject(ProjetoEspecialde

ColonizaçãoSerradoRamalho–PEC/SerradoRamalho) (Fig. 4.4).However, as this location

wasfarfromtheriverside,situated700kmsouthwardstheirprevioushomes,andthewater

foundthere,evenfordrinking,wassalty,mostdwellersdidnotaccepttheplanthatboththe

government and the company in charge of the hydropower dam works (the Companhia

187

Hidrelétrica do São Francisco – CHESF) proposed to them (Silva and Germani, 2009).

Eventually,mostfamiliesendedupfindingtheirownsolutionandmovedtoplacesnotthatfar

fromtheriver—suchas theSobradinhotown46—ornearother relativeswhoalready lived in

theCaatinga. Some tookamore radicaldecisionandmoved toSãoPaulocity:ametropolis

situated inSouth-easternBrazil, over2,000kmaway from their formerplacesof living. This

disorganised movement of people culminated with the rupture of both familiar and

communitystructures(CDDPH,2010).

FIGURE4.4.OverviewoftheSerradoRamalhoSpecialColonizationProject(ProjetoEspecialde

ColonizaçãoSerradoRamalho–PEC/SerradoRamalho).

StillfromtheoriginalvideoProjetoSerradoRamalhodirectedbyFábioSilva/AgênciaNacionalORIGINALINCOLOUR

©INCRA1976

In April 2015, I travelled to the dam and, during April and May 2015, I interviewed,

photographed,gatheredimages,andexchangedexperienceswith39families(41 individuals)

whoweredisplacedfortheconstructionoftheSobradinhodam.Theseinterviewstookplace

in their currentplaceof living, i.e. newRemanso town;newPilãoArcado town; Sobradinho

town;andPiçarrão,BrejodeFora,BrejodeDentro,SãoJoão,BerrodoBode,PoçodoJuá,São

Gonçalo da Serra, Campo Alegre, Algodões Velho, Algodões Novo, Poço do Angico, and

Mergueirahamlets(Fig.4.5).

46Sobradinho town was actually created as a ‘facility’ to host families of individuals who would work in theSobradinho dam project. It was planned to be disassembled once the plant was done. As it was near the SãoFranciscoRiverandprovidedwithbasichealthcare,school,aswellasseveralotherservices,likethetradeoffood,cloths, and household items,many displaced families decided tomove there instead of resettling themselves inotherareas.Furthermore,manyworkersdecidednottomoveoutastheprojectwascompletedasdidthepeoplewhomovedtheretoprovidetheseservicesmentionedabove.ThisallledtoSobradinhotownremainingafterthedamworksfinishedandeventuallytoflourishasavillage,and,then,asatown.

188

FIGURE4.5.Areasvisitedbytheresearcher(notethescopeofthereservoiroftheSobradinho

dam).

ORIGINALINCOLOUR

ModifiedfromGoogleInav/GeosistemasSRL2015–http://maps.google.com

Garabi-Panambihydropowercomplexproject

TheGarabi-PanambidamcomplexispartofBrazilandArgentina’sjointplantoincrementtheir

productionofenergyuntil2025(MMA,2005;EBISA,2016).Thisdamcomplexisplannedtobe

builton theUruguayRiver, SouthernBrazil/North-westernArgentina,at theBrazil-Argentina

internationalborder(seeFig. i,p.39,andalsoFig.4.6). Itconsistsoftwoseparatedamsand

hydropowerplants(i.e.theGarabi–28o12'50"S55o41'17"W–andthePanambi–27o39'07"S

54o54'20"W–damsandhydropowerplants)inwhich,likethecomplexofninedamsinwhich

Sobradinhodamisoneofitscomponents,theonelocateddownstream(i.e.Garabi)depends

on the one built upstream (i.e. Panambi) for its best performance (EBISA/Eletrobras, 2010).

However,thestoryofGarabi-Panambiismorecomplexasthesesdamsarestillyettobebuilt,

unliketheSobradinhodam.

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FIGURE 4.6.Mapmade by the Eletrobras (Brazilian governmental agency for energy affairs)

spotsthefuturelocationoftheGarabi(purplearrow)andthePanambi(orangearrow)dams

alongtheUruguayRiverattheborderbetweenBrazilandArgentina.AlsonotetheTurvoState

Park(redarrow)asthebottompartofthewholegreenarea(whichisconsideredacorezone

oftheUNESCO’sAtlanticForestBiosphereReserve–Linoetal.,2009)depictedatthetopright

ofthisfigure.

TheGarabihydropower stationwill feature1,152MWof installed capacityanda40m-high

damwallwithareservoirof642km2whereasthePanambihydroelectricplantmightgenerate

upto1,048MWthrough its40m-highdamwallwithareservoirof327km2,considering its

maximumlevelofwater130mabovethesealevel(Eletrobras,2016b).

The original vegetation of this stretch of the Uruguay River comprises the Atlantic Forest

Biome (FundaçãoSOSMataAtlântica/INPE,2009)–Fig.4.7,oneof theworld’shotspots for

conservation(Myersetal.,2000).Localclimateisclassifiedassubtropical–Köeppen’sCfatype

(DEFAP/ProgramaRSRural,2005;MMA,2009a).

Adapted fromEstudiode inventariohidroeléctricode lacuencadelríoUruguayeneltramocompartidoentreArgentinayBrasil(Studies for potential hydroelectric uses of the Uruguay RiverbasinattheboundarybetweenArgentinaandBrazil).ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©Ebisa/Eletrobras2010

190

FIGURE4.7.OriginalvegetationalongtheUruguayRiverbasinintheareasurveyed.

(a)

(b)

Nowadaysthelandscapeofthisregionconsistsmainlyoflargegrainmonocultures(especially

soyabean)andpasturelands(Fig.4.8),exceptforriparianzonesandtheirsurroundings—which

areoccupiedbysmallfarmsruninafamilybasis(IBGE,2010)—wherepatchesoftheoriginal

AtlanticForeststillremain.Iconsiderthisinformationvitalforthereadertounderstandwhat

isatstakewhenitcomestoclearing/submergingtheseriverbanksandtheirhinterlandasthe

damworksdevelop.Firstly,likethefactsbroughtupabovefromtheexperienceregardingthe

Sobradinhodam,thedisappearanceofthesestrips/patchesofremanentforest(thatcomprise

the last refuge for the local floraand faunaamidst theendlessheavily-manipulatedplotsof

pasturelands and soyabean crops)will probably condemn nativewildlife to local extinction.

Secondly, the Garabi-Panambi project would also eventually reinforce the dominance and

stregthenthepressureoflatifundiaownersuponsmallfarmers,asmostofthesmallfarmers’

landsaresituatedwithintheto-be-affectedarea.

(a)TurvoStatePark,Derrubadasdistric.(b)Detailof the local landscape:SaltodosGringoswaterfall, located in one of the tributaries of theTurvo River; three miles downstream the latterdrainsintotheUruguayRiver.ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©MarileneRibeiro2016

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FIGURE4.8.(a)SoyabeanplantationinPortoBiguá(situatedwithintheareasurveyed)and

(b)prospectivelocationofthePanambidam(farattheUruguayRiver’sbend).

(a)Notethestripoforiginalvegetation(AtlanticForest)inthebackground.

(b)NotethethinstripoforiginalvegetationalongtheUruguayRiveraswellaswatershed’slocallandscape.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2016

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Official reports (EBISA/Eletrobras, 2010; Eletrobras, 2016a) cite that the Garabi-Panambi

hydropower complex would displace about 12,000 people. However, both Argentinian and

Braziliansocialmovementsestimatethatover20,000peoplewouldbeaffected(MAB,2015;

NoaGarabí,2015;RíoUruguayLibre!,2015).Notably, this isanotherpatternthat insistson

repeatingovertime:apartfromthebudgetandthetimeforthecompletionofthedam(see

ChapterOne,p.57-58,andAnsaretal.,2014),officialdocumentsusuallyalsounderestimate

thenumberofpeopletobeaffectedbythesetypeofproject(Little,2014).Amongstnumerous

otherprojectsoflargedamsaroundtheworld(Richteretal.,2010),thiswasalsotrueforthe

Sobradinho dam (Silva and Germani, 2009) and for the case of the BeloMonte dam (FGV,

2016).

Whenitcomestobigandcontentiousprojects(likehydropowerplants),notonlythismatter

ofunderestimatingnumbersbuttheentirestorytendstorepeat,asparticipantMariaEliete,

whose indigenous traditional community was affected by the Belo Monte dam (see also

ChaptersOne,p.63andThree,p.174-175),stated:“AsIlistenedtothosepeople[thosetobe

affectedbyanotherdamplannedtobebuilt intheBrazilianTocantinsRiver]speakingabout

theinformationthatreachedthem,theirthoughts,theirhopesorratherconcernsaboutthese

newsandpromisesofabetterlifethatwouldcomewiththedam,Ithought‘Gosh!It’slikeI’m

watchingthesamefilm…again…thesamefilminwhichIwasoneofthe‘characters’yearsago

ishappeningagain…’”(MariaEliete,interviewedonNovember06,2016).Iwillbrieflyoutline

herethehistoriccontextoftheGarabi-Panambidamcomplexandwillalsopresentthestoryof

theBeloMontedamfurtheron, forthereadertoperceivethesimilaritiesMariaElieteandI

referto.

The initiative tobuildhydroelectricdams in the stretchof theUruguayRiverbetweenBrazil

andArgentinadatesbackto1972whentheboomindambuildingwashappeningaroundthe

world (seeChapterOne,p.53).At the time,presidentsof these twocountriesco-signedan

agreementtojointlyundertakeaninventoryonpotentialusesofthisbinationalportionofthe

Uruguay River for energy production. This preliminary study pointed to three potential

hydropowerplants:SanPedro,Garabi(reservoir’swaterupto94metersabovesealevel),and

Roncador (reservoir’s water up to 164 meters above sea level). Brazil and Argentina then

carriedonwith the implementationof theGarabi and theRoncador damprojects until late

1980s, when both projects stopped due to: i) the political and economic fragility both

ArgentinaandBrazilfacedatthattime;ii)uncertaintiesaboutfundsfromtheWorldBank,as

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the latterwas stepping back its support for large dams around theworld (see alsoChapter

One, for details on this international context); and iii) protestsby the to-be-affectedpeople

(Hüffner and Engel, 2011; Eletrobras, 2016b). In 1988 and 1989 local populations gathered;

andpulled,seized,andthrewintothewatersoftheUruguayRiverthestakesthecompanyin

chargeof thestudies for thesedamshad installedalong thatstretchof the river inorder to

measure thevariations in the river level.Theseacts signified the initialorganisationofwhat

would constitute theMovementof PeopleAffectedbyDams (MAB) and, lateron, theyalso

becameamarkofthepeopleaffectedbydams’struggle.Moreinformationonthe“anti-dam

movement”andtheMABcanbefoundinChapterOne(p.68-71).

As large dam projects made a comeback by the turn of the twenty-first century (see also

ChapterOne,forcontext,andPearce,2006a),BrazilandArgentina(viatheirrespectiveenergy

agencies Eletrobras andEBISA) resumed theplans to take advantageof theUruguayRiver’s

hydroelectricpotential.From2008theycarriedoutnewinventorystudiesthat,oncefinished

in 2010, suggested that the Garabi dam should decrease its level to 89m (instead of the

previous94mabovesealevel)andtheRoncadordamshouldbereplacedbythePanambidam

project, situated in a slightly different position and featuring 130m (above sea level) as its

maximumwaterlevelinsteadofthe164mfirstsuggestedfortheRoncadordam(Eletrobras,

2016b),asthiswouldpreventthelongestwaterfallintheworldandalsoaRioGrandedoSul

state’ssiteofculturalandenvironmentalheritage,theSaltodoYucumã/Moconá,frombeing

submerged. Notably, this new study also intended to adapt these previous projects for the

IBAMA to approve them, as the proposal written in the 1980s would hardly succeed

consideringthenewenvironmentalregulatoryframeworkforhydropowerplantprojectsthat

cameintoforcein1986inBrazil(seeAppendix1).

Tocontinue, in2010,theBraziliangovernmenttooktheGarabi-Panambihydrocomplexasa

priorityandincludeditinthesecondstageoftheBrazilianGrowthAccelerationProgramme47

(ProgramadeAceleraçãodoCrescimento2 -PAC2)(MinistériodoPlanejamento,2013).The

so-calledUruguayRiver’s EnergyConsortium (Consórcio Energético doRioUruguai)won the

publicauctionandstartedtoconductthestudiesfortheEnvironmentalImpactAssessment,as

wellastoorganisepublicconsultations(Eletrobras,2016a).

47The Brazilian Growth Acceleration Programme (PAC) is a national programme firstly launched in 2007 thatunderlines economic policies and projects considered by decision-makers as priorities to sustain the country’sgrowthanddevelopment.ThePACisplannedconsideringatimeframeoffouryears(MinistériodoPlanejamento,2013).

194

Eversince,notonly localsbutalsobiologists,environmentalists,andacademicshavestarted

fightingtheproject,particularlybecause:i)theprocessofpublicconsultationwasbeingledin

abiasedfashion;ii)oneofthecompaniesoftheconsortium,theEngevixEngenhariaS.A.,was

known for misleading previous Environmental Impact Assessments, and had been already

convictedof fraud48(InGá,2014); iii)whether these twodamstookplace, theUruguayRiver

wouldno longerhaveanystretch freeofdams,whichwould isolate/islepopulationsof fish,

jaguar, and tapir, and condemn them to death as species (locally), which would ultimately

violate theBrazilianConstitution (Cruz,2009); iv) thePanambidam,as currently featuringa

water levelofup to130m,would flood60haof theTurvoStatePark (DEFAP/ProgramaRS

Rural, 2005), anareaalso classifiedas core/intangibleandofextremelyhigh importance for

conservation (MMA, 2007:85 and 122); and v) experts were also aware that evenwith the

changes in theoriginalprojectdesign, theSaltodoYucumã/Moconeawould stillbeaffected

(InGá,2014).

Throughout2013and2014,locals,biologists,environmentalists,researchers,andscholarshad

objected to theGarabi-Panambi in different forms, frompublicationof reports andposts in

social media to the seizing of one of the consortium’s busses and occupations (Fig. 4.9).

Amongst many claims, they argued that the project was being put forward at the costs of

alreadyendangeredspeciesandaworldheritagesite,withtheparticipationofanunreliable

company(i.e. theEngevixEngenhariaS.A),andwithout informingand listeningtotheto-be-

affectedproperly.

48Asanemblematiccase,in2001,fortheEnvironmentalImpactStudyoftheBarraGrandehydropowerproject,theEngevix Engenharia S.A. affirmed that only 9%of the area tobe flooded consistedof an endangered vegetationtype.Lateronitwasproventhatinfactthatfloristicphysiognomycomprised70%ofthearea(InGá,2014).

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FIGURE 4.9. Families to be affected by the Garabi-Panambi dam complex occupy the local

officeoftheUruguayRiver’sEnergyConsortiuminAlecrim,Brazil,andclaimfortheprojectto

stop(2014).Oneoftheto-be-affectedpeople’sprotestsagainsttheproposedGarabi-Panambi

damsproject.

Englishtranslationforthebannerontheright-handside:“OutwiththeConsortia–youtorture,killrivers,causeviolenceandpoverty.Out!Thislandalreadybelongstosomeoneelse.”Extractedfromthearticleabouttheoccupationoftheconsortium’sofficepublishedbyJornaldasMissõesonMay28,2014.[online]At:http://www.jornaldasmissoes.com.br/noticias/geral/id/4531/atingidos-por-garabi-e-panambi-ocupam-escritorio-d.html)ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JornaldasMissões2014

In 2015, these people gathered and, jointlywith Federal and State Public Prosecutors, took

legalactionagainstEletrobras(thatpromotedthePanambidamproject)andtheIBAMA(that

carriedontheprocessoflicensingforthisinfrastructureproject,evenawareofallthepoints

namedabove),demanding that theprojectwascancelled (MPF,2015a).ThePanambihydro

projectwasthenacasefortheBrazilianFederalCourtfromthentolate2017.

Alsoin2015,Engevix’stopexecutiveswerearrestedandchargedwithparticipationinacartel,

corruption, andmoney laundering, during theOperation CarWash (Operação Lava Jato)—a

massive and still ongoing investigation into political corruption in Brazil involving politicians

196

from all major parties, their relatives, infrastructure/engineering companies as well as

powerfulcorporationsandbusinesspeoplefromtheprivatesector.

Eventually, on August 22, 2017, the Federal Judge issued his sentence. It acknowledges the

threats of the Panambi dam project as it is currently designed (i.e. featuring 130m as its

maximum water level); nullifies the Reference Term the IBAMA had already provided for

applicantstoundertaketheEnvironmentalImpactStudy;demandsallstudiesforthisproject,

including the ongoing Environmental Impact Study, to stop; and suspends the process of

licensing for the Panambi dam project (Justiça Federal, 2017). As the Garabi dam project

dependsonthePanambiprojectfortheformer’sappropriateperformance(aspreviouslycited

in this section), it is likely that theGarabiprojectwill notprogresseither. Indeed, I recently

spoketoacoupleofparticipantswholiveintheareatobeaffectedbytheGarabiprojectand

theyinformedmethatthelocalofficeofthecompanyinchargeofthestudiesfortheGarabi

hydropowerstation (thatused tobe located inPortoXavier town)wasdismantledand they

havenotseenanyemployeesaroundanymore.However,atanytimetheseprojectscanbere-

designed and applied to the process of licenses again as improved projects, as we will see

belowinthecaseoftheBeloMontedam.

DuringJanuaryandFebruary2016,Itravelledalongtheareatobepotentiallyaffectedbythe

GarabiandthePanambischemesinBrazil, interviewed,photographed,gatheredimages,and

exchangedexperienceswith30families(36individuals)whowillbedisplacediftheseprojects

eventually take place. It is important to note that at the time of this fieldwork, the above-

mentioned lawsuitwasstill tobe judged,then,neitherparticipantsnor Ihadanyclueabout

what the verdict would be. My proposal arrives in the area amidst this atmosphere of

uneasiness and anxiety, also articulating its space within this already set movement of

resistance. The interviews took place in their current place of living, i.e. PortoMauá town,

Porto Lucena town, Garruchos town, and also in settlements called Poço Preto, Lajeado

Paraíso,LajeadoTigre,SãoMiguel,BarradoSantoCristo,EsquinaSantoAntônio,TrêsPedras,

LajeadoMarrocas,LinhaUruguaiSul,LinhaUruguaiNorte,LinhaDourado,LinhaMineral,Linha

doRio,Itajubá,andReservadoMauá(Fig.4.10).AllthesesitesarelocatedwithintheBrazilian

territory.

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FIGURE4.10.Areasvisitedbytheresearcher.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR

ModifiedfromGoogleTerraMetrics2016–http://maps.google.com

BeloMontehydropowercomplexproject

TheBeloMontehydropowercomplexcomprisestwodamsandhydroelectricstationslocated

inNorthernBrazil,inanareaknownasXingu’sBigBend(VoltaGrandedoXingu–seeFig.i,p.

39, andalso Fig. 4.11). They arenamedas: i) themaindamand complementaryplant—the

Pimentaldam(03o26’15”S51o56’50”W),andii)thesecondarydamandmainplant—theBelo

Monte dam (03o07’35”S 51o46’30”W). The innovative and challenging design of the Belo

MontedamcomplexallowsthewateroftheXinguRiverthatisheldbackbythePimentaldam

toberedirectedtowardsthemainstation(situateddownstream,withintheBeloMontedam

wall) througha20km-longcanal/bypassbuilt for thispurpose inanareaof landbeside the

actualriver(NorteEnergia,2015).Consequently,asthewaterisdivertedfromthisstretchof

theXinguRiverbetweenthePimentalandtheBeloMontedams,Xingu’sBigBend,inits134

km,hasitsaveragewaterdischargereducedbyupto80%(Eletrobras,2009,v.1).

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FIGURE.4.11.MapofXingu’sBigBend(Parástate,NorthernBrazil)highlightstheBeloMonte

dam complex. Xingu River depicted in light blue and the reservoirs of the BeloMonte dam

complexindarkblue(mainreservoir—above-leftthePimentaldaminthemap,andsecondary

reservoir—belowtheBeloMontedaminthemap).

Once finished, in 2019, the BeloMonte hydroelectric complexwill feature 11,233.1MWof

installed capacity (11,000 MW generated by the Belo Monte plant and 233.1 MW by the

Pimentalplant),rankedasthethirdlargesthydropowerstationintheworldandthebiggestin

theAmazon(NorteEnergia,2015).

Theclimate in this regionof theXinguRiver is classifiedasmonsoon (Köeppen’s typeAm3),

withminimumannualtemperatureaveragesbetween24oCand25oC,maximumbetween31oC

and 33oC, annual rainfall between 2,000 and 2,500 mm, and relative humidity of the air

between 80% and 90%, the rainy season occurs between January and July whereas the

“relativelydry”seasonisfromAugusttoDecember(Fereira,2008apudICMBio,2012).Original

Altamira (the closest city to the dam works) is located above left. Note that thePaquiçambaandAraradaVoltaGrandedoXingu IndigenousReservesaresituatedwithinthestretchoftheXingu’sBigBendthathaditsaveragewaterdischargeextremelyreduced(upto80%)asaconsequenceofthePimentaldamupstream.Alsonotethelocationofthearea that has been requested by the Canadian Belo SunMining corporation as a futureopenpitgoldmine,shownbelowinthemap(overlaidblackandredlines).TheimplicationsofthesetwopointswereexaminedinChapterThree(p.168,170-171)ORIGINALINCOLOUR

AdaptedfromISA2012–Xingu’sBigBendregion[online]At:https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/noticias?id=117274)

199

vegetationof this regionofBrazil comprises theBiomeAmazonia (Vellosoet al., 1991apud

ICMBio,2012).TherainforeststillremainsexuberantwithinlocalIndigenousLands/Reserves,

NatureReserves,islands,andaschainsalongtheXinguriversideanditstributaries(Fig.4.12);

whereas in other areas, due to the pressure of historic fronts of occupation, the original

vegetationisconstrainedinscatteredremainingpatchesamidstlargecattleranchesalongthe

Transamasônica Highway, urban areas (such as Altamira and Vitória do Xingu cities), and

artisanalgoldmines(liketheoneinthesurroundingsoftheRessacavillage).

FIGURE4.12.AerialviewoftheXinguRiver’slocallandscapeatthePimentaldambuildingsite.

Xingu’sBigBend.Notethescopeoftheriverbed,itsislandsandoriginalvegetation.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©ISA2012

Itisestimatedthataround40,000peoplehavebeenaffectedbytheBeloMontehydropower

projecttodate(FGV,2016;MAB,2016).

Similarly to theRoncadordam,whichwas conceived in the1980saspartof theSãoPedro-

Garabi-Roncador dam complex, and, by the beginning of the 2000s, was revised and re-

designedasthePanambidam,theBeloMontedamcomplexfirstappearedinthelate1970s,

asacomplexofsixdamsintheXinguRiver,inwhichoneofthemwastheKararaôdam.Atthat

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time,aglobalmovementagainstthedamemergedandthefigureofTuíra—anindividualfrom

the Kayapó ethnic group who, during the public consultation that took place in 1989,

employedhermacheteagainstthedirectorofthecompanyinchargeoftheproject—became

emblematic as a symbol of resistance to the Kararaô dam (Fig. 4.13). Eventually theWorld

Bank refused to finance the dam (due to reasons already exposed inChapter One) and the

projectwasnotcarriedout.

FIGURE 4.13. Tuíra employs hermachete against José AntônioMuniz Lopes, director of the

companyinchargeoftheKararaôdamproject(theEletronorte)duringthepublicconsultation

organisedtodiscusstheKararaôdamproject.FirstEncounteroftheIndigenousPeopleofthe

Xingu,Altamira,1989.

In the early 2000s, Kararaô was re-designed and reappeared as Belo Monte. In 2007, the

Braziliangovernmentput theBeloMontedamproject in thepipelineaspartof theGrowth

Acceleration Programme (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento – PAC). A remarkable

national and internationalmovement fighting the damemergedonce again—it consisted of

indigenous groups, traditional non-indigenous riverside dwellers (known as ribeirinhos),

academics, ecologists, individuals, and Non-Governmental Organisations around the world

Original caption: Tuíra Caiapó, aos 19 anos, encosta o facão no rosto dediretordaEletronorte.(TuíraCaiapó,19,pressestheEletronorte’sdirector’sfacewithhermachete)©ProtasioNene/AE1989

201

that feared the disastrous consequences of the dam on the environment, specially, in the

XinguRiver’swatershedanditsinhabitants.Themajoractorsinthisresistancehavebeenthe

BrazilianMovement of PeopleAffectedbyDams (MAB),XinguVivopara SempreMovement

(MXVPS), Instituto Socioambiental (ISA),Conselho IndigenistaMissionário (CIMI),Movimento

peloDesenvolvimentodaTransamazônicaeXingu (MDTX),Greenpeace,AmazonWatch,and

InternationalRivers(IRN).

In2010,theIBAMAgrantedtheProvisionalEnvironmentalLicense(LicençaPrévia-LP)tothe

BeloMontedamproject.This ignitedprotests,andphysicalconfrontationsbetweencivilians

andthepolice/armybecamecommonplace.Inthesameyear,theNorteEnergiaS.A.wonthe

publicauctiontomanagetheBeloMontedamprojectaswellastheenergytheplantwould

generate.Notably,theBraziliangovernmentholdsalmost50%(49.98%)oftheNorteEnergia’s

shares.

In2011,theBraziliangovernmentauctionedthedamworkstotheConsórcioConstrutorBelo

Monte(CCBM),whichiscomposedofthemostpowerfulengineeringcompaniesoperatingin

Brazil’s infrastructure projects: Camargo Corrêa, Odebrecht, OAS, Andrade Gutierrez, and

QueirozGalvão.Thedamworksbegan.

Thesocio-environmentalprovisions(condicionantessocioambientais)49werethenrequired(as

partoftheBasicEnvironmentalPlan–PlanoBásicoAmbiental-PBA50),whichmeanttoensure

thattheforest,fish,waterquality,andthehealthandlivelihoodsofribeirinhosandindigenous

peoplewereprotected.Theyalsoaimedtoguaranteethatinfrastructureandpublicservicesin

Altamira(theclosestcitytoBeloMonte)wereimprovedinordertoreceivethethousandsof

migrants whowould be attracted to the area by the opportunities generated by themega

infrastructureproject.Likewise,IndigenousLands/Reserveswouldbeimprovedanddefended.

In this regard,before theBeloMontehydroelectricplantbuilding started,back in2010, the

FUNAI (the Brazilian National Indian Foundation, governmental agency that deals with

indigenous affairs andwelfare) demanded the consortium thatwas leading the BeloMonte

hydropowerproject (i.e. theNorteEnergiaS.A.)outlinedandcarriedoutemergencyactions.

49As part of the process of licenses detailed and available in Appendix 1 – Structure of the environmentalregulatoryframeworkforhydropowerplantprojectsinBrazil.50TheBasicEnvironmentalPlan(PlanoBásicoAmbiental–PBA)isalong-termprojectthatthecompanyinchargeofthedamprojecthas to runtomitigateandcompensate thepotentialnegativedamagescausedby theproposedhydropowerplant.ThiscanalsobefoundinAppendix1.

202

ThishappenedbecausetheFUNAIwasconcernedabouttheimminenthazardstheindigenous

populationwereexposedtoduetothechangestobetriggeredbytheinitialstagesoftheBelo

Monte dam works until the PBA were implemented. These emergency actions aimed to

prepare these indigenous groups for the modifications that would happen in the region;

protect indigenous land from poachers, illegal loggers, and grileiros51; assure the affected

indigenous groups would have access to food according to their traditional diet; as well as

foster the development of these traditional communities based on their own ancient

knowledgeandpractices.Hence,theEmergencyPlanfortheProtectionoftheMiddleXingu’s

IndigenousLandsUndertheInfluenceoftheBeloMonteHydropowerPlant,ParáState(Plano

Emergencial de Proteção `as Terras Indígenas do Médio Xingu sob Influência da Usina

Hidrelétrica de Belo Monte, Pará), referred as the PEPTI or the “Emergency Plan”, should

involve mainly 52 : building 21 stations for territory protection (UPTs) in key sites along

Indigenous Lands/Reserves and their surroundings; equipping the FUNAI with material and

humanresourcestoproceedthesesurveillancebothonlocationandremotely;improvingthe

FUNAI’s facilities inAltamiracity;encouraging thesepeople to remain in their lands through

the strengthening of their sense of community and autonomy. The consortium agreed to

spendR$30,000(around£7,500pounds)witheveryindigenouscommunityonamonthbasis

during the time proposed for the implementation of the PEPTI in order to make this

assignmenthappen.

ThePEPTIranfrom2010to2012(FGV,2016;ISA,216).Bytheendof2012theNorteEnergia

had not finished one single UPT (ISA, ibid; MPF, 2013). Remarkably, at some point, the

consortiumstartedtonegotiateprivatelyanddirectlywitheveryindigenousleaderonhowthe

monthly R$30,000 should be allocated: each leader should make a “list” of things she/he

considered the community needed and these itemswould be provided by the company. As

therewerenocriteria,these“lists”endedupreflectingpersonaldemandsandincludingitems

like vehicles, boats, boat engines, fuel, soft drinks, biscuits, TV, and even amine pit (MPF,

2015b; ISA, 2016; LeonardoMoura and Pablo Lobato, pers. comm.). Even aware of the real

purposeoftheEmergencyPlan, theNorteEnergiadeliveredthemonthlyrequested itemsto

every indigenous community. This not only ignited conflicts within every group (as some51Briefdefinitionofthetermgrileiro:anindividualwhoproducesfakedocumentsofruralpropertyandsellsthesepropertieswithoutactuallyowningthem.Thishasbeenawidespreadillegalactivitythatdatesfromthenineteenthcenturyandhasbeena largely lucrativebusinessspecially intheAmazonia—notoriously intheParástate,wheretheBeloMontedam is located.Grileirosarepowerfulpeople,generallyworking ina scam-basedbusinesswhichincludes the supportof registerofficers, softwareengineers/hackers, local-hiredkillersaswell as corrupt judges,governors, and representatives.Grileiros were accused of the murder of the missionary nun Dorothy Stang, in2005—whichtookplaceinAnapu,oneofthedistrictscitedastobealsoimpactedbytheBeloMontedamproject.52AslistedintheFUNAI’sreferencedocumentno.126,March2011.

203

leaders started to promote the pro dam discourse as well as kept some items for their

personal use) but eventually culminated with the split of communities. Up until 2010 the

FUNAIhadregistered18 indigenouscommunitieswithin thearea tobeaffectedby theBelo

Montedam.In2015thisnumberraisedto51(MPF,2015b).These“lists”alsoledthesegroups

to suffer from diet-related diseases like hypertension, diabetes, andmalnutrition53, as they

suddenly switched from a diet based on cassava flour, freshly caught fish, fruits, nuts, and

game to one of processed food.Moreover, having their daily food needs supplied by these

monthlydeliveriesmadethesepeopleabandontheircrops.Ascropsvanished, litterbuiltup

within these indigenous lands. Apart from this, as local indigenous leaders needed to be

constantlycommuting toAltamiracity inorder tonegotiatewith thecompany, theydidnot

have time to listen to their own communities’ internal demands. This dismantled their

autonomyand their cohesionasagroup thatclaimed that theirworldviewsand rightswere

heard and respected. Consequently, in 2015, federal public prosecutors charged the Norte

EnergiaandtheBraziliangovernmentofethnocide(MPF,2015b).

Inaretrospectiveanalysis,theFederalPublicProsecutor’sOfficeconcludewhatbecameofthe

PEPTIintheend:

"Whatwascommonlyknownasthe'EmergencyPlan'wasapathoutsidethelicensing

norms, defined away from the legitimate spaces of indigenous participation and

protagonism, through which the entrepreneur succeeded in attracting indigenous

peopletotheircounters,keepingthemawayfromtheconstructionsitesofBeloMonte,

even without complying with indispensable [socio-environmental] provisions. A

massive policy of pacification and silencing, performed with the use of resources

destinedtoethno-development.And,fromtheofficesofEletronortetothecountersof

Norte Energia, it quickly reached themost remote village of themiddle Xingu, with

damagenotevensizedyetbutalreadypresent54[…]"(MPF,2014)

Ultimately, the impacted indigenous people have not been either protected/empowered or

properly consulted as required by the Brazilian legislation and the International Labour

Organization(ILO)(Fearnside,2017).

53 From 2011 to 2013, the incidence of hypertension and diabetes (type not specified) in the indigenouscommunitieslocatedwithintheareatobeaffectedbytheBeloMontedamdoubled(MPF,2015b).Between2010and2012thechildrenmalnutritionindexincreased127%(6to60monthsold–FGV,2016;ISA,2016). 54Myemphasis:underlined.

204

In2011, the IBAMAgranted thepermission to install theproject (Licençade Instalação -LI),

despite being aware that Norte Energia had not accomplished all socio-environmental

provisions required to start to work on the dam. In 2015, the same Operation Car Wash

(Operação Lava Jato) named above for the Garabi-Panambi project also revealed the

involvement of the engineering companies in charge of the Belo Monte dam project (i.e.

Odebrecht, Camargo Corrêa, Andrade Gutierrez, OAS, and Queiroz Galvão) in a scheme of

corruption. Itwasdiscovered that these companieshad funded thePMDBand thePTparty

electioncampaignsin2010,2012,and2014andhadpaidbribesfortherightstothisventure.

OnNovember24,2015, the IBAMA issued the License forOperation (LiçencadeOperação -

LO), allowing the sluices gates to be shut, the reservoir to be filled, and the hydropower

stationtostarttooperate(Fig.4.14).

FIGURE4.14.BeloMontedaminOctober2016.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©MarileneRibeiro

Since the early stages of the Belo Monte project, researchers, scholars, federal public

prosecutors, environmentalists, and socialmovementshaveargued thatboth the social and

205

environmental impacts of the BeloMonte were unacceptable. Despite this, the damworks

haveneverstopped.

Up until now, the Belo Monte dam project, primarily funded by Brazil’sNational Bank for

EconomicandSocialDevelopment (BancoNacionaldeDesenvolvimentoEconômicoeSocial -

BNDES), has overrun its budget by 100%: the initial cost of R$16billion (about £4billion) is

nowestimatedasbeingintheregionofR$30billion(about£7.5billion),aspredictedbyAtif

Ansarandcolleaguesin2014(seeChapterOne,p.57).

During September, October, and November 2016, I interviewed, photographed, gathered

images,andexchangedexperienceswith16families(21individuals)whohavebeenaffected

bytheBeloMontedamcomplex.ExceptforJumaXipaiaandMariaRosa(whoIinterviewedin

Altamiracityinsteadofintheiractualaddress),theseinterviewstookplaceintheparticipants’

current place of living (Fig. 4.15). For the purpose of records and mapping of the area

surveyed: nine families had previously lived in areas of compulsory movement, i.e. Santo

Antônio hamlet, Itapiranga Island, Pallhau, Pivela island + Peixaria (Altamira city), Trindade

Island + Manoel Ferreira, Cashew Island, Barriguda’s Island + Invasão dos Padres (Altamira

city), and Paratizão + Ernesto Acioly (Altamira city); the other seven familes, thatwere not

officiallyorderedtomove,havetheircurrentaddressinJardimIndependenteI(Altamiracity),

Jardim Independente II (Altamira city), Farm’s Island, Sítio Terra Bacabal, Tukamã village

(Xipaya Indigenous Reserve), and Paquiçamba village (Paquiçamba Indigenous Reserve).

Despite not being classified as sites of compulsory movement, these latter six places are

locatedwithintheareaunderinfluenceoftheBeloMontehydropowercomplex.

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FIGURE4.15.Areasvisitedbytheresearcher.

ORIGINALINCOLOUR

ModifiedfromGoogleLandsat/Copernicus2017–http://maps.google.com

Nowthatthereaderhasanunderstandingofthesettingmyparticipants’liveshavebeen

embeddedin,Icanproceedtotheanalysesoftheactualpractice.

207

Chapter5:Transposingfeelings–InsideandbeyondtheeventofPhotography

208

“Every form of contestation against

this tyranny is comprehensible.

Dialoguewith it is impossible. For us

toliveanddieproperly,thingshaveto

be named properly. Lets us reclaim

ourwords.”

(JohnBerger,2003)

209

Aimsofthischapter:

- Reflecting on my practice and on the matters that unfold through researcher-

researchedencounters.

- PresentingtherationalebehindmychoicesonhowtobuildthenarrativeIproposeas

thisPhD.

- Drawing the paths throughwhich dams inflict damages on both nature and human

beingsfrommyexperienceswithmycollaborators.

- SituatingmyfindingswithinthecontextofHumanRightsandtheRightsofNatureand

presenting the scenarios emerged from this collaborativework interwovenwith the

conceptsandreasoningdrawnbyBoaventuradeSousaSantosandEduardoGudynas.

- Reflectingonhowthisprojectfunctionsformycollaboratorsandontheimpactofthis

workonviewers.

- Discussingthepotentialitiesandchallengesconcerningthedisseminationofthiswork.

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5.1Immersingandemerging

This chapter comprises my immersion in the practice. I concentrate on the reflections and

knowledgemy encounters with participants unfolded, as well as on the analysis of choices

madealongthisjourneyinfaceofthisresearch’smajoraim:tocommunicatethenatureand

the immateriality of the negative impacts of dams through a visual narrative. I will be also

referring to and weaving information from Chapters One, Two, Three, and Four into this

currentChapterinordertosituatemyreasoning.

AsoutlinedinChapterOne,myproposalistoexploretheintangiblecostsofhydropower,as

well as to present them in a way that reaches people from different backgrounds. This is

distinctfromprojectsthataimtoproducewrittenreports,strictlyscientificpapers,andformal

tablesandcharts.Ibelievethesemediaarenotsensitivetomattersthatcannotbeobjectively

measured(likethoserelatedtotheembodiedandrelationalwealthscitedinChapterOne)nor

are they as accessible to the majority of the population as broadly and pungently as

photography is.Therefore, Idecidedtobuildthispractice inphotography.Yet, incontrastto

more traditionaldocumentaryapproaches,which tend tobe restricted to theperspectiveof

theonewhoholds the camera55only, I decided to shape the image-making in collaboration

withthoseaffectedbytheseinfrastructureschemes.AsstatedinMethodology,andChapters

Two and Three, the experiences lived by those who have been affected by hydropower

projects56areat thecoreof thispracticeas Iperceivethese individualsasexperts57whocan

unravelanddetailtheintricatenetthatcomprisesthenegativeimpactscausedbyhydropower

intheriverbasinanditsassociatedsystems(bothbiological,social,andculturalsystems).That

said,fortheelaborationofthevisualnarrativeproposedasthispractice-basedPhD,Ineeded

tofindwaystoabsorbtheirdiscourseandperceptionscoherently inthework58aswellasto

makethemintelligibletotheaudience.

So, this chapter is structured based on key questions I had to deal with throughout this

practice: i) how to adapt my practice to the different situations that I encountered, and

optimize the collaboration I pursue?; ii) what have my encounters been able to evoke55Sometimesalongwiththeperspectivesofotherswhobelongtothesame“community”,e.g.journalists,writers,andotherphotographers.56Inthiscase,thethreehydroprojectsdescribedinChapterFour.57I consider themexperts in the subjects of the “river” and “impact of hydropower”, and that is the reason forhavingselectingthemasmycollaboratorsinthisresearch,asalreadymentionedintheMethodology.58Notforgettingaboutmyownpresenceinthisworktoo,bymeansofthesensations/understandingtriggeredbywhatIlivedonceincontactwithmycollaboratorsandthosefreshwaterlandscapes,andalsobasedonmypreviouslivedexperiencesandprofessionalbackground.

211

regarding the immaterial nature of the costs?; iii) how my collaborators might have

understoodphotographyasameans for themtoexpress themselvesandcommunicatewith

others?; iv)what impactmight thisworkhaveonviewers?; v)once these livedexperiences,

feelings, and immaterial values have been accessed, how to best present them to these

potential viewers?; andvi)once completed,how todisseminate thework so that it reaches

theaudienceandeventuallyaccomplishesitsgoals?

AsIexpandthepathsIforgedthroughthesequestions,Ipresenthowmypracticeworkedand

whymymethodsweresignificant.

5.2QuestionI–Practicalchallenges

As Grant Kester (2008, 2015) and Daniel Palmer (2017) have sensibly pointed out, in

collaborative art practices the artist’s sovereign control makes room for mediation,

negotiation,andcontingency,as theprocessofmaking (and,consequently, the“finalpiece”

too)dependsonacollectiveengagementaswellason thekindofexchangesandsituations

that happen between participants/collaborators instead of on the single individual’s (the

artist’s) will, ideas, and knowledge (see Chapter Two, p. 98-114, for discussions on

collaborative art practices). As I propose to construct a narrative on the impacts of

hydroelectric power departing from the riverside dwellers’ personal experiences on these

infrastructure projects and as this narrative includes responses to my encounters with the

participants, “adaptation” is a key term for implementation of my methodology. By

acknowledgingthis,Idonotmeanitmademypracticeeasier.Instead,dealingwithandhaving

myself to adapt and find solutions to thepeculiarities each fieldwork (and eachparticipant)

revealedtometendedtoaddareasonablelevelofvulnerabilityanddistressforme,asIcould

neitherassuretheproposedjointlabourwouldhappenatall(evenwiththese“solutions”)nor

control the whole process but rather negotiate it. On the other hand, as Palmer (ibid) and

Kester(ibid)havestressed,this iswhatmakescollaborativeworksuniqueandremarkableas

artpractice.

The structure of families and communities are dynamic processes, as is history. They are

subjected to external influences that cannot be controlled by photographers and/or

researchers,regardlessofwhatthelatteroriginallyplannedasher/hisprocessofinquiry.Itis

uptous,photographersand/orresearchers,tobesensitivetothemandtotrytofindwaysto

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undertakeourworkon thesemutableandunsteadygrounds.Retrospectively lookingat the

challenges I was faced with, in regard to my fieldwork, makes me realise how much they

contributedtomybetterunderstandingofphotography,power,history,humanbeings,rivers,

environment,endurance,resistance,resilience,anddams.

ThefirstthingIhadtoperceive,reflecton,andadapttowasthestrict(ifany)accesstowater

in the harsh Caatinga (see also Fig.4.1 and associated text in Chapter Four), during the

fieldwork intheSobradinhodamarea.Asundergroundwater inthissemi-aridpatchmaybe

saltyandtherainisvirtuallyabsentthroughouttheyear,localsoftengettheirdrinkingwater

supply essentially via water lorries (caminhões pipa) that travel amidst hamlets and fill

dwellings’water storage tanksorpumpsconnected tomile-longpipes thatdragwater from

thereservoirofSobradinhodamtoeventuallydeliver it intheparticipants’currentplacesof

living.Importantly,theseservicesdependonthosewhoregulatethem—frompolicy-makersto

lorry owners. As a precious substance, every drop must be saved (no taps in the sinks in

kitchens, toilets, and laundry facilities—water handled in bowls, from doing the dishes to

bathing)and,asapersonwithwhomparticipantswouldneedtosharewaterwith,duringthe

timeofmystaywiththem,Ineededtomanagetosaveittoo,generallybybringingalongwith

memyowngallonsofwater (todrinkand,occasionally, also tobath).One can imagine the

logistics that is involved in bringing dozens of litres of water, apart from handling the

photographicequipmentandotherstuff,consideringIwouldspendaboutaweekineachone

of theseplaces.Aware that thesepeopleused to liveby the river,enjoying theplenitudeof

waterontheirdoorsteps,itwaspainfultoconsiderwhattheyenduresimplybecausetheyno

longer live close to the river. As I tried to adapt my logistics and my routine to this, I

experienced,together(albeititbriefly)withparticipants,theireverydaystruggle,Ihadamore

in-depth perception onwater and power, on themagnitude of the transformation affected

peoplefacewhen infrastructureprojectsofthiskindhappenwithinadryregion, likethatof

the São Francisco River: water is power, it separates life from death, dependency from

independency,asIwillillustrateinthenextsectionofthisChapter.

RegardingArnd Schneider andChristopherWright’s claims for challenging researcheswithin

boththefieldsofartsandanthropologyoutlinedinChapterTwo(SchneiderandWright,2010,

2013), these authors welcome open-ended procedures for the fieldwork design, as

encouraged by George E. Marcus. Marcus is an anthropologist who participated in the

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PostmodernistAnthropology59movementof theUnitedStatesandwho, after that initiative,

wentbeyond,pushingtheboundariesofclassicalAnthropology(adisciplinearguablyfounded

upon pre-determined and rigorous methods of collecting data towards pre-conceived

outcomes) by urging that researchers undergo a journey of discovery and adjustmentswith

their collaborators/subjects (Marcus, 2010). Marcus believes that, in doing so, unexpected

possibilitiesarelikelytounfoldandbeincorporatedintotheprocessoflearningaswellasto

generateknowledge. Inotherwords,Marcus isnot interested infinalproductsoriginatedby

“fixedmethods” but he rather appreciates the contributions the practice itself canmake in

transformingitsendsandinunderstandingmankind.

In this respect, it is interesting tonotehow“subject”andsituationhavedrivenmypractice.

Being open to perceive situations and specificities that arose while I was working with my

collaboratorsaswellastotunemyfieldwork inaccordancewiththemhashelpedmetoget

whatIconsideredthebestofeveryexperiencewitheachparticipantandIassumethisiswhat

theseauthorsenvisagewhentheydemandopen-endedprocedures.Ipresentsomeexamples

below:

Interactions with my collaborators, still in my first fieldwork trip, opened me up to the

potentialityofincorporatingvernacularphotographsaswellasdrawingsinmymethods.These

two sources of visual information were not part of my initial plan for this research, which

aimed to concentrate on the interviews and co-directed portraits only (seeMethodology).

However,duringmystaywithparticipants,thisaroseasapossibility,asIperceivedthat,once

juxtaposed to the images I had already conceived for the work (i.e. the jointly constructed

portraits), these “extra” layers (comprised of vernacular images and drawings) could

strengthenthenarrativebuiltbythisresearch.

During my first fieldwork trip, when one of my first collaborators spoke about one of the

villages affected by the Sobradinho dam and I attempted to envisage what he described, I

asked him about any photograph he happened to have in which the place was somehow

portrayed—consideringthatIcouldnotseeformyselfthatplaceinthepresent,asithadbeen

eithersubmergedor,atleast,transformed,likewisetheentirearea,sincetheSobradinhodam

was concluded, in 1978. As I browsed a couple of the photographs that he showed me, I

59PostmodernistAnthropologywasamovementthatbeganinthe1960scriticisingthepreviouslyestablishedmodeof undertaking and setting out anthropological researches. Members considered those traditional methods ofresearch as unreliable due to their emphasis on the standpoint of the researcher only; consequently, theseresearchesendedupreinforcingbiasandstereotypesconcerningothercultures.

214

decided I should incorporate this extra layer intomymethods, i.e. I should start to actively

lookforimagesfrommyparticipantsthatsomehowaddressedtheexistenceofthosecurrently

physically vanished places, as another layer that, once juxtaposed to the other one I had

already conceived for the work (i.e. the jointly constructed portraits), could bring up the

significanceoftheplacesthatwerelost(ormightbelost,forthecaseoftheGarabi-Panambi

damcomplex,asitstillexistsasaprojectonly—seeChapterFour).Iwantedtoshowcasewhat

these submerged/destroyed sites meant in the end: more than simple pieces of land and

stretchesofwater.Ithoughtthatselectingphotographsthesepeoplehavetakenorkeptcould

indicatetheiractualloss,bearinginmindthatnoonetakesorstoresphotographsthatdonot

meananythingtothem.Forme,thesevernacularimagessignifysentimentallandscapes,thatI

myselfcouldnotphotograph,as,frommypointofview,theformerreflectswhatpeoplesee

and what they value concerning the place where they had lived, before the move. I also

wantedtostartanarchiveofthepeopleaffectedbydamsinBrazil,notonlytoacknowledge

theirownhistory(asSusanMeiselasdid,particularlyregardingherworkwiththeKurds,onthe

websiteshebuiltfortheproject—seeChapterTwo,p.86)andtorecognizethemasapolitical

group, but also for keepsake purposes (as Anthony Luvera also first aimed regarding the

people who have experienced homelessness in London, when the images made by the

attendeesofhisworkshopsatCrisisstartedtobuildup—seeAppendix6).Ialsothoughtabout

the use Meiselas made of different types of imagery to assemble works about how some

peopleandplaceshavebeenrepresented—inthatcase,theDaniandtheKurds(Fig.2.1,2.2,

and3.7). Then Idecided toappropriate this collectionof images fromparticipant’spersonal

archivesintomymethodstoo.Thesamewastrueformysubsequentdecisiontousedrawings:

oncethisresearch isaboutparticipants’perspectivesandthe landscapeof lossesbroughtby

thedamscheme,itseemedtomethatdrawingsmadebymycollaboratorscouldbeasuitable

representationprocesstoexposethesetwopointsatthesametime.Then,whenappropriate,

Iaskedparticipantstodraw,asithappenedwithparticipantsoftheprojectÉlio,MariaZilda,

andJoãoEvangelista.

ÉliowasoneofthefoundersoftheSantoAntôniohamlet(settlementthatwasclearedforthe

BeloMontedamworksite).Apartfromoutlininghisstruggletocarryonbeingafisherman60,

Élio’stestimonialalsoaddressedotherthemesthatultimatelystandfortherangeanddegree

ofimpactsdamscancause.

60AlongerexcerptfromÉlio’sinterviewisfoundinAppendix5.

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“[…]

MarileneRibeiro(myself,researcher)–I’dlikeyoutotellmewhatSantoAntôniowaslike,

beforethenewsandhowyoulearntofthenews[abouttheBeloMontedamproject].

Élio-SantoAntônio,beforethenews,wasacommunitywhereeverybodywantedtolive

there.Doyouknowwhy?It'snotbecausewehadtheMoney.Itisbecausethepeopleof

Santo Antônio were happy. Evenwithoutmoneywewere happy, everyonewas happy.

There were 67 families living there, each had their work. There were 28 fishermen

affiliatedwiththefishingcolony,theyfisheddirectly,andthereweretherestofthepeople

ofSantoAntôniothatweren’tfishermen,butthatfishedindirectlyinthewinter,whilein

thesummertheydidn’t fishandotherpeopledid, lotowners,andothersworkedonthe

farmandalsolivedinSantoAntônio.[...]Wehadfish,wehadturtleforustoeat,wehad

theyellow-spottedturtle,wehadthearmadillo,thepaca,thedeer,wehadeverything.

Researcher-So,therewasaforestthere?

Élio-Therewasaforestsurroundingthearea,wewouldhunt,everybodywouldkilltheir

game,adeer,thenwewouldshare,apieceforeach.

Researcher-Dividedbetweenwhom?

Élio-Everyonewholivedneareachother,eachonetookalittlebit,thoseclosest.[...]And

that'showweusedtolive,youknow.SowetookpleasureinlivinginSantoAntônio.Our

[football]teamplayedwell!Whenweenteredthefield...Weknowthatourfootballteam

wasthebestfootballteamin[theregionof]Altamira,BeloMonte[village],youknow?We

havetournamenttrophies,championshiptrophies,wehaveitall.[...]Oursoccerfield,as

wecouldnotmakeoneanddidnothavethemoney,wepaidwith8chickens.Theguywith

themachine,hesaid,‘youguysgetsomechickensforme.’Afterwards,wefinisheditwith

hoes,asagroup.Allthetimewetookcareofit[thefield]asagroup:everyonewouldgo

and then spend theday there skimming the field, arrangingeverything.Our community

wasveryunited.[...]SowhenweheardaboutBeloMonte[dam]wedidnotbelieveit,we

did not believe BeloMontewas coming ... itwas not really the BeloMonte, itwas the

Kararaô. [...]When the first demonstration took place in Altamira, when the natives

showedthattheywerethere,thattheindigenousindividual[Tuíra]putthemacheteinthe

engineer'sneck,thatdayIwasthere,youknow,thatwaswherethefightingbegan,butat

thetimethatthepeoplestartedthatfight,therewasnoalternative,ithadalreadybeen

decided that the project would be carried out, you know, and soon BeloMonte would

come.[...]

Researcher-Andwhathasthearea[SantoAntôniohamlet]become?

Élio-Ithasbecomeaconstructionsite.Actually,it'saparkinglotthere,youknow,it'snot

216

evenaconstructionsite,becausetheydidnotmakeabuilding,theytookthebushandput

thestone, thathardstone,which is for the trucknot togetboggeddown,becauseonly

thosetrucksgothere.Whereour[football]fieldwas,theykindofputacementthere,you

know, for those trucks, loaded, forwaiting in line, right, and then there's a truck park,

whereourvillagewas,wherethecommunitywas.[…]”

Élio’sstoryisabouthowthedamseizedhisSantoAntôniohamletand,alongwiththevillage,

howhis lifeaswellashis localcommunity’s integrityhavebeendestroyed61.As Iwantedto

seethesitepreviouslyoccupiedbytheSantoAntôniohamlettohaveabetterunderstanding

ofwhatÉliotoldme,wearrangedforustogotowhereitusedtobe.Thecemeteryandthe

schoolwere still there, amidst the flat cleared land and some lorries, tankers, and tractors.

Evenwithoutthepermissionofthecompany(whichisnowtheownerofthesite),Imanaged

to takesomephotographs,as Iunderstood that imagesof thatcurrentharshplace that still

containedtracesofitshistory,alongwithÉlio’stestimonialandportrait,couldassistpotential

viewersofthisworktoperceivetheconsequencesofthedamnotonlyforÉliobutprobably

forallinhabitantsofSantoAntônio:aclearedmemorylandscape(Fig.5.1).

FIGURE5.1.BeloMontedamcomplexproject’sparkingareain2016(previouslySantoAntônio

hamlet).Partialview(below)anddetailsofSantoAntônio’sformercemetery(followingpage).

61AlongerexcerptfromÉlio’sinterviewcanbefoundinAppendix5.

217

Curiously, after listening to Élio’s testimonial, while observing the white stakes of the

ConsórcioConstrutorBeloMonte (CCBM)62ateverygrave (Fig.5.1– top-rightandbottom), I

couldnothelpthinkingthatthedevelopershadappropriatedeventhedead63.

Whilewewalked around in the area previously occupied by the SantoAntônio hamlet, Élio

explained to me where the football field used to be, where his house used to be, and

everything else thatwas important tohim. I tried topicture the spatial arrangementof the

Santo Antônio hamlet. This raised the opportunity of further investigations on how image-

makingprocesses couldhelpnotonlymebut alsopotential viewers tograsp the lossesÉlio

signposted.Asthedisassemblyofacommunity issomething intangibleandhardlyvisualised

via ordinary research tools, I tried to find a way to bring this up more consistently. I also62TheconsortiuminchargeoftheBeloMontedamworks,seeChapterFour.63Even aware that these stakes in fact consisted of a technicalmethod of “marking” the graves that had beenexhumed to signpostwhere thehuman remainswere,when found, andhadbeenalreadymoved toanew site,beforethealterationintheareastarted.

Notelocationofthecemetery(previouspage-redarrow)andÉlioontheleftintheimageatthetopright(explanationinthetext).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2016

218

thought about Jim Goldberg’s approach of having his subjects physically write and/or draw

ontothephotographshehadtakenofthemtogivehissubjectstheirownpersonalvoicesand

a renewed sense of authenticity (Fig. 2.6 and 3.8). Then, using my photographs of the

developer’scarparkaspaperforÉliotodrawon,Iinvitedhimtomakeasketchofthisplaceas

ithadbeen(Fig.5.2).

FIGURE5.2.DrawingbyÉliodepictsthestructureoftheSantoAntôniohamletandtheSanto

Antôniostreamoverlaidonphotographsthatportraitthecurrentviewofthesite.

Duringthemakingofthedrawing:“[…]MarileneRibeiro(myself,researcher)–Washeretheplacewherepeopleusedtoseattowatchthefootballmatch?Élio–Itwas.[...]So,herewasthecommunityofSantoAntônio.Itwasmoreorlesslikethismodelhere.Thispaththatfollowedtheriver,everyonewholivedinthiscommunitypassedthisway;so,thisway,ithasadropofsweat,atraceofeveryonewholivedthere.[...]So,thissweatwasspilledhere,inthisplacethatwearelookingattodayanditisarockmoundsotrucksdon’tsink.So,thisisaverybigdifferencefromwherewelived,whatwebuilt,andwhatweseetoday:thecommunityofSantoAntônio.Wecanonlyregretit,[for]wehadsuchabeautifulwork,andthenweseeitdestroyed,inawaythatcan’tevencomparetoanything."ORIGINALINCOLOUR©ÉlioAlvesandMarileneRibeiro2016

At thesametime,watchingÉliodrawover thatdull imageofaparkingareawas forme like

witnessinganactofinsurrectionagainstthedamindustry’ssovereignty:somethinglike“Ido

notacceptthisview(orthisplan?)youhaveimposedonme.Hereishowthissiteactuallyis.”

BecauseIassumethatinÉlio’smind(aswellasforotherinhabitantsoftheSantoAntôniotoo)

thisishowitwillalwayslookintheend.

IalsohadtheopportunityofhavingMariaZilda,formerinhabitantofJuacema(thesettlement

erasedby the reservoirof theSobradinhodam—seeChapter Three), toset thepicturewith

regardtothedailylifeofoneofthevillagesthatweresubmergedbytheSobradinhodamforty

yearsago.Bysuggestingthisactivity,Iaimedtodrawoutandsubstantiatewhatwaslostdue

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tothedam,fromherpersonalstandpoint–“[…]MariaZilda–Ithink,fromthedrawing,you

gettheideaofhowit[lifeinJuacema]was.[…]”(Fig.5.3).

FiGURE5.3.DrawingbyMariaZildadepictingJuacemahamlet’sdailylife.

Topleft–MariaZilda’s(2ndlefttoright)dwelling,andMariaZilda’sgrandfather(left)infrontofabasketfulloffish.Besidethebasket(atitsright-handside),MariaZildaandanotherwomandothelaundrybytheriver(threelinestogetherabovethesethreepeople)onlaundryboards.Topcentre–MariaZilda’saunt’s(3rdlefttoright)dwellingwithyard(notepeopleplayingagamesimilarto“RingaRingo’Roses”intheyard–bigcircleformwithsmalldarkcircleinthemiddle)Topright–cropsalongtheriverplain(corn,bean,andwatermelon)Centreleft–twolinesofpeopleforthequadrilha(barndance-likeroutine)Centreright–MariaZilda’sgrandfather’sdwellingwithporchBottomleft–community’sprocessionwithcandlesBottomright–theraisingoftheflagandmanholdingacakeforthecommunity’sauction(right-handside)©MariaZildaAlvesdosSantos2015

Paralleltothis,Iexpectedthattheactofconceivingatangibleimageofherownmemory(as

shedrew)couldalsoenableMariaZildatohaveafresherassessmentoftheconsequencesof

thedaminherlife.AsalreadypresentedinChapterThree(p.122),asMariaZildarecalls—“[…]

Here,his[MariaZilda’sgrandfather’s]house,here,hadaporch,likemyporchhere,averyhigh

220

pavement-itseemsthatIseeit![…]”—andintroducesmetolocalfolksongs64andtraditional

performances,shementionshowfullofmovementandlifethehamletwas,whereasthesite

where she has lived since the move (Poço do Juá, which is situated in the middle of the

Caatinga),apartfrombeingscarceinwater,givesherthesensationofsolitude,asitconsists

ofahandfulofhousesscatteredamidstthedrylandscape.Thisprocessaltogetherreflectson

herideaforherportrait,and,inawaythatresembles,butisalsodistinguishedfromMeiselas’

andGoldberg’swaysofworking(asIaddwrittenreflectionsonmyencounterwithMariaZilda

andherportrait,whichweworkedtogetheron, toherdrawingtoconstructthenarrative), I

stitchpiecesthatconcernmy“subject’s”ownperspectivetogether,hopingthattheaudience

is able to perceive what Maria Zilda and I want to tell about her life in the face of the

Sobradinhodam.

DuringmystaywithJoãoEvangelista(forJoãoEvangelista’sportrait,seeFig.2.4a),Inoticedhe

appreciateddrawing, then,anotheropportunityofunderstanding the lossesvia this formof

representation that isquitepersonalarose. I askedhim ifhe recalledand (if so) coulddraw

someofthevillagesthatweresubmergedbytheSobradinhodam,includinghisownone,Alto

doMelão (Fig. 5.4). Interestingly, Joãodecides to shownot only thedwellings, but also the

local landscape (like trees,mountains, and theSãoFranciscoRiver).Beyondhisportrait and

testimonial, João’s drawing makes those erased places re-emerge for the audience’s

interpretationabouttheimpactofthedamintheregion.

64Folk songs from places that were affected by the dams covered in this research, which I recorded, can beaccessedinAppendix7.

221

FIGURE 5.4. Drawing by João Evangelista depicting some settlements submerged by the

Sobradinhodamin1978.

AltodoMelãoisdepictedasthethirdvillagefromtoptobottom,intherightcolumn.Leftcolumn(toptobottom)–FazendadasPedras,Tamanduá,Jatobá,FazendaNova,andCajueiro.Rightcolumn(toptobottom)–Serrote,Boqueirão,AltodoMelão,SacodaArara,Xique-xique,andEncaibro.Waveylinesontheright-handsideofbothpapers–SãoFranciscoRiver.ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©JoãoEvangelistadoEspíritoSanto2015

Villages, hamlets, and traditions are part of the landscape that is wiped out. I take the

drawingsbyÉlio,MariaZilda,andJoãoEvangelistaassensitivedemonstrationsofhowdiverse,

rich, and vivid the riparian environment that is emptied by the dam is. Along with their

respective portraits, these drawings help me to strengthen their stories and, hopefully, to

deliver to the viewer the nature of the losses caused by dams (which has risen from the

researcher-researchedencounter).

Likethedrawings,theinclusionofvernacularpictures65inmymethodshasalsohelpedmeto

bringup, shape,andpresent thesubjectivenatureof theharms ledbyhydroprojects,once

juxtaposedwithothermaterial.ItakeasexamplesÉlio’sandMariaNiva’spersonalarchives.

65Which,aspreviouslymentioned,holdsentimentalpropertiesandquitepersonalperspectives.

222

Élio’sphotographsfromSantoAntôniohamletareavisualembodimentofwhathehadspoken

about: the intangiblebondsbetweenSantoAntônio inhabitants aswell as their communion

withthewatercourse.Notethatthesearenotimagesthatdepictaholidaytripbutratherthe

patternofriversidedwellers’everydaylife(Fig5.5).

FIGURE5.5.DailylifeinSantoAntôniohamlet.

Fishermenandtheirfamilies.XinguRiver,1992(Élioasthethird,lefttoright).

Élio’sdaughtersandsonbytheXinguRiver,1992.

Left-SantoAntônio’sfootballteamattheirfield,1992(Élioasthegoalkeeper).Right-FishermenfromSantoAntônioandtheirfamilies.XinguRiver,1992.(Élioasthethird,righttoleft).

Élio and wife by theXinguRiver,1992.

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Notetheclipboarddeliberatelyincludedinthephotographstaken,asaformtoacknowledgethatthisispartofamethodofinquiry.GatheredfromÉlio’spersonalarchivein2016.Originalsasphotographicprints.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©ÉlioAlvesdasSilva1992and2002

Like apuzzle, as I use themasoneof the componentsof thenarrative, i.e. oncepresented

alongwithÉlio’sexplanationabouthislivedexperience,hisideasforhisownportrait,hisco-

directedportrait,hisdrawing,andalsosomephotographsoftheareaItookmyself(likethose

oftheSantoAntônio’scemetery),IintendthewholepictureoftheharmstheBeloMontedam

hasinflicteduponÉliobecomesmoreaccessibletopotentialviewersofthework.Asdiscussed

before(seeChapterTwoandThree),SusanMeiselasalsooptedforthisstrategyofassembling

amulti-layeredvisualnarrativewhenfacingacomplexstorytotell, i.e. theonesof theDani

andtheKurds.

MariaNiva’sarchive,initsturn,helpsmetoperceiveand,then,tosetoutamore“concrete

view” of the drastic “change” (as Maria Niva herself named her feeling regarding the

Sobradinho dam66) the area under the influence of the dam scheme is subjected to. The

Sobradinho dam was expected to submerge four major towns: Casa Nova, Remanso, Pilão

Arcado, andSentoSé. Therefore, fournew towns, calledby the samenamesof their to-be-

submerged twins,werebuilt to resettle their respective inhabitants.Unlike theother three,

thewaterdidnotreachPilãoArcadotownintheend(yetthetowncanbeaccessedbyboat

only, after the dam), andwhatwas not demolished before themassmove still remains. As

66FortheportraitofMariaNiva,seeFig.5.12.

ÉlioinhisbackyardinSantoAntôniohamlet,2002(Élio’splaceinthebackground).

SantoAntônio’sdwellersplayinginthewater.XinguRiver,1992.

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anotherusualscenethathappensinthesecasesof“eviction”,somedwellersrefusedtomove

untiltheverylastminute67,and,forthecaseof"Old"PilãoArcadotown(asitiscalled),these

families, ten altogether, still lived there.Duringmy fieldwork Imanaged to go toOld Pilão

Arcado.Astheboatanchors,thephantomtownwelcomesme.Unlikehowitwasbeforethe

dam(whenthetownhadaccesstoelectricity),energyinOldPilãoArcadoiscreatedeithervia

burningoilorsmallsolarpanels.Nomorehospital,nomoreschool,nomoremarket,noteven

themainroadwassparedfromneglect.Thesitewasabandoned,astherewasnointerestin

supporting "two" towns—as participant Maria Niva explains to me later on. As one of the

teachersofOldPilãoArcado,atthetimeofthemovesheofficiallyproposedtoboththeChesf68andthemayortoconservetheoldtown,evenifthiswouldbedonefortouristicpurposes—

asthelocalarchitecturewasbeautiful—butshewastoldthattherewerenofundsforsucha

venture. As I speak to Manoel Alves dos Santos, one of those who still live there, I try to

imagine the shift he and his peers have experienced: from citizens who had access to all

mannerofservicesatowncanoffertohumanbeings living isolated inaforgottenplace.On

the day after, back to “New” Pilão Arcado, when I eventually get tomeetMaria Niva (the

teacher) and she shows me her personal archive containing dozens of images of Old Pilão

Arcado, I canunderstand the losses thatpeople fromPilãoArcadohaveundergone,both in

termsofarchitectureandparticularlyintermsofcommunityandsociallife(Fig.5.6,5.7,and

5.8).

FIGURE5.6.“Old”PilãoArcadotownbeforetheSobradinhodam.Variousdates.

67Indeed,severalintervieweesfrommyfieldworkintheSobradinhodamareatoldmethatsomepeoplehadtoberescuedbyhelicopter,astheyhaddeniedleavingtheirhomesuntilthewaterroseupandtheyfoundthemselvescaughtonislands.68ThecompanyinchargeoftheSobradinhodamproject.

225

Toptobottom/lefttoright:EnvelopecontainingMariaNiva’sarchive(Englishtranslation:26photosoftheNewtown.24photosoftheOldPilãoArcado.Note:Handlewithcare.Thesephotosarepartofmypersonal and professional life journey.); Performance with hoops—Brazil’s Independence Day streetparade, 1976;Maria Niva (in a yellow dress) makes a speech on Brazil’s Independence Day, school,1976;Performancewithmusicalinstruments—Brazil’sIndependenceDaystreetparade,1976;Studentsmarching,Brazil’s IndependenceDaystreetparade,1976;EntranceoftheschoolandstudentssingingBrazil’santhem(town’sgymnasiuminthebackground),undated;Culture’sstreetparade:theAfricansand the Scottish, undated; Culture’s street parade: representation of the slaves, undated; Church(outsideview):dwellersgatheringforthetransportofthechurch’sstatuesfromthe“Old”tothe“New”town (procession), 1977; Church (inside view): priest João on the altar, 1972; Church (inside view):ElementarySchoolGraduationCeremony,tutorsandstudentsonthealtar(Nivaatthecentre,toprow,black hair), 1973; Graduation Ceremony, toast: Niva, Niva’s husband (Fernando), family friend andgraduate Guaracira, 1973; back of the previous photograph (To teacher Niva and Fernando one

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remembrance ofmyGraduation. From your friend,GuaraciraQueiroz Lima. 23-12-73); PilãoArcado’svantage point: Niva (woman standing at the left), Fernando (behind her), Niva’s sister holdingNiva’sdaughter, and friends, 1973; back of the next photograph (23rd of June 1973: a remembrance of thetimeswe spent together at the PilãoArcado’s high school.Niva carries onwith her job of educating.[Illegible]. Peace. Happiness.); Primary school graduates at the school’s courtyard, 1972; photographtaken from Pilão Arcado’s vantage point overlooks the dwellings, the Church, and the São Franciscoriver,1972.Re-photographedfromMariaNiva’spersonalarchivein2015.Originalsaspaperenvelope(topleft)andphotographicprints(alltherest).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariaNivaLimadaSilva1970s.

FIGURE5.7.“Old”PilãoArcadotown.2015.

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Lefttoright/toptobottom:CurrentdwellingofManoelAlvesdosSantos(façade),Remainsofahouselocatedonthemainroad,Façadeofahouseinthemainroad,Remainsofabuilding’sarch,Townhall,Church(outsideview),CurrentdwellingofManoel(insideview),andChurch(insideview—nave).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2015

FIGURE 5.8. “New” Pilão Arcado town. 2015. Detail of one of the dwellings thecompany in chargeof the Sobradinhohydroproject built to resettle inhabitants of“Old”PilãoArcado.

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Notethedetailsofthefaçadesof“Old”Pilão(Fig.5.7)comparedtothehousesofthe“New”Pilão(Fig.5.8,previouspage).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2015

Photographyhaslongbeenregardedasthedevicetodocumenttransformation—historically,

fasturban changes cities likeParis andRiode Janeiroexperienced in the secondhalfof the

nineteenthcentury,andSãoPaulointhefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury(FerrezandFerrez,

1984;Kossoy,2001;Kossoy,2002a).Byappropriatingthisordinary,basic,useofphotography

andputtingside-by-sideMariaNiva’sarchiveandmyownphotographsofOldandNewPilão

Arcadotowns,alongwiththetextualexplanation(presentedabove)thatinterconnectsthem,I

assembleonemoresideeffectofinfrastructureprojectsofthiskindthatareusuallydifficultto

beassessedviatraditionalmeasuringtoolsbutthatcouldbebroughtoutviaparticipantMaria

Niva’sandmyownexperiencesandourimagerymadetogether.

Still regardingpractical challengesand their influenceonmypractice,my fieldwork involved

journeystoremoteplacesinthreedifferentgeographicalsites(foraglanceofthescopeofthis

project,thetotaldistancecovered,consideringmainlocaltowns,was5,613km,whereasthe

mean distance amidst themwas 2,850 km69) that feature three distinct cultures as well as

different expressions of the Portuguese language. Besides this, these three regions have

endured the issueof largedamplanswithin theirarea in threedifferentpoints in time (the

Sobradinhodamtookplaceduringthe1970s,theBeloMontedamhasjuststartedtooperate

anditisstillunderconstruction,andtheGarabi-Panambidamscomplexwasoriginallyplanned

totakeplaceinthenextfewyears70).Consequently,evenworkingtowardsmymajoraimsand

following my broad pre-determined method, which was the semi-structured interview

followedby thephoto shoot co-directedbyeveryparticipantandmyself, Ihad toadaptmy

approachaccordingtowhatInamedas“site-based”and“subject-based”adjustments.These

adjustmentsconsistedofabsorbingthespecificsofeachplace,context,andalsoeachfamily’s

way of life, instead of trying to impose upon them all the same frame I had established

previously.Inotherwords,despitehavinganoriginalworkplaninmind,Ialsotriedtofitmy

approachtothelocalcontextandtolearnfromthisaswell.

IntheSobradinhodamregion, Inoticedthatreturningforthephotoshootthedayafterthe

interviewhadbetter results thanproceedingwith the interviewand thephoto shoot in the69SeealsomapasFig.i,Methodology,p.39.70SeeChapterFourfordetails.

229

sameday,asIassumethisgavetheintervieweetimeto‘digest’thereflectionsraisedbythe

interview and then think properly about her/his role in the photo shoot. I also presume it

contributedtothereinforcementofbondsbetweentheinterviewee’sfamilyandmyself,ason

mysecondvisitIwasnolongertakenasa“totalstranger”.Fromthenon,Itriedtoapplythis

approach as much as possible: interviewing the subject on day one and returning for the

collaborativephotoshootondaytwo.Incontrast,intheGarabi-Panambidamcomplexregion

this approach could barely be applied, since the distance between the houses to be visited

madethiskindofday-afterreturnimpractical.Besides,mostoftheintervieweesoftheGarabi-

Panambi dam region and their families had hard daily duties, and, consequently, could not

dedicateasmuch time to theprojectas those fromtheSobradinhodamregion.Apart from

this, inSouthernBrazil it iscommonplace tositwithyour friendsandneighboursandspend

hours chattinganddrinking tea ina communalchimarrão (a specialmugused todrink local

tea),sothelimitedtimeavailableforthemtoparticipateintheprojecthadtoaccommodate

thistraditiontoo.Ifacedthischallengeandrespondedtoitbyproposingthatthefamiliesset

theirpreferredtimelengthforourworktogether,takingintoconsiderationtheoverallplanof

work Ipresented to them inadvance.At thebeginning, Iwasconcernedabout thenegative

results that this restriction of time could generate in our relationship as well as in the

photographicwork.However, fortunately theyappreciatedtheexperienceandweendedup

staying togethermuch longer thanwhatwas arranged in advance.At theend, spontaneous

comments such as those made by Maria Inês Taube Schröpfer (below) and Cirlei Heming

Dawies71(ChapterThree,p.130),participantsoftheGarabi-Panambifieldwork,indicatedthat

Iwasachievingmyaims, thatmyvisit to this regionwasalso capableofbuilding significant

bondsbetweenmyselfandthefamiliesofparticipants,provokingpowerfultestimoniesaswell

asperformancesbeforethecamera.

WhenIwasleavingherplace,afterwehadbeenworkingtogetheronherownportrait,Maria

Inês Taube Schröpfer remarked: “Itwas really good. I did appreciate our time together, our

exchangeofexperiences.Thankyou.”

Duringherinterview,MariaInêsstatedthatshehasfelt“tied”(Fig.5.9),sinceshereceivedthe

newsabouttheproposedGarabidamtobebuiltinthatregionwithinthenextfewyears:her

familydonotwanttospendmoneyto improvetheir farmfacilitiesoreventheirownhouse

anymore,nowtheyareuncertainofwhatthefutureholds,andwhetherornotthecompany

71Cirlei’sperformancebeforethecamerawasdiscussedinChapterThree.

230

inchargeoftheresettlementwillpayfortheseimprovements.Herfamilyalsodonotknowif

theyshouldlookforanewhome.Inspiteofthis,theydonotwanttoleavetheareathatonce

belongedtoherandherhusband’sancestors,theplacetheysharewiththebirds(theygrow

fruittreesforlocalbirdstouseandfeedfrom,too).Shehasfelttied,forbiddentodecideto

stay,tomakeplans,todrawherfuture,ortoguideherownlifesince2011.

FIGURE5.9.PortraitofMariaInês.

MariaInêsfeelingtiedbeforetheGarabidamproject,whichthreatenstosubmergeherancestralhome.Objectchosen:rope.Locationchosen:herplace(houseandgardenwithfruittrees).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariaInêsTaubeSchröpferandMarileneRibeiro2016

Back in 2015, when I was starting to organise my fieldwork in the Garabi-Pabambi dam

complexarea, Igot toknowthatthePanambidamprojecthadbeentemporarilysuspended

due to a preliminary judicial decision concerning the lawsuit cited inChapter Four (p. 195).

Thisfactforcedmetoconsiderwhatwouldbethenextstageofmyresearch,consideringthat

theGarabi-PanambidamcomplexprojectmaynothappenandIhadselecteditasoneofmy

case studies because I wanted to include the narrative of the to-be-affected people’s

perspectivesofwhatlifewaslike“beforethedam”wasbuilt,soastoinvestigatetheimpactof

the whole process. As these mega projects, from their incipient drafts to completion,

231

incorporateanumberofchangesanddelays(acharacteristicalsooutlinedinChapterFour)I

decidedthatamomentarysuspensionmightnotactuallypreventthedambeingbuiltatany

timeinthefuture.Furthermore,theatmosphereofuncertaintyandspeculationthathitsany

potential area under threat of a dam-to-be (an important matter that is integral to dam

campaigns)mightstandintheGarabi-Panambidamarearegardlessoftheofficialholdbackof

theproject;consequently, thesenseofprecariousnessthatdominatesareasat riskcouldbe

explored inmypractice. Itwasthendecidedthat Iwouldcarryonwiththe initialplanand I

headed to the area that would be potentially affected by the Garabi and the Panambi

hydropower stations. Once more, considering Schneider and Wright’s (as well as Marcus’)

open-end approach as a cornerstone for successful research in the Arts and Humanities, I

experimented todevelopmymethods:apart fromdiscussingat lengthwithparticipants this

subject of uncertainty and imminent threat (i.e. what they expected to see, andwhat they

expected to lose or miss if the dam were to go ahead), I took an instant camera to my

fieldwork in theGarabi-Panambi region inorder toaskparticipants toalsophotographwhat

they do not want to miss or forget, besides co-directing their own portraits. I wanted to

include representations of the damages likely to happen, in case the government was

eventuallyallowedtofulfil itsplanfortheGarabi-Panambidamcomplex.Mydecisiontouse

instantfilmwasalsodrivenbymydesiretogivesomethingbacktotheparticipants(oneofthe

reasonsthatmadeSharonLockhartusePolaroidfilminherTeatroAmazonas:Apeú-Salvador

Portraits series too), but also to createwith them something that could hold an emotional

value, something that they could keep as a memory, that could remind them of what is

important and what the damages of the Garabi and Panambi dams could, potentially, be,

strengthening the impulseof participants to keep fighting.At the same time, I thought that

these images could also help me build my case for the dire social and environmental

consequencesofsuchdams,henceIaskedparticipantstotaketwopictures(oneaduplicate):

onetheywouldkeepforthemselvesandtheotherIwouldbringbacktoEnglandformywork.

Marinês Nicolli, small farmer and inhabitant of the rural area of Linha do Rio/Porto Xavier,

whose property would be partially submerged by the Garabi reservoir, explains that, if the

Garabidameventuallytakesplace,itsreservoirwillprobablychangethelocalweatherandthe

fog,whichcurrentlyonlyconcealsthesunduringwintermornings,mightremainthroughout

the entire day.When asked aboutwhat she does notwant to lose, she replies: “The sun. I

don’twanttolivewithoutseeingorfeelingthesunshine.”MarinêsNicollithenphotographed

andkeptarepresentationofthesunshedoesnotwanttolose(Fig.5.10).

232

FIGURE.5.10.PhotographbyMarinêsNicollirepresentingwhatshedoesnotwanttolose:the

sun.

Englishtranslation:TheviewofthesunbyMarinêsNicolli.18/02/2016.Originalasinstantfilm.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarinêsNicollidosSantos2016

Apart from the undeniable joy that the sunshine brings (as mentioned above by Marinês

Nicolli) and the sun-related health benefits, for people like her, who depend on the sun to

grow their own food, losing the sun represents famine as well. Photographing the sun as

somethingthatsomeonemight“lose”asaconsequenceofapoliticalandeconomicactionled

byinternationalmarketdealersandpolicy-makershasanimpactperseandshouldbereason

enoughfortheGarabidamtobeconsideredunfeasible.

Still regarding the attribute of photography as a means capable of revealing immaterial

matters andmyuse of it for the purposes of thiswork (to access andpresent the negative

impactsofdams,whichIbelievemainlyinvolvesubjectivecosts),thereistheexperienceIhad

withAilton.AiltonisasmallfarmerwhosepropertywouldbesubmergedifthePanambidam

isconstructed.

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“[…]

Ailton – Talking about losses, beyond material things, we’ve also got the immaterial

matters.Forinstance,here,whereIlive,I’vegotaspecialspotwhereIappreciatetakinga

rest from labour, from where I overlook the site where the Uruguay [River] bends: a

stunning scenery! I consider it a painting – there are paintings that worth millions [of

pounds],don’tthey?–I’vegotapaintingofthissortforfreetolookateveryday!Then,I

askyou:‘willtheEletrobras[thegovernmentalenergyagencythatproposesthePanambi

dam72] compensate me this?’ What about the value of this that I contemplate? What

aboutthesentimentalvalue,themoralvalueofthis?

MarileneRibeiro(myself,researcher)-Whatdoyoufeelwhenyouareatthisspecialspot?

Ailton–IfeelI’minpeace,Ifeelgood–thesamethingyoumightfeelwhenyouwatcha

good film, or when you go to a concert that you appreciate. The very same thing you

mightfeelwhenyouperceivesomethingthatfulfilsyou.And,Ithinkthatseizingthisisnot

fair.

Researcher–Whydidyouchoosethatspot?

Ailton–Becauseof itsbeauty.Whenthewater isnotthathigh, it reveals therocks, the

sarandis [species of bush that lives in thewater, by the riverbank],and this conveys a

personalbeautytome, it’ssomethingthat Imyselfperceive– itmightbe likewhenyou

contemplatetheseaside.Andthisviewwillbeover[ifthedamisbuilt].Theriverwillget

changed.Theywillmodifynature.And,whenonechangeswhatnaturehasconceived,one

modifieseverythingelse.

Researcher–Whatdoyouthinktheriverwillbelike?

Ailton– Ipicture itasa large lake, stagnantwater,deadwater.This iswhat I visualize.

Andthisishowitislikeinotherplaces,likewheretheybuilttheItaipu73.Thisiswhatthe

riverwasturned into, intheend. […] I thinkmanyfishspecieswouldn’tsurvive,because

theycan’tliveinstagnantwater.Aswouldn’tdomanyspeciesoftrees,becausetreeswe

see here, by the riverside, they belong to here, they don’t belong to other areas. If

someonecoversthisareawithwaterandtriestore-planttheseplantswefindhere–by

theriverside–bythehills,hewon’tsucceedbecausetheseplantscan’tlivethere[bythe

hills].[…]I’dsummarizedamasstilllife.Damisastilllife![…]Ithinkdamdoesn’tcoverin

72SeeChapterFourfordetails.73The second biggest hydroelectric facility in theworld, also located in Southern Brazil (at the border betweenBrazilandParaguay).TheItaipufloodedoneofthemostpowerfulwaterfallsintheworld:theSeteQuedasfalls.TheSeteQuedas falls featured twice the volume ofwater of theNiagara Falls (situated on the border between theUnitedStatesandCanada).

234

water the earth and what stands over it only. It also submerges our emotions, our

affection,itsubmergesmorethanasimplepatchofland.[…]”

Whenaskedaboutwhathedoesnotwanttoforget,ifthePanambidamiseventuallyraised,

Ailtonreplies:“thisriver,beautifulasitcurrently is”.AsIhavedonewithMarinêsNicolliand

hadproposedtodowithallotherparticipantsfrommyfieldworkintheGarabi-Panambidam

complexarea,IaskedAiltonifhecouldphotograph,usingtheinstantcamera,this“thing”he

doesnotwanttoforget:the“painting”hecontemplateseveryday(Fig.5.11).

FIGURE5.11.CurvadacorredeiradorioUruguai(TheUruguayRiver’sbendrapid)byAilton(akaMito).2016.

NoteAilton’splaceatthebottom-rightcorner.

Originalasinstantfilm.ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©AiltonCarvalhodosSantos2016

Considering that thesequitepersonalandsensitivematters (thesunshine, thepleasure,and

thebeauty)werecapturedand transformed into tangible things (thephysicalpictures that I

re-photographedand showedhere,whichbothAiltonandMarinêsNicolliwerealsoable to

keep a copy of), I understand these objects strongly embody and, once contextualized,

communicatethedimensionsofwhatisatstakewhenitcomestotheimpoundmentofariver.

I then proceed with my appropriation of further layers—in this case, the instant films

producedbymycollaborators—toassemblethepictureofthecostsofhydropower.

235

Moving to a different topic, yet still dealingwith Question I, specifically with regard to the

photoshoot itself,sometimes itwashardtoencouragesomeparticipantsto interfere inthe

very first photograph I took of them, as I presumably they thought it was not sensible to

interfere in someoneelse’s professional skillswhich youdonot have “qualification” for, i.e.

therewasnopointinguidingaphotographeronthebestwaytophotograph,whenyou(asa

participant)arenotaphotographer.Apart fromthis, Inoticedthatsomeof themhadnever

hadtheopportunitytochooseortohaveacarefullyconsideredportraitmadeofthemselves

before.Consequently,theytendedtofeelsatisfiedwiththatveryfirstportraittheycouldsee

on the display of my digital camera. However, as soon as I convinced them to actually

participate, they seemed to appreciate the “game” (the development of an approach as to

how they could be in an image and how to explore possibilities in this) and the dialogue

startedtohappen.Itwasveryexcitingformetolistenanddiscusstheideastheycameupwith

as the shootwas carried out, for instance (seeChapter Two, p. 93-94, 96-97, andChapter

Three, p. 121, 123-124, for examples). Apart fromdirectingme to amore pertinentway to

present their personal story (by repositioning objects and people, and also by changing the

way I framed the scene), participants also seemed keen to attempt various aesthetics and

experiences of self-representation—i.e. experiences of directing theway important symbols

and people are presented to the Other (i.e. to me and to the potential viewers of the

images)—liketheteacherMariaNiva,fromPilãoArcadotown(Fig.5.12).

FIGURE5.12.SequenceofportraitsofMariaNiva.

236

MariaNiva’sfeeling:changeObjectchosen:porcelain-madeswallowandduck(aheritagefromhermother—fromthetimeshestilllivedinOldPilãoArcadotown)Locationchosen:hercurrentplace’sporch.NotehowMariaNivakeepschangingthepositionoftheporcelain-madebirdsalongtheshootandalsosuggestsweaddthefruta-do-conde(fruit)toherportrait:“let’saddthefruta-do-conde,becauseit’sathingfromtheland.”ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariaNivaLimaandMarileneRibeiro2015

AnotherinterestingpossibilitythataroseduringtheencountersandwhichIabsorbedintothe

practicewas thedesireofparticipants touseapparatus (i.e. the camera) toperformand to

mapsitesthatareimportanttothem.Shouldthisbehaviourbetakenasacommitmentofmy

subjectswiththeirownfeelingsand(intheend)alsowithmyproposal,here“materialized”by

meansoftheiractions?

ComparingtoLockhart’smethoddescribedinChapterTwoanditsresultantimages(Fig.2.8),I

concludethatthemoreone,thephotographer,makesroomforsubject’sactiveparticipation

inher/hisownportrait, thedeeperonegoes into thepossibilitiesof representation through

photographyandportraiture.

Apart from João Evangelista’s,Maria Dalva’s, andMaria Inês’ suggested performances (see

Figs. 2.4a, ii, and 5.9 respectively), participant Lúcia Birk de Brum, in her turn, opts for

237

reconstructingeverypartoftheschooltowhichshededicatedherlife(Fig.5.13).Thebuilding

isnowabandonedandrotten,butstillbearsitsformershape:theprincipal’soffice,thetoilets,

theaisle,therefectory,theclassroom.AsLúciaandIwalkaroundtheoldschool,sherevisits

hermemories,re-ignitinginherownmindtheimportancethateachofthesesiteshastoher.

ThisareawillbesubmergedifthePanambidamtakesplace.Asshedoesnotwanttolosethe

concreterepresentationofherhistory, incase thewatercomes,shemapsandcatalogues it

forposteritythroughthephotographsshesuggestswemaketogether.Duringourdiscussions,

LúciaandIagreedthatherportraitswouldcarrymoresignificanceifwecovered“microsites”

(i.e.theaisle,refectory,andclassroom)ofherchosenlocation(theschool)insteadofrunning

thewholephotoshootusingthesamesinglebackgroundwithintheschoolarea(i.e.keeping

her in the same singlemicro site throughout the shoot). In fact, she began to propose this

between lineswithinour initialdiscussionand I just“formalized”herproposal.Hence, these

“micro sites” could be arranged as a triptych insteadof (as permyoriginal proposal) fitting

Lúcia’s portrait into one single background selected by her (Fig. 5.13), that eventually

communicatedLucia’sstorymoreeffectively.

FIGURE5.13.SequenceofportraitsofLúcia.

238

Lúcia’sfeelings:preoccupation,sorrow,andanguish.Objectchosen:statueofNossaSenhoradaAparecida,whichaccompaniedherintheclassroomduringhercareerasateacher.Locationchosen:schoolwheresheworked,intheCanalTortovillage(whichwillfacesubmersionifthePanambidamisbuilt).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©LúciaBirkdeBrumandMarileneRibeiro2016

239

Bearing in mind the possibility of strengthening the storytelling by adding images from

participants’ personal archives to the narrative, I gathered some pictures from Lúcia that

depict how the school used to be before being closed, in 1996 (Fig. 5.14). I believe these

snapshots consist of a strong testimony of the immaterial value every corner of that now

decayingbuildingmightholdforheranddecidedthattheyhadtobeincludedinLucia’sstory

along with her portrait in order to provide a better picture of her anguish regarding the

possibilityofhavingthatplace(i.e.herownhistory)submerged.

FIGURE5.14.PhotographsdepictingtheschoolofCanalTortovillageinthe1980s.

Originalbuilding,in1980(topleft),andafterrefurbishment,in1985(topright).LúciaandstudentsonEasterDay,1982,outside(bottomleft)andinside(bottomright)theclassroom.Topright:Lúciaisdepictedinthecentre,inthemiddlerow,holdingachild(herdaughter)andwearingaredandwhiteblouse.Bottom(both):Lúciacanbespottedastheonlyadultportrayed.GatheredfromLúcia’spersonalarchive.Originalsasprintsonphotographicpaper.ORIGINALINCOLOURPhotographerunknown

Carryingonwith theprocess of evolvingmymethods inspiredby thepossibilities that have

arisenduringmyfieldwork,asencouragedbyMarcus(2010)andSchneiderandWright(2010,

2013), my original idea (and the one applied to the portraits from the Sobradinho dam

240

fieldwork)wasforthefirstshottobesetoutbymyself.Then,fromthesecondshotonwards,

thesitterwouldbeentitled tomakehis/herownchangesbasedonthis first shot.However,

duringmy fieldwork in theGarabi-Panambi dam complex region, I also realized that I could

experimentwiththeinterventionofthesitterevenintheveryfirstimageoftheshoot,instead

of directing my subject initially and then asking for his/her changes in the next ones. For

instance,beforewestartedthephotoshoot,whenthesitteraskedme:“howdoIhave(ordo

yousuggest/wantme)topresentmyselfand(or)mychosenobjectinthisportrait?”,Ireplied:

“Howdoyouwanttopresentyourselfandtheobjectyouchosetotheviewer?”or“Howdoyou

imagineyourselfandyourchosenobjectinthisportrait(tobeseenbytheOther,theonewho

willgettoknowyouandyourstorybymeansofthisportrait)?”.Thisco-directionthatbeganin

the first setof sequences from theGarabi-Panambi fieldworkand continued throughoutmy

fieldwork in the Belo Monte dam area further progressed the process of hybridization of

perspectives, ideas, and knowledge. With this development, the practice has evolved and

becomeevenmoresignificanttomeinrelationtoboththeprocessandmyaims.

One last thing I consider mentioning concerning extra layers I decided to include in my

methods based onmy understanding of the relationship our society raises with images (as

landscapes of affection, memory, as information, “document”, and History) was video

recording.As Inotedthatparticipants’testimonialswerequitepowerfulandtouching(apart

fromfeaturingthedistinguishedaccentsfromthesethreeregionsofBrazil,whatidentitythe

geographicoriginandculturalbackgroundofthegroupssurveyedtoo),Idecidedthisprecious

material should also be documented in a way that could be compiled for future uses and

archivalpurposes. Then, I also recorded the songs they sang tomeand,wheneverpossible,

filmedsomelandscapesandinterviews,thinkingaboutapotentialvideoIcouldworkoninthe

future.Oncemore, intending topush theboundariesof themediumofphotographyand to

addnewlayersthatcouldenrichthestorytelling,Iconceivedthevideoasasoundandmoving

imagepiecethatcouldaggregate impact, ifexhibited in thesamespaceas theportraitsand

theirattachedtextual“captions”,asaninstallation.Imanagedtoscriptashortvideo(entitled

Costs), which I believe that, apart from depicting the richness of Brazilian culture, riverine

environment, and history, unveils the immateriality of the costs of hydropower in a more

sensitive fashion (as, once more, it does not focus on the traditional pattern found in

documentaryfilms—whichlargelyreliesonstraightforwardtestimoniesbyintervieweesabout

destruction and violence, for instance—but rather refers to the drawbacks of the dams

indirectly,via thesequenceofaudioand imagearrangedtogether). Idecidedthat thescript

for this video should follow thismore lyrical path, as I understand that this approach could

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communicate the intangible issues to the audiencemore effectively. I noted that the video

couldboth complementand strengthen themessagebroughtoutby the jointly constructed

portraitsbymeansofmovingimageandsound,then,Ioptedfornotfeaturinganyparticular

face in the video (in contrast tomostdocumentary films), as I didnotwant the viewer to

focusonanyspecific“character”whenwatchingthevideobutrathertoinvitetheaudience

to engage with the stories themselves, the sounds of the voices, the sounds and the

atmosphereof the river aswell as thedramatic transformation that this environment and

lives have been subjected to by the time the damworks happen.My selection of footage

anddialogueswas,then,basedonthesituationsinwhichtheimpactscausedbydamscould

emergeinamoreemotiveway;forexample,whenparticipants(i.e.mycollaborators)draw,

sing,orspeakabouttheirfeelingsandtheirinterpretationsoftheirlivedexperiencetome.

Also, the pace of the video, and the blacked out andmuted takes intend to immerse the

viewer in the narrative, enabling her/him to reflect on the intensity of the harm suffered.

The idea for thevideoCostscameasaconsequenceofwhat theparticipantsof thisproject

(i.e. my collaborators) made me reflect about, as something that flourished from my

encounterwiththem.

5.3QuestionII–Revealingtheintangible

The imagesgeneratedby this researchevolved fromall sortsof things that flowedbetween

mycollaboratorsand I, triggeredbyparticipants’discoursesduringandafter their interview,

their feelings, and ideas/suggestions forandduring the shoot, including the selectionof the

location for theirportraitand theobject thatwould represent their feelings74 (forexamples

seep.229-230and236-238:Maria inês’andLúcia’sstories;ChapterTwo,p.93-97:Hilarino,

João Evangelista, and Eliezé; Chapter Three, p. 121-130, 159-166, 174-175:Marinês,Maria

Zilda,Maria Dalva, Cirlei, Gumercino, Nelci,Maria Rosa, andMaria Eliete). Then, the actual

issuesconcerningthedambuildingwererevealedastheprocessofimage-makingunfolded.

These elements cited above (i.e. discourse, feeling, location/object chosen, performance for

thecamera,etc.)willthenfunctionasaxesfromwhichIconstructthevisualnarrative,anchor

anddrawmypoints,arguments,andconclusionsassummarizedinFig.5.15.

74FordetailsonthemethodsIusedregardingtheinterviewandthephotoshoot,seeMethodology.

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FIGURE 5.15. Diagram addressing the sources (dark yellow boxes) used in this research to

accessandassessthenegativeimpactsofhydropower(paleorangeandblueboxes)aswellas

some of the connections* between these parameters (black lines). Red circle highlights

researcher’sconclusion(blueboxesandredcirclewillbedealtwithintheConclusions).

ThisismyowndiagramandIconstructeditbasedonwhatI’vediscoveredfrommyresearch(i.e.fromresearcher-researchedencountersandbibliographyconsulted).*Connectionsdisplayedinthisfigureareexamplesoftheactualnumerousconnectionsbetweentheseparameters(Ioptedforpresentingonlysomeoftheminordertomakethelinksvisibletothereader,asaddingallof themherewouldmake itproblematic forthereadertofollowthetracks,andthe imagewouldbecomeillegible,duetotheamountofthreads/linesthatcrosseachother).ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2017

Ishallstartbycitinghowmy97participants (84familiesaltogether)saidtheyfeelregarding

therespectivedamprojects75:desperation,destruction,suffering,loss,emptiness,indignation,

rebelliousness, outrage, sorrow, wound, bitterness, resentment, anguish, feeling powerless,

fear, feeling guilty (about not being able to save his community and the river), humiliation,

feelingthathehasnotbeentreated likeahumanbeingshouldbe,“pain intheheart”,“The

End”,“somethingbeyondanyextension”,“allbadfeelings”,“unnamed”,“itwringsmyheart”,

“feelingtied”,“deeppain”,anguish,hatred,anger,“itmakesmesleepless”,“theEndTimes”,

dismantlement, horror, dependency, heart-breaking, passion (about the place he had to

leave), “lack” (of identity, support, occupation, food, subsistence), feeling overlooked,

75Incasesofrepetition(i.e.whenmorethanoneparticipantusesthesametermtodescribethefeelingshe/hehasaboutthedam),thenameofthefeelingiscitedjustonce.

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resentment,pain,“memory”,anger,enragement,revolt,“feelingthatherpeople’shistoryhas

being forgotten”, preoccupation, “feeling that he was treated with contempt”, insult,

uncertainty, discourage, grief, “I feel nothing… I’d better forget it… it’d have been better if

theyhadn’tbuiltthedam”,hopebutatthesametimefeelinghopeless,opportunitybutalso

loss and sorrow. From these inner states one can start to imagine the impact the dam has

causedinthesepeople’slives(eveninsiteswhereithasnotbeenbuiltyet,likeintheareaof

theGarabi-Panambidamcomplex)andhowintangiblethesewoundscanbe.

Likethefeelings,theimagesandtestimonialsIgatheredinmyfieldworkrevealedthesortsof

(immaterial)thingsthataredisassembledandruinedbydams.Organisingthese“things”into

categories (which were created and named based on what each participant stressed as

important to her/him during our encounter) helped me to understand the scope of the

damages inflicted by hydropower schemes. I realised that grouping those stories based on

thesecategories(whichIcalledterritories)insteadofstickingonlytotheiroriginalgeographic

site of production76could aid the addressees of this work in having a more refined and

profoundperceptionofthelossestoo.Notably,thispatternoflossestendstorepeatwhenit

comes to hydro schemes, regardless of the geographic space and time in which the

hydropowerprojecttakesplace.Ipresentheresomesequencesofportraits77alongwiththeir

respectivedetailsconcerningthecollaborator’sname,feeling,andobjectandlocationchosen

forthereadertonotehowthestoryofonecollaboratorcancomplementandreinforcethat

which is brought by the next one, providing a deeper understanding of the nature and

dimension of the losses. These losses relate to the parameters depicted in the pale orange

boxesofthediagram(Fig.5.15).Ultimately,theyhavetodowithbeauty,nature,subsistence,

identity, belonging, heritage, legacy, memory, culture, silencing, and war, so I named each

categoryofdamage(eachterritory)followingthisapproach(Fig.5.16).

76i.e.Sobradinho,BeloMonte,orGarabi-Panambidamarea.77Allofthe84portraitsjointlyconstructedwithparticipantscanbeaccessedinAppendix9.LongexcerptsfromtheinterviewstranslatedtoEnglishcanbefoundinAppendix5.

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FIGURE5.16.Territoriesoflossesandsomeportraitsthatrevealthem.(allimagesbelow:ORIGINALINCOLOUR)

TerritoryofNature–

PortraitofCamila

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“(…)Ah,theysay:‘we’regoingtoreplant, it’sallgoingtobefine.’Buthowlongwill ittakeforthetree to grow to the same size it waswhen they cut it down to build the [Panambi hydroelectric]plant?Theydon’ttalkaboutthatvalue,theydon’tevenmentionit.That’showitstarts!Theanimals’habitatwill beaffected; how longwill it take them toadapt toanewone?Butmanywon’t evenmake it that far, they’ll staywhere they are and die there. There’s all of that to think about! […]Nature…WillwhatGodhasgivenusbedestroyed?‘Tog-e-n-e-r-a-t-eenergy!’Butthere’sotherwaysofgeneratingenergy.Whydon’ttheyworkonthoseinstead?Theywanteverythingtheeasiest,mostpractical,wayforthem.Theydon’tgiveathoughttotheenvironmentorthelocalpopulation.That’swhatIthink,youknow?That’sit.(…)”

Camila’s feelings: lossandsorrow (forall the life thatwillbesacrificeddue to thedam),but shealsocitesopportunity(totakeherparentstotheurbanarea)“Object”chosen:herparakeetsLocationchosen:theInáciobrook(whichwillvanishintothewaterifthePanambidamisbuilt)Previouspage-top:CamilaandhermotherarrangeCamila’sparakeetsfortheshoot.Previouspage-bottom:PortraitofCamila–thirdshoot.Above:PortraitofCamila-lastshot.

©CamilaGrzecaandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofLiane

“(…)Researcher- Iwantyoutochooseathingtorepresentyourpain,Liane,andalsoaplaceforyourportrait.Liane-IthastobeclosetotheUruguayRiver.Becauseyoucanrecoveryourhouse,doitupagain,buttheriver…youwon’tevergetback.Soithastobesomewhereclosetotheriver.Thewayitisnow,youwon’tgetitback.R-Whatdoyoumean,‘thewayitisnow?’L-Iftheybuildthedam,theUruguayRiverisfinished.Ican’tevenimaginewhatit’ll looklike,withallthetreesgoneandall…nowtherearesomany,it’ssobeautiful.Butwhentheybuildthe[Panambi]dam…if theybuild it…wewon’tevenwant togo thereanymore. […]Here thereare rapids,wecangoandbatheintheriver,butwewon’tbeabletoanymore,becausethey’regoingtoclearallthevegetation.Forus,itwon’teverbethesame.Andwhoknowswherethey’regoingtoputus,wherewe’regoingtolive!Whoknowsifwe’llstillbeabletocometotheriverandseewhatit’slike!Perhapswewill,butit’llbe with sadness, because our little corner of the world will have been abandoned, flooded, and allbecauseofthedams.(…)”Liane’sfeeling:strongpain“Object”chosen:oneofherpigletsLocationchosen:theUruguayriverside(overlookingtheriver)©LianeMombachandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofJoséNunes

“(…)What’sitliketoday,theislandwhereIwasbornandmyfatherandIlivedin?Theonewithallthetrees, the rubber trees? It’sdeserted.They [employeesofNorteEnergia] choppeddownthe treesandburiedeverything.Whattheydidn’tbury,theyburnt.WhenIpassintheboat,Iseeit.It’sjustadesert.(…)”José’sfeelings:indignationandsorrowObject chosen: portrait of his father, whowas a rubber tapper and, like José, appreciated the placewheretheylived:TrindadeIslandLocationchosen:TrindadeIsland(currentlysituatedwithinthereservoiroftheBeloMontedam)©JoséNunesandMarileneRibeiro2016

SeealsoPortraitofMariaElieteinChapterThree.

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TerritoryofAutonomyandSubsistence–

PortraitofCláudia(polyptych)

“Fromnowon,wedependonNorteEnergia78forustohavewater.”Cláudia’sfeeling:lossObjectchosen:oarandboatLocationchosen:stretchoftheXingu’sBigbendsituatedsomeyardsupstreamfromherplace,wheremovingbyboat(themodeoftransportinhabitantsfromthatareausetosellandbuygoods,andreachschool andhealth care) isno longerpossibledue to the low levelof the riverwater, as thePimentaldam,situatedupstream,divertstheXinguRiver’swaterstowardstheBeloMontedam.Sincethedambuilding,thecouplehavehadtoshoveltheriverbedtocarryontheirjourneystoandfromtheirhome.©CláudiaGonçalvesandMarileneRibeiro2016

78ThecompanyinchargeoftheBeloMontedamcomplex,whichdecideswhenandhowmuchwaterthespillwaywillreleasedownstreamofthePimentaldam.

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PortraitofValdenice

Valdenice’sfeelingregardingtheSobradinhodam:dependencyObjectchosen:watertanker(Valdenicestressesthat,aftermovingfromtheriparianJuacemavillagetothe SãoGonçalo da Serra hamlet,which is situated in themiddle of theCaatinga,her family had toendure the scarcity ofwater and isolation, as therewas nomeans of transport to reach the nearesttown,wheretheycouldfindbasicservices likehealthcareandschool,exceptbybicycle.Shesaysthemostdiscouragingandsadthingwastodependonthewatertankertohaveaccesstosomethingvital—water—somethingtheyusedtohaveinabundanceontheirdoorstep)Locationchosen:sitewherethewatertankwasparked©ValdeniceFerreiraandMarileneRibeiro2015

250

PortraitofErmy

Ermy’sfeelingsregardingtheSobradinhodam:bitterness,resentmentObject chosen: engine that pumpswater from the reservoir of the Sobradinho dam along roughly 2milestowardshiscurrentdwelling,inAlgodõesNovohamletLocationchosen:sitewherethewaterispumpedtoErmy’splace©ErmySouzaandMarileneRibeiro2015

251

PortraitofAltenice

Altenice’sfeelingregardingtheSobradinhodam:sorrowObject chosen: clay crock (Altenice tellsmeabout themove:her family, friends, and relativeshad toliterallycrossamountainonfoottowardstheirnewsite,PoçodoAngico.Thistookthemabout30days.Inordertogetdrinkingwatertheyneededtowalkbacktotheriver.Oncethere,theyfilledclaycrockswithitandtravelledallthewaybacktowardstheirnewplaceofliving)Locationchosen:hercurrentbackyard(notably,thesitewhereAltenicehaslivedsincethemove,PoçodoAngico,stilldoesnothaveelectricity)©AlteniceCruzandMarileneRibeiro2015

252

PortraitofNivaldo

Nivaldo’sfeelingregardingtheSobradinhodam:horror(Nivaldotellsthat,amongstallthehardthingshehadtofacewhenforcedtoleavetheriverside,theworstwashunger)Objectchosen:emptyfoodpotLocationchosen:theentranceofhiscurrentkitchen(notably,thesitewhereNivaldohaslivedsincethemove,Mergueira,stilldoesnothaveelectricity)©NivaldodosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2015

253

PortraitofJuvêncio

Juvêncio’s feelingregardingtheSobradinhodam:sorrow(aseverythingheplantsdies in theplacehemovedto,Piçarrão,mainlybecauseofthescarcityofwater)Objectchosen:oneoftheplantshetriedtogrow(coconuttree)butthatdidnotsurvivetheharshnessofthelocalenvironmentLocationchosen:hiscurrentbackyard©JuvêncioRochaandMarileneRibeiro2015

254

PortraitofLaudelina

Laudelina’s feeling regarding theSobradinhodam:“lack” (lackofwork, lackof food, lackofmakingaliving,lackofreferencepointsofbelonging,lackofdignity—allsheexperiencedoncedisplacedfromtheBoqueirãohamletduetotheSobradinhodam)Objectchosen:thetree(manguba)shebroughtfromBoqueirão(whichherfatherhadsown)Locationchosen:hercurrentbackyard©LaudelinaFerreiraandMarileneRibeiro2015

255

PortraitofClaudinei

Claudineiisa42-year-oldcarpenter.Healsogoesfishingtofeedhisfamily.IfthePanambidamisbuilt,hemay struggle tomake a living, as hisworkplacewill vanish into thewater and this stretch of theUruguay River (which is situated literally at his backyard), once turned into a reservoir,will not be aCommonanymorebutprivateproperty:consequently,hemightnotbeentitledtogofishinginthisareaanymore. Furthermore, ashemovesout, hewill have toworkouthow to getnewcustomers forhishandcraftedwoodenproducts.Claudineiandhiswife,Seloni,suggestwejointlyconstructhisportraitbyblendingthesetwoperspectives.Claudinei’sfeelings:sorrowandlossObjectchosen:fishLocationchose:hisworkspaceTopleft:Claudinei'swife,Seloni,setsupthestagefortheshoot.Topright:portraitofClaudinei-firstshot.Bottom:portraitofClaudinei-lastshot.©ClaudineiZuehlandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofRaimundo

DuetothechangestheBeloMontedamhascausedinthelocalenvironment,Raimundoexplainsthathe can no longer sustain his own occupation as a fisherman, as he cannot find enough fish to sell(sometimes,noteventofeedhisfamily,asfishthatcanstillbecaughtseemtobeill).Raimundosaysheisabouttoabandonhisvocation,becauseithasbecomeunsustainableafterthedam.Raimundo’sfeeling:sorrowObjectchosen:framedpictureofthelastfishRaimundocaughtbytheconfluenceoftheSantoAntôniostreamandtheXinguRiver,beforehelefttheSantoAntôniohamletLocationchosen:theSantoAntôniostream(currentlyreducedtomud,asitssourcewassituatedwithintheBeloMontedamworksite,accordingtoparticipantsRaimundoandÉlio)Fromlefttoright:Valdenira(Raimundo’swife),Raimundinho(oneofRaimundo’ssons),Vanessa(oneofRaimundo’sdaughters),andRaimundo.©RaimundoMartinsandMarileneRibeiro2016

SeealsoPortraitsofHilarinoandJoãoEvangelistainChapterTwo.

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TerritoryofIdentity,Belonging,Heritage,Legacy,Family,Memory,andCulture–

PortraitofGeovan

“(…)Iseemyportraitintheriver…Ibelongthere.Regardingtheobjectyouaskedmetochoose,IwishIcouldtakethefaçadeofmyhouse…myplaceisunderthewatersoftheBeloMontedamnow.(…)”Geovan’sfeelings:rebelliousness,hatred,outrage,anguish,dismantlement,andsorrowObject chosen: door (to represent the façade of his former house in Itapiranga Island, currentlysubmergedbythereservoiroftheBeloMontedamcomplex)Locationchosen:theXinguRiver©GeovanCarvalhoMartinsandMarileneRibeiro2016

258

PortraitofReinoldo

“(…)EverydayIgodowntothe[Uruguay]River,twiceaday.Igetinmycanoe,boataround–whenit’shot, I jump into thewater andbath. It’s beautiful. Then, Iwonder: ‘will they finish this all?’ The rivermeansalottome.It’sanaturethatIwillneverleavemymind.TheUruguayRiver:therearemanytypesofit.Ican’texplainthis.Itsbends,rapids–whenit’sabouttorain,therapidsmakeadifferentnoise.[IfIhavetoleavethisplace]Iwouldrememberthis.Howmanytimeswehaveswumfromoneedgetotheother: crossing the river swimming […] I seeaverybeautiful image there. I seenature, fish jumping–sometimesabeautifulfishjumpsandyou’retheretoseethis.Therearebirds,toucans.Inthemorning,sabiáandcanarinho[speciesofbird],manyspeciesofbird,comeandsing.Whereelseareyougonnaseethis?Inplaceswheretherearecagedbirds?I’magainstcagingbirds.Totallyagainstit.[…]Ithurtsbeingbornandbredinaplaceand,oneday,everythingisunderthewater.Youdon’tevenknowwhereyouplaceisanymore,becauseinthe[vast]water[landscape]you’renotabletodistinguishwherethingsaresituated.Youwon’tbecapableofspottingyourformerplace–whetheritwaslocatedhereorthere.Thisisgonnastickinourmindsforever:whatweusedtobeand…whatarewenow?Whatnatureusedtobeand…whereisnaturenow?Itwasdestroyed.(…)”Reinoldo’sfeeling:“itwringsmyheart”Objectchosen:waterfromtheUruguayRiverLocationchosen:hislivingroom(ReinoldostressesthattheplacewherehestandsinhisportraitwouldbeunderwaterifthePanambidamisconstructed)©ReinoldoRoqueKöcheandMarileneRibeiro2016

259

PortraitofAntôniodeCarvalho

“(…)I’vegotafeeling…[Antôniostopsspeaking,keepsinsilenceforamoment,andeventuallybreaksintotears]…Wehadto leavemygrandfatherthere[inhisformerplaceof living,Juacemahamlet79]…[weeping]… It was his will to be buried in Juacema. If we [Antônio and his family] knew that theSobradinho[dam]wouldhappen,we’dhaveneverlethimbeburiedthere.Wecoulddonothingaboutthisbuttoleavehimback.(…)”Antônio’s feeling: “no name… it’s too much…” (regarding having to let his grandfather’s remains besubmergedinJuacema)Objectchosen: featherheaddressand local culturaloutfit (to representhimselfandhisancestors,hisroots)Locationchosen:stonefeaturingrockart(torepresenthisancestors,thelinkbetweenthelandandtheman)©AntôniodeCarvalhoandMarileneRibeiro2015

79Antônio’sgrandfather’sremainswerelefttobesubmerged,ashewasburiedinJuacemahamletthatwaslocatedwithintheareathatlateronbecamethereservoiroftheSobradinhodam.

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PortraitofLuiz

“(…)TheUruguayRiver,forus,representstheMother!Wehere,ourfamily,wehavetakenthewateroftheUruguayRiverseveraltimes;wesurvivedwithwaterfromtheUruguayRiver.Intimesofdrought,whenwedidn’thavetheartesianwell,wedidn’thaveawaternetwork,wedrankthewaterfromtheUruguayRiver.Forus,fortheanimals,foreverything,right?And,besideslife,theriver[has]therootsofeachriverineperson.Thevalueoftheproperty,itisinsignificantinviewofthevaluepeoplegivetotheirroots,theirfamilyhistory.Myfatherpassedawayatninety-and-a-half,andforme,this[land]ishisfigurehere.Ifeeltheresponsibilityofkeepingthisalive[…]Iwishmydaughtercouldlivethroughthat.Iwishonedidnotcutoffthisrightfromhertostilllivethroughthis:whatherfatherlivedthrough,whathergrandfatherlivedthrough.(…)”Luiz’sfeeling:“allbadfeelings”Object chosen:manual seeder (whichbelongs toLuiz’s family.Hementions that thiswas thewayhisfatherusedtoworkintheolddays)Locationchosen:hisfamily’spasturegorgeoverlookingtheUruguayRiver©LuizWeberyandMarileneRibeiro2016

261

PortraitofMarinêsNicolli

“I’mconcernedaboutthefutureofmysons.Abouttheirmemoriesinfuturetimes.Aboutthememoriestheywon’tbeabletohave,because,whentheGarabidamworkstakeplacetheywon’tbeentitledtofollowinourfootsteps,theywon’tbeentitledtoliveinthisplacewherewehavelivedanymore.”MarinêsNicolli’sfeeling:sorrow“Object”chosen:hersonsLocationchosen:herbedroom/livingroom©MarinêsNicollidosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2016

262

PortraitofJairDrost

“(…)Researcher–youweretalkingaboutyoufeelingsad,whenitcomestothePanambidamproject,right?I’dlikeyoutothinkabouta“thing”thatcouldrepresentyour“sorrow”.Youdon’tneedtoreplytomeatonce,youcanthinkabout thisandcomeoutwithyour response later, it’s fine.Aswe’regonnaworkonyourportrait,I’dlikethis“sorrow”youtoldmeaboutdepictedinthisphotographtoo.Thisthingyou’regonnachoosedoesn’tneedtomakesensetome,Marilene, itneedstomakesensetoyou,Jair,only.Wewillultimatelycallthisthing“sorrow”,inthisportrait.Jair-Iknowalready:earth!Idon’tevenneedtothink.It’sthesoil,thesoilofmyfamily’sland.R –Deal.We’re gonnause the soil then. I’d like you also choose a location for you portraitwith thisearth,aplacethat’simportantforyou,forthestoryyoutoldme.J–It’sgonnabemyselfonlyorcanthewholefamilyposeinit?R–Intheportrait,youmean?J–Yep.R–Thewayyoufeelthatbesttellsyourstorytothosewhodon’tknowit.(…)”JairDrost’sfeeling:sorrowObjectchosen:localsoil(torepresenttherootsbetweenJair,hisfamily,andtheplacewheretheylive)Location chosen: his family’s place (which they inherited from Ilone’s parents, and they have beenneighbourseversince)From left to right: Jair, Leonardo (Jair and Ilone’s son), Ilone (Jair’swife), Ilone’s brother, Élia (Ilone’smother),Delvino(Ilone’sfather)©JairDrostandMarileneRibeiro2016

263

PortraitofMariaHelena,MariaDalva,andLarissa

MariaHelenahasfollowedinherfather'sfootsteps:herfamilyhadhostedthefestivitiesoftheSt.JosephDayforaboutonecentury.Every19thofMarchinhabitantsgatheredinherfamily’sislandforboatprocession,baptism,andweddingservices,andalsotopray,sing,anddance.MariaHelenarecallsthatherfamilyprovidedhome-made“fireworks”andafeasttoguests.Localsalsodecoratedtheboatsandthesitewithhandcrafts.WhentheBeloMontedamprojectstarted,dwellerswhoinhabitedlocalislands(likeMariaHelena'sfamily)hadtomoveand,asMariaHelenastates,thistraditionfaded.MariaHelenacommentsshewishedhergranddaughtercouldcarryonwiththistraditionassheherselfhasdonesinceherfatherpassedaway.

264

MariaHelena’sfeeling:sorrowObjectchosenbyMariaHelena:statueofSt.JosephObjectchosenbyMariaDalva:oneofthedeadleaves(andalsoherweddingdress—shegotmarriedonPivelaIsland)ObjectchosenbyLarissa:localsoilLocationchosen:deadplantationofacaiberryintheirformerbackyardinPivelaIsland(currentlypartiallysubmergedbythereservoiroftheBeloMontedamcomplex)Toptobottom/lefttoright(previouspage):location,1stshot,2ndshot,4thshot,lastshot.©MariaHelenaAlmeida,MariaDalvaAlmeida,LarissaAlmeidaandMarileneRibeiro2016

TerritoryofProtestandWar

PortraitofCláudioCuruaia

265

"[I’mchoosingmoneynotes]Torepresentthecorruptionthatexistswithintheseventures,becausetheStatedeflectsmoneyandpoliticianscorruptthemselvesandacceptbribesfortheseventurestohappenor use the money from those works for their own benefit. In addition, these large enterprises onlydestroytheriver,nature,andfamilies.Thedevelopmentofaplaceisnotsomethingforjust2,3years—andthenleavingAltamirathewayitistoday,worsethanitwasbeforetheworkstarted—it’ssupposedto be long-lasting. Here in Altamira, the only long-lasting effects are crime, robberies, and manyunfulfilled conditions [the socio-environmental conditions required to be accomplished for thehydropowerprojecttobeapprovedaswellasfortheplanttobeallowedtooperate—seeChapterFourandAppendix1],becauseNorteEnergiaclaimsitdoesn’thavemoneytofulfiltheconditions.So,whereisallthemoneytheyhadfortheproject?”

Cláudio’sfeelings:sorrow(abouttheimpactsthedaminflicteduponnatureandpeoplefromAltamiracityand thesurroundings)and revolt (abouthowthedamprojectexists toenablecorruption,and tobenefitbigcompaniesandpoliticians)Locationchosen:ArapujáIsland(torepresentthedestructionofnaturebythedam—ArapujáIslandwasa symbol of beauty for Altamira’s dwellers: it stands in the middle of the Xingu River, in front ofAltamira’s harbour. Like the dozen other local islands, Arapujá was logged and burnt as part of theproceduresoftheBeloMontedam)Objectchosen:moneynotesPreviouspage (top tobottom/left to right):1st shot,Cláudioand I set the stage for thenext shot,3rdshot.©CláudioCuruaiaandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofLeonardo(Aronor)

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DespitehavingfoughttheBeloMontedamsinceitsveryearlystages.Aronor,likeseveralparticipantsinthearea,isfuriousaboutnothavingbeengiventhechancetodefend,infaircombat,whatheconsiderstobeofhighvalue.Likemanyothers,heisalsodesperateaboutthedesolatedsighthehasbeforehiseyes.However,heisstillfightingandsayshewillcarryondoingso,evenifheeventuallyhasnochoicebuttouseactualweapons.“(…)Researcher-Andwhydidyouposelikethatinthepicture?Aronor-Thoseposesthere,inmyportrait,theyarebecauseIseethatthetimewillcomewhenwewillneedtouse[weapons]andstayinthatsameposition.It’sathingwedonotwant,butthatwewillbeforcedtodo,becausetheyaremakingusdoit,becausewewillnotgiveupourrights,wewillnotdie,astheysay,aspoorpeople.Wehavetoseekourrightssothatwecansurvive.Becauseitisnotourcustomtoaskanythingfromanyone,tosuffer.Ourcustomistoworktogetourmoney.Howarewegoingtoworknow?Wehavenoland,wehavenoriver,wehavenomorefish,[and,onthetopofthat,]many,manyfarmershavedestroyedourBrazilnuttrees.”Aronor’sfeelings:rebelliousnessanddesperationLocationchosenbyAronor:bythesumaúmatree(traditionalcommunitiesbelievethesumaúmatreehasspecialpowersandprotectstheinhabitantsoftheforest,includingothertrees—itisconsidered“themotherofallothertrees”)ObjectchosenbyAronor:borduna(indigenouswarclub)andbowhemadehimself(astaughtbyhisgrandmother—alsoaYudjá/Juruna)Previouspage:1stshot(left)and4thshot(right)Above:lastshot.©LeonardoBatista(Aronor)andMarileneRibeiro2016

See also portraits of Eliezé, inChapter Two, Gumercino, Nelci, andMaria Rosa, inChapter

Three,andMariaInêsandJuma,inthisChapter.

267

Asitpreciselysituatesandintegratesalltheintangiblesinvolvedinhydropowerprojectsthat

havebeenexploredandhighlightedvia the image-makingprocessesapplied in this research

(andalsoprovidesaglimpseonhowpowerfulweremycollaborators’testimonials),Ipresenta

longexcerptofmy interviewwith JumaXipaia80alongwithherportrait (Fig.5.17),an image

thatdevelopedfromthethingssheshowedmeduringourdialogue,likeallotherportraitsof

thisresearch.

JumaisthechiefoftheTukamãvillage(aldeiaTukamã-XipayaIndigenousReserve)andvice

chairoftheDistrictCouncilofIndigenousHealth(CONDISI).TheXipayaIndigenousReserveis

located about 700 km upstream of the Pimental dam (four or more days of boat journey

upstreamoftheXinguRiveranditstributary,theIririRiver)andhasbeenalsoafflictedbythe

BeloMontedamcomplexproject.

“[…]

Alongtimeinthisprocess,whenIstartedtofollowthisdiscussion,thisfightovertheBelo

Monte,againsttheBeloMonteespecially, Iwasveryyoung,Iwas15yearsold,soIwas

learningaboutthisworld,soformewasalotofsuffering,becauseIwasnotonlytalking

abouttheXingu,Iwasnottalkingaboutaforest,Iwastalkingaboutmyself,Iwastalking

aboutwhoIam,Iwastalkingaboutmypeople,Iwastalkingaboutmyfuture.Sothiswas

alwaysverystrongforme,becauseitwasmylife,itwasallIhadandallIhaveuntiltoday

andwhatIneed,Iwastalkingaboutmyhome.

[…]

MarileneRibeiro(myself,researcher)-Doyouthinkthehydroelectricpowerplanthasany

effectonnatureforyouXipaya?

Juma-Likewhat?

Researcher-Theeffectyouthinkitcanhave.IftheBeloMontedamhadanyeffectonthe

Xipaya,onnature?

Juma-Ithadalotofeffects,stillhasandstillwill.Negativeones!Becauseweknowthat

we can have development, we can have health, we can have education, we can have

access to themedia,wecanhaveaccess toeverythingwithoutdestroyingwhat isours.

WedidnotneedBeloMonte tohavewhatwehave today, becausemanyof the things

thatarebeingdonewithinthePBA [BasicEnvironmentalPlan]arecalledpublicpolicies,

whichisthegovernment'sobligation,thereisnoneedtobuildahydroelectricplantforthe

80AlongerexcerptfromJuma’sinterviewcanbefoundinAppendix5.

268

governmenttocomplywithitsobligation,fortheStatetodoitsduties;thereisnoreason

forthis,BeloMontedoesnotjustifyhowtobringdevelopmenttotheregion,toimprove

life and bring energy—that they call ‘clean’. There is no reason for this.Wehave other

sourcesofenergy,wehaveothersourcesofdevelopmentandIseeBeloMontenotonlyas

energy,butmainlyasanenterprise thatsucksourwealth, thatsucksourwhole lifeand

thatdestroyseverythingthatpeoplefoughtforsomanyyearstopreserveandthatBrazil

and thegovernment forgotabout. It fact, itdidn’t forget, it left theAmazon, theNorth,

quiet, forawhile,while itdestroyed the restofBraziland today it comeshere,after so

many years, destroying everything, relocating the people, disrespecting the people that

have lived here for so long, that have fought and preserved this territory, all for the

interestofafew,mainlyforcapitalism.[…]Manythinkthatwehamperthegovernment,

thatwe hinder development, on the contrary,we do not have to destroy our nature to

consume,wedonothavetokillourmothertocontinueliving,weliveinharmonywithher,

weliveaccordingtowhatshegivesusandwelivedsowellthatwearealivetothisday.

There isnoneed todeforestor kill or relocateor endpeople’s identity, peoples life, the

historyofawholepeopletodevelop,andweunderstandthisverywell.Wedonotaccept

this inhumanprocess that the government has conducted until now,we believe and do

andworkinawaythatrespectseachother’sspaceand,especially,nature.

[…]

Researcher-AndwhenyouthinkoftheXinguandBeloMonte,whatdoyoufeel?

Juma - I feel alive, I feel like continuing to struggle every day, I feel compelled to do

something,Ifeelitismyduty.

Researcher -AndwhenyouthinkaboutwhatBeloMontedidtotheXingu,whatdoyou

feel?

Juma-Ifeelrevolt,Ifeelanger,Ifeelrage,Ifeeltheworstfeelingsthatapersoncanfeel.

Because for a fewmoments inmy life I almost stoppedbelieving, I almost gaveup this

fight,becausetheywantedustounderstandanddothat,right?ButeverytimeI lookat

theXinguandsee thatbeauty,andevendammed it remainsalive,beautiful,greenand

thatthis islandinfrontofus,theArapujá[Island], isfightingfor itsexistence,nomatter

howmanytreeshavebeencut,theyare[re]sprouting,re-born,thereishope,right?Thisis

likesaying,‘Hey,fight!Thefightisnotoveryet,weareonlyinthemiddleofit’,gotit?So,

lookingattheXinguisbeingbornagaineveryday,Ihavethisprivilegeofbeingbornagain

everydaywhen I lookandespeciallywhen Ibathe in theXingu, then the fightdoesnot

end,right?Somydreams,mystrength,theyarenotover.[…]”

269

FIGURE5.17.PortraitofJuma.

Juma’s feelings: revolt, rage, anger, theworst feelingsaperson can feel;but,when she thinksof thesubjectofthedammingprocess,i.e.theXinguRiver,shefeelslifeandenergytocarryonfightingforitandforherpeople’s(theXipaya)rights.Locationchosen:XinguRiver’srockymargin(specialspotwhereshesaidsheusedtogotofindpeaceandtostrengthenherselfduringthehardesttimesofthefightagainsttheBeloMontedam,from2007to2013)Objectchosen:notebookgivenbyhermother,whichsheusestowritedowninformationandthoughtssheconsidersimportantinherstruggleforherpeopleORIGINALINCOLOUR

©JumaXipaiaandMarileneRibeiro2016

Oncelookedatfromthisnewshape:ofpictorial“territoriesoflosses”,whichIhopereveal(by

means of the photographic process used in this research) the breadth of the impacts dams

havecausedinamoreintelligibleform,onecannotethatweareactuallysayingthatdams(as

objects that have been built by those in power in societies) ignore Human Rights and the

RightsofNature(asdiscussedinChapterThree).

In 2000, theWorldCommissiononDams (WCD,2000a:11-12)hadalready stressed that the

fashion for dam projects that had been spreading around the world had systematically

impoverishedpeopleandmadethemsuffer.Overadecadelateritwasofficiallyacknowledged

thatthebuildingofdams(inthewayitstillruns)hasinfactinfringedHumanRights(CDDPH,

270

2010:13,Zen,2014)81.Moreover,thephysicalexistenceofthisphotographicproject,asboth

thesisandexhibition,reclaimsspacefor“invisible”storiestoemergeandbenoticed:invisible

storiesfromtheminorities, invisiblestoriesfromcountrieswhichthehistoryofphotography

hasomitted(asSpanishartistandacademicJoanFontcubertahasemphasized–Fontcuberta,

2002:16).

Still concerning the matters of “invisibility” and “absences”, I argue that, once stitched

together, the narratives constructed via researcher-researched encounters and shaped as

visual representations come upwith a “new” standard of knowledge, a rule that somehow

transgresses thedominantand“officiallyacknowledged”modeofperceiving,validating,and

measuringmatters, i.e.theCartesian-relatedmethods.Thesemethodshavebeenhistorically

created in standard centresof knowledge (whichhavebeen located in either Europeor the

UnitedStates),consequently,theknowledgethesecentresgenerateisimpregnatedwithways

of thinking and understanding that are characteristic to Europeans and Americans, de-

considering, for instance,African,Andean,andAmazonianpeople’s logicandreasoning.This

“standard” knowledge has grounded processes of policy and decision making, as well as

national and international agreements, and, what this PhD research does is to bring up

anotherperspectiveforthis“officiallyacknowledged”reasoning(throughthejointlyvisualand

textualstoriesthataredeliveredtotheviewersofthework). Iclaimthatthispractice-based

work is inserted into what the Portuguese sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos has

advocatedfor:asociologyofthe“Emergences”(Santos,2007).Asanindividualwhowasborn

inacolonialistcountry(i.e.Portugal),whichhasbeen,atthesametime,anationsubjectedto

the rulesofmorepowerful countries, likeFranceandEngland,anda scholarwhohasashis

subject of studies colonies (Mozambique, SouthAfrica, Brazil, Colombia, and India, to name

butafew),aswellaswhohasbeentrainedinaWesternpotency—i.e.intheUnitedStates(as

hepreciselysituateshimselfwithinthissphereofvisionsandpower),Santoshasarguedthat

thewayhegemonic groupsmanage to keep themselves inpower is by creating “Absences”.

According to him, these “Absences” are the denial of forms of knowledge certain groups

81Notably the following topics: 1) the right to informationandparticipation;2) the right to freedomofpeacefulassembly,andassociation;3)therighttofreedomofopinionandexpression;4)therighttowork;5)therighttoastandardof livingadequate for thehealthandwell-beingofherself/himselfandofher/his family;6) the right toadequatehousing;7)therighttoeducation;8)therighttoahealthyenvironment;9)therighttohealth;10)therighttocontinuousimprovementoflivingconditions;11)therighttofairdealing,isonomictreatment,accordingtotransparent and collectively agreed criteria; 12) the right to freedom of movement; 13) the right to preservetraditionalpracticesand livelihood,materialand immaterialmatters;14) therightof indigenous,quilombolaandtraditionalpeople;15)therightofspecialprotectionforvulnerablegroups;16)therightofaccesstojusticeandofareasonabledurationofjudicialproceedings;17)therighttofullreparationoflossesandalsotocompensationforpreviouslosses;18)therighttokeepandprotectfamilyandcommunitybonds.

271

produce to exist as such—as the former are supposed to not reach the “requirements” for

being accepted as “valid”. As these “requirements” are selected and named by these

hegemonicgroups,theperspectivesgeneratedandputintopracticebytheseothergroupsare

taken as inefficient, antiquated, sheer local, unproductive, or even inferior, i.e. officially

speaking,theydonotexist.Santoshasclaimedthattheseformsofknowledgefromthefringes

ofHistory (e.g.women’sperspectives regardingsomesubjectsorsmall farmers’ solutions to

some problems) need to emerge and settle on the same tablewhere these already “valid”

(namedbySantosasalsoWestern,imperialist,andpatriarchal)ruleshavebeenset. Hecalls

forsociologiststostudythissociologyofthe“Absences”andworktowardsasociologyofthe

“Emergences”, thatmay bring these forms of knowledge into discussion too and ultimately

contribute to a future scenewhere diversity (e.g. the blend of academic and non-academic

knowledges to find solutions for contemporary issues) can play a practical role in the

improvementofourworld.LikeEduardoGudynas,regardingtherightsofNature(addressedin

ChapterThree),Santosisnotrejectingthe“standardknowledge”,butclaimingthatthisneeds

to be blended to “non-orthodox” perspectives too. In other words, I understand this PhD

researchhascontributedtoturntheseinvisibleoroverlookedperspectives(“Absences”)—i.e.

concerningtheassessmentofthecostsofhydropowerthroughanon-monetaryfashion—into

objects for consideration and discussion like monetary values have been, and that this is

achieved via the images and texts I stitch together in this research, which aims to draw

attentiontothesematters.

Another point that needs to be clear is that the arguments presented regarding the visual

storytellingassembledheredonotintendtopresentriversidedwellersasvictims,whichisnot

howIortheyseethemselves.Weseethem(selves)ascitizenswhodemandthattheirrights,

worldviews, and values should be respected and allowed to thrive, as citizens whose

citizenshiphasbeendeniedforthedamstotakeplace,ascitizenswhoshowuswhatwealthis

about in theend. It is also important to stress that thisworkdoesnot intend tobringupa

romanticandnaïveviewabouta"paradise",buttobeconsistentwithwhatparticipantshave

emphasisedasbeingimportanttothem:simple(noteasy)livelihood,butabundantinlifeand

fulfilling inautonomy,accesstofood,water, leisure,culture,andexchangeswiththenatural

world—which they acknowledge being a part of, and so respect and cherish it. From these

narrativesmy collaborators and I assembled together (based on their knowledge, thoughts,

and feelings, interwovenwithmyownones),wecancriticisedevelopment in theway ithas

beenconceptualised,accepted,anddriveninnationalandinternationalagreements.Wecan

discuss that this concepturges tobe changed,as it isbuiltuponmercantilist andcolonialist

272

worldviews, as it is based on "the Market" and "the Capital". We can also discuss where

alternativestothisdevelopmentshouldgothrough,asemphasizedbyGudynas(seeChapter

Three, p. 177-179), and also by Santos (2007). I have weaved all these negative pointsmy

collaborators have guidedme through to showcase howwide and intense are the range of

mattersthatcollapseastheprocessofdammingariveriscarriedout,asthemaingoalofthis

thesisistoassessthecostsofhydropowerdrivenbyriversidedwellers'perspectivesandshape

thesecostsinamore“perceivable”fashion,i.e.usingvisualcommunicationforthatpurpose.

Byoptingforamorewidelyspokenandwidelyunderstoodlanguageasoneoftheaxesofthis

work, i.e. photography, I aim for this information, accessed and assembled with my

collaborators,toreachpeopleregardlesstheiroriginalbackground,socialposition,ortraining.

Moreover,photographytodayhasthisubiquitouscharacteristic, that is, itcanpermeateand

co-existindifferentplacesandenvironments(fromjournalstopubliccityspaces,fromwallsto

the Internet), which can facilitate the dissemination of the knowledge produced by this

researchtoverydifferentaudiences.

By making arguments accessible to the reader/viewer by means of the visual narrative

constructedandpresented,thisresearchintendstoturn"Absences"into"Presences",tobring

upwhathasbeensilencedand/oroverlookedintothearenaof"development"and"growth"

inordertopushforwardtheseconceptsandtheirimplicationswithinandbetweencountries.

Itmoves thediscussionswithin theenergyand theclimatechangeagendas towardsapoint

that involves the reformulationofournotionsofwealthandwelfare,as I (likemanyothers,

e.g. economist,member of theNewYorkAcademyof Sciences, andAlternativeNobel Prize

recipientManfredMax-Neef;researcherEduardoGudynas;andjournalistandpoliticaltheorist

Raúl Zibechi) believe that these notions cannot be driven by Gross Domestic Product and

percentageof roadspaved, for instance. Ifwedonotchangeourperceptionsofwealthand

welfare,we, as nations and also as thewhole Earth,will fail in enabling citizens to dignity,

health,autonomy,andwellbeingaswellasinpreservingspecies,geneticdiversity,ecological

processes,andbeauty.

5.4QuestionIII–Participantsandthecivilcontractofphotography

As Ihavedemonstrated in thischapteranddiscussed inChapters Twoand Three, thiswork

consists of an in-depth exploration of both the medium (i.e. photography), and the

negotiationsthatitfacilitates.Consequently,reflectionsonhowtheprotagonistsoftheactof

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Photography(i.e.thesubject,thephotographer,andtheviewer)mightrespondareacritical

partofthisstudy,evenifinferential.AsIwillpresentinthenextparagraphs,thereaderwill

notice thatmostof this “interaction”has todowith thecomprehensionpeoplehaveof the

medium—inotherwords,itisrelatedtothesignificanceofphotographyinoursociety.Italso

concernsthecivilcontractbetweenthephotographer,thesubject,andtheviewerthatAriella

Azoulayhasadvocatedfor(Azoulay,2008,2012).

Considering my proposal of co-working with people I had never met before, one of the

questionsthathastroubledmewas:whyshouldthesepeopleaccepttakingpart inaproject

thatrequiresthemtospeakabouttheirfeelingsandthoughtstoastranger(i.e.me)aswellas

to engage in shaping these feelings and thoughts in the formof images to be presented to

someoneelse?My reflectionson thishaveguidedme towards twopotentialpaths: i) it isa

projectthataimstoexposetheoverlooked,thesilenced,theusurped,asoutlinedinChapter

Three;ii)itisaprojectthatacknowledgestheirexistenceasindividualsandascitizenstoo,as

it is a project that is embedded in their collective as well as in their personal stories and

environment,summingup, it isaprojectaboutthemselves(nottoforgetthat it isaboutmy

own existence too, as I am the one who approaches them, comes up with the “theme”,

operates the camera, and puts the information together, like in this thesis). Keeping both

these points in mind (i.e. this state of “underestimating, silencing, and seizing” and the

intrinsicautobiographicandbiographiccharacteristicsofthework)enabledmetoconjecture

reasons formypotential collaborators to become in factmy collaborators and embracemy

proposal of transposing experiences into images. Beyond this, the genuine reasons for this

collaborationwiththeparticipantsofthisprojecttosucceedmayremainunreachabletome,

astheyliveintheparticipants’ownthoughts.Conjecturesasideandspeakingaboutattitudes,

participants and their families not only engaged in the interview and in the making of the

portraitbutwerealsokeentoshowmespecialplaces,objects,documents,andphotographs

theykept. I feelcompelledtodescribeheresomesituationsthatexemplifyhowparticipants

andtheirfamiliesnotonlyagreedtobepartoftheprojectbuttookseriouslythiscommitment

to jointly construct a visual narrative thatwould expose the damages inflicted by the dams

basedontheirpersonalexperiences.

Delcilene andMaria das Graças (Delcilene’smother), participants frommy fieldwork in the

BeloMontedamarea,chosetobeportraitedat their formerplaceof living—CashewIsland.

Theisland,ascanbeinferredfromitsname,wasfullofcashewtrees,especiallyatMariadas

Graças and Delcilene’s backyard. It featured sandbanks (“beaches”) too, where the family

274

enjoyedtheirfreetime.CashewIsland,alongwithdozensofothers,waspartiallysubmerged

asthereservoiroftheBeloMontehydropowerplantcomplexstartedtobefilled.

TheychoosetobeportrayedatCashewIslandbecause,asDelcilenehighlights,“Ourisland,our

sand beaches, our trees, our home… all has gone.” and Maria das Graças complements:

"Becausetheislands,thetrees,theyalldied,everythingisdead.Itlookslikeabackwoodinthe

backlands[sertão].Right?Theoneswhereyouonlyseestumps,whichweseeonthenews[on]

Sunday.It'sthesamething."

AccordingtoDelcileneandMariadasGraças,thewholeregionwheretheywerebornandbred

isnolongerrecognizable:

“[…]

Girl, just,as thesayinggoes,whenyou look, it's justsadness, right.Whenwewent

therethefirsttime[afterthereservoirfillingevent],wearrivedatthemiddleofthe

riverchannel,inParatizinho,nearDaniel’splace[asitewhereapersonnamedDaniel

usedtolive],Ilookedtoonesidethentotheother,andsaid,‘That'stheway,butit's

notthroughhere.’Isatthereonthebench,[alongwith]her[Delcilene]atthesternof

theboat,thenIsaid,‘Neném[Delcilene’snickname]–Itoldher–wherearewe,dear

God?’Andshesaid‘Mama,evenIdon’tknow.’Thenwhenwespottedthehill,Isaid,

‘Thathill, isitArundina’shill,right?’Thenthepilotsaid,‘Itis,Maria.That´s[where]

Altabeachusedtobe’–therewasabushatthetipofAltabeach;thatwaswhenI

recognized it, that the tipwas a beach,where that farmwas– therewas a beach

rightatthebeginning,atthetip–buttherestIdidn´trecognizeatall.She[Delcilene]

said,‘Mother,thatislandwastheislandwelivedon[CashewIsland]’.Isaid,‘No,girl,’

shesaid,‘Yes,Mother,’becauseIstillcouldseetheisland.[...]”

However, they are concerned that I do not believe inwhat they say, because, according to

them, the consortium in charge of the Belo Monte hydro project (the Norte Energia) has

disseminated a different “reality” about the local environment’s “health” and the affected

people’s“wellbeing”.

“[…]

Maria das Graças - Even so, that's it: sometimes you [myself] can say, ‘Ah, no, it's

becausemanywereangrywithNorteEnergiaanddotheinterviewssayingthatnoone

275

likeditandsuch.’Itisgoodtogotheretolook,toseeandsay,‘See,[MariaDasGraças]

wasn´tlying,lookattheimpactthattheNorteEnergiacaused.’[...]Ourstory,thestory

whichwetell,isnotthesameas[theirs]."82

Maria das Graças and Delcilene decide we can use the image-making process to tell this

“other”story.TheychoosetobeportrayedonCashewIslandbecausetheywantme(andthe

potentialviewersofthiswork)toseewithmyowneyesthatitispossibletoraisethe“sertão”

inthemiddleofaninfinitudeofwater(Fig.5.18).

FIGURE5.18.SequenceofportraitsofMariadasGraçasandDelcilene.

82MariadasGraças’remarkonthewaytheconsortiuminchargeofthedamprojecthasbroadcastedthesituationof the affected people. According to her and her daughter, Delcilene, these people, includingMaria dasGraçasherself,havebeentreatedas“rubbish”bytheNorteEnergia,whichhasdeniedthemtherighttoanotherplotofland.MariadasGraçasrecallsthedialogshehadwiththestaffofthecompensationprogramme:“Isaid,‘Idonotaccept this. I won’t be able to resettle my life with R$12,400 only!” [about £3,000—the amount of money thecompanywasofferingforherto leavetheplaceshewasbornandhas livedeversince]andshe[Magda] replied,‘Youhavetwooptions:acceptourofferorratherremainheretobetakenbythewater.”Also,accordingtoMariadasGraças,theconsortiumaffirmsinitsreportsthatthelocalenvironmentiswellanddwellerswhohadtomoveduetotheBeloMontehydrocomplexprojecthavereceivedpropersupportandfoundthemselvesinabetterlifeconditionnowthanbeforetheprojecthadstarted,which,forMaria,isnotthesamethingsheandotherdisplacedpeoplehaveinfactexperienced.

276

Delcilene’sfeelings:sorrowandhumiliationMariadasGraças’feeling:sorrowObjectchosenbyDelcilenetorepresentherfeeling:cashews(torepresenttheabundanceintheregion)ObjectchosenbyMariadasGraças(Delcilene’smother):sand(torepresentthesandbeaches)Location chosen by both: their former backyard in Cashew Island (currently partly submergedby theBeloMontedam).Notedeadcashewtreesstillstandinginthebackground.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MariadasGraçasdaSilva,DelcileneGomesdaSilva,andMarileneRibeiro2016

The second example I use in this section happened when Maria Rosa’s family and I were

canoeingtowardstheislandwherehermotherusedtolive,beforebeingdisplacedbytheBelo

Montedam,inordertoworkontheirportrait(fordetailsonMariaRosa’sportrait,pleasesee

Chapter Three,p.164-166).Onourway,aswecanoedaroundthe islandwhereMariaRosa

and her sisters and brothers were born and bred, Inocêncio Island, whose trunks of the

partially submerged trees still stood, but all pale and dead, I started to photograph that

desolateview (Fig.5.19).When I stoppedphotographing foran instant,afterhavingalready

taken dozens of photographs of that subject, Maria Rosa’s brother asked me to: “keep

photographing!”. This phrase instantaneously sounded to me like: “we need people to see

this! Record and show those who live far from here what we are witnessing and enduring

here.”—or,toputit inMariaRosa’swords,“showpeoplewhatisthe‘truth’aboutthedam”

(seeChapterThree,p.165).

277

FIGURE5.19.InocêncioIsland.ReservoiroftheBeloMontedam.November2016.

Note that the use of colour photography also enables the articulation of a discourse about life anddeath,asthephotographsabovepresentthemselvesdrainedofcolour,asifdrainedof“blood”,drainedoflife(whichtranslatestowhatparticipantsandIperceivedinthelocallandscapeatthetime).ORIGINALINCOLOUR

©MarileneRibeiro2016

Thissituationmademereflectonthepowerphotographystillholds inpeople’s imagination:

as aweaponor a scream.Then, I decided toexplore thisuse in thework too (seeFig. 5.19

above).Evenawareofthecritiquesontheusesofphotographyastestimonyandproof,one

cannot deny that photographs demand we (the audience) look at them and react to (or

interactwith?)them.Justbylookingonsocialmediaonewillnoticehowtheimage,especially

photography, is broadly recognised by its users (and also by the conceivers of network

interfaceslikeInstagramandFacebook,forinstance)asapowerfulmeanstoreachandtrigger

“action”initsviewers(evenifthis“action”primarilyconsistsofjustanordinary“likebutton”

being pressed). I will come back to this discussion after including participant LuizWebery’s

thoughtsinmyarguments,furtheron.

Reflecting onMaria Rosa’s brother’s reaction in face of the opportunity of havingwhat his

familyhadendurednoticed,documented,anddisseminated(“likereportageimages”,asIsee

thiseventunfoldinginhismind,onceriversidedwellersdonothaveasmuchcontactwiththe

environment of the arts as they have with TV and newspaper reportages), I imagine how

oppressive and psychologically aggressive it can be to witness and live “in silence” (as Élio,

anothercollaborator,remarked)allthedestructionparticipantshavedescribedtome.During

278

my time together withmy collaborators, I noted their appreciation about being heard and

havingtheirarguments,knowledge,andclaimstakenseriously,astherulehadbeentoeither

ignore or repress them. Moreover, the proposal of not only talking about their intimate

feelingsregardingthedambuttakingtheirpersonalexperiencesfurtherandengaging inthe

actualproductionofsomething(inthiscase,avisualnarrative)thatcouldsomehowshowcase

what they considered important might have functioned as a channel for these constricted

demands to burst and flow. I believe this research brought up this open (despite being

technicallyconsidereda“framed”)spaceforthemtoshapeandexpresswhattheywantedto.

Even aware that this act of producing meaning via image-making consists of a negotiation

betweenevery sitter andme, and, ultimately, betweenbothof us and the viewer, I cannot

denythatitworkedasastageforprotest,catharsis,aswellasforriversidedwellerstorevisit

and re-appropriate theirown roots, values,memories,andhistory (and thisall alsoaffected

my perceptions and inferences on photography, rivers, wealth, and politics, amongst other

subjectstoo).Irealisedthisneededtobesaid,regardlessofanytheoreticalcriticism83Icould

besubjectedto. Ihopesomecollaborators’statementsmaysituatethereaderregardingmy

decisiontoputmyselfinthisvulnerableposition:

“Thankyou,Marilene,forgivingusself-esteem,forredeemingourhistory,forlightingup

thingsthatwerefadinginsideus,formakingusrememberwhatweshouldneverforget.”

(Isabel,alsoquotedinChapterThree,p.131)

“[…] I thank you for the opportunity of being able to express, for being able to speak.

Because I think it’s important thateveryonegets toknowaboutouropinion, the restof

theworldgetstoknowit.It’simportantthattheyknowthatwearenotordinarynumbers,

wearehumanbeings.”(Ailton)

“[…]ItoldmydaughterthatthisyearhasbarelystartedbutIfeelfulfilledalreadybecause

ofthisworkwehavemade.”(Lúcia)

“[…]Sometimeswewannaspitoutallthatisstuckinsidebutthereisn’tanybodytolisten

to.Then,I’dliketothankyoutoo.Itwasverygoodtospeakandshow.”(MariaRosa)

“[…]Ialsosaythankyou,because,asIsaid,talkingaboutthisbringssomerelieftous,it

83 Critiques rooted in the discourse of photography being mistakenly taken as social assistance for thedisempoweredvictims,asSontag(2003)hasonceput.

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eases our pain… talking about it helps raise awareness about our situation, about the

sufferingwehavebeen enduring. Your coming right here, before us, eyeing this, allows

youtobelieveinus.Ifyouweren’there,youmayhavesaid‘Oh,no!Idon’tbelievethisis

happening!’–seeingisbelieving.”(Aronor)

“I’m giving you a hug that will last for the eternity. [long hug] I’ve got no words to

describe what you’re doing for us: spreading these images. Images which the world

doesn’tsee.Becausefortheworldwedonotexist.”(Jaime)

I have toacknowledge that this feedback, apart fromwhat Imentionedabove,also causea

feelingofanxiety inmyselfabout the likelinessofanappropriatedisseminationof thiswork

actually happening, as I am aware that there aremany factors at play that do not depend

entirelyonmyefforts.Yet,Iamdoingmybesttofulfilourexpectations.

LuisWebery’sspeechandperceptionofthepracticealsohighlightedsomeinterestingpoints

thatenrichthedebateswithinthefieldsofphotography,collaboration,andpolitics.Luiz isa

smallfarmerwholivesbytheUruguayRiver(forportraitofLuiz,seesection5.3,p.260)and

whoseproperty,whichheinheritedfromhisfather,willbesubmergedbytheGarabidam,if

theprojecthappens.

“[…]

MarileneRibeiro(myself,researcher)-AndtheUruguayRiverbelongstowhom,doyou

think?

Luiz-Toall.Toall.IamaCatholic,IamaChristian,IbelieveinacreatingGodand,asit

isaworkofnature,itisadivinework,Ithinkeveryonehastherighttoenjoytheriver.I

donotthinkthisisaquestionofprivatisingtheriverforbigmonopolies,bigcompanies,

bigcapital.IthinkitisthegiftfromGod,itisfromnature,letthehumanbeing,letthe

people, live it.Wegrowupfishing,eatingfishfromtheriver,survivingfromhere,we

have leisure timesat theriver, somanypeoplecomingandwehavealwayskept the

doorsopentothepeoplethatuseit.So,lettherivercontinuebeingforall.Letitbea

matterof lifeandnotofdeath.Thedamwillonlybringdeath.Profit forthefewand

loss for many. [...] What I'm sure of is that I'll be fighting for the rights of future

affectedpeople,ifthisisgoingtohappen[theGarabidam],forthelifeoftheriver,so

thatwecanpreventthisdamconstruction,certainly,Iwillbeonemoreinthefight,in

thedefenceoftheUruguayRiver.ThisI'msure!IcannotdefendtheUruguayRiverjust

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inword, ifwehavetogotothefight, I'monemorethatwillgo,forsure.[…]Weare

certainthatwecanalsobecompensatedwithyourwork,duetothesimplefactthat

youarepresentingthisinuniversitiesandthatitisalsomakingotherpeopleawareof

theproblemthatweareexperiencing,itisalreadyverygratifyingforusbecausealone

weare nobody,we need the help of each other,we need the sumof the effort.We

knowthepowerofunity,andmorethanever,weneedthis:thatpeoplecanjoinusin

this struggleagainst thebig capital, againstbig companies thatwant tomonopolize

theriver.Weknowthattheriverdoesnotbelongtousalone.Weknowthat it isnot

ourcausealone,andthatitisnotaproblemonlyforus,oftheUruguayRiver,weknow

thatabiggerprojectissymbolizedaroundit84,becausethegreatcapitalthatwantsto

crushusherealsohasaninterest inotherplaces.Andwecountonthissupport,with

thepeople’s solidaritywho canalso supportus, defending theUruguayRiver, that it

continues to be alive, continues being ours, continues being of all and that we can

continuebeing,aslongasGodgivesuslife,beingabletoberesidents,toberesidents

of these places, here. May the river continue to generate life, being alive, and

generatinglife.”

Likemanyotherparticipantsofthisproject,Luizopenlyacknowledgeswe(heandI)aredoing

ajointworkandthathehopesthiscollectiveworkwillhaveaneffectonitspotentialviewers,

especiallybecausehebelievesthatthe“communityofthinkers”(i.e.theacademicworld)and

thegeneralpublicwillhaveaccesstoourarguments(i.e.theargumentsriversidedwellersand

Ijointlyassembledandpresentedintheformofvisualstorytelling).Luizdoesnotseehimself

asavictimbutasahumanbeingwhoisfightingforrights,asdoesheperceivethisprojectasa

mediumforhisgoals(i.e.thatpeopleunderstandriversidedwellers’pointsandeventuallydo

notbuild theGarabidam)and forcitizenshiptoo (i.e. forhimtobe listenedtoandhavehis

demandsfulfilled,likeanyothercitizen).

ReflectingontheroleLuizsees forhimself,myself, thiswork,and itsviewers in thepolitical

arenademandmetocomebacktoMarthaRosler’swritings(whichhasalreadybeenasubject

for some considerations in Chapter Three). Even though Rosler’s thoughts dates from the

1980s/early 2000, her points remain true for some art critics85and that’s why I opted for

84Myemphasis:underlined.85AsnotedbytheformerdirectoroftheCulturalReportingandCriticismProgramoftheNewYorkUniversity,SusieLinfield, in her book chapter A Little History of Photography Criticism: or Why Do Photography Critics hatePhotography?:“[…]But if feweressays likeSekula’sandRosler’sarewrittennow, it is inpartbecausetheir ideashavebeenabsorbedandacceptedbysomanyintheacademy,theartjournals,themuseums,andthegalleries;as

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bringingthissubjectintodiscussionhere.Rosler(1981,2001)deprivesboththephotographed

personandtheviewerofanyattitude;shenullifiesthesetwofundamentalplayersintheactof

Photography (taken as an event that, above all, aims communication) by taking them as

passive and/or blasé. Regarding the photographed person, according to Rosler, she/he is a

merepreyof thephotographer’s lens, a victimofboth the “system”and thephotographer.

Concerning viewers, Rosler classifies them into two groups: those who, by looking at

images/storiesof someoneelse’s “pain”,will either: i) be thankful for not themselvesbeing

the“victim”(andthatthiseventistakingplacefarawayfromthem—theviewer),orii)makea

flash donation to a charity or Non-Governmental Organisation that supports the depicted

cause in order to feel “relieved” and come back to their comfortable routines (for further

discussiononthistopic,seeChapterThree,p.137-138).Shedoesnotacknowledgethatthere

is a third one (the group I consider myself part of, as viewer; even before becoming a

photographer): theonecomprisedofpeoplewhoare in factabsorbing these images/stories

and,fromthisimageryexperience,takingaction(evenifthefirstactionistogettoknowand

starttoreflectaboutthetheme).Thisthirdgroupistheonethatcangatherandbringupthe

dissensusofRanciére.ThisisthegroupthathasmadethingschangewhenitcomestoHistory

too. As this PhD concerns not only human beings but also other species as well as the

ecosystem,Iprovideasimple,butnotirrelevant,exampleonhowimagescanignitechangesin

oneindividualandthiscanresonateinthere-shapingofpoliticalagendasandsociety:oneof

thefoundersofanactivistgroupinasmallcity(whoIpersonallyknow)declaredshebecame

veganafterknowinghowlivestockweretreateduntilslaughtered,via“disturbingpictures”(as

sheputs it)sheaccessedonFacebook in2012.Eversince,shefoundedthegroupand ithas

gained various achievements concerning public policies in her district. This can sound silly

when compared to theworld’sbig issues (like thewar in Syria, forexample), nonetheless it

demonstrateshowimagescanoperateinoursocietyandhoweveryoneofuscaneventually

makethedifferenceandnotbeonlypassive“spectators”ofpicturesandstories thatunfold

beforeoureyes.

In his essay The emancipated spectator (Rancière, 2007), Jacque Rancière elaborates the

influenceperformativearts(heusesthetheatre)haveasnourishersofknowledgeforviewers,

theoristW. J.T.Mitchellhaswritten, ‘reflexivecritical iconoclasm…governs intellectualdiscourse today.’Thus, inmore recent publications, one bumps up against casual phrases like ‘the now discredited authenticity onceattributedtophotography,’asifthequestionofphotography’struth-valuehasbeentossedwithoutregretintothedustbinofhistory.Evenworseare theways that these ideashaveseeped into thegeneralpublic,encouragingacareless contempt toward documentary photographs. Since such images are cesspools of manipulation andexploitation:whylook?Ithasbecomealltooeasytoavertone’seyes;indeed,todosoisconsideredavirtue.[…]”(Linfield,2012:9)

282

as providers of material for the viewer to absorb, interpret, and, then, construct and play

her/hisownstory/performancefurtheron.Rancièrebelievesthat,viathispath,performative

arts transform the society inwhichwe live (Rancière, 2007:277 and 280). For Rancière, the

spectatorisnotastatic,passivething.Rather,he/sheisanavidlearnerandpractitionerwho,

fromwhat she/he grasps from the performance he/she watches, alsomakes work (her/his

own story/performance to deliver to others). Rancière’s reasoning could also be applied to

photography,andIapplyithere,asphotographyisalsoaperformativeactwithinthefieldof

thearts.

Roslerarguesthat, iftheoppressoristhe“system”,thenweareall“victims”andthereisno

pointin“raisingawareness”abouttheissueifnothingcanobjectivelybedoneaboutit(Rosler,

2001:223).Asexemplifiedabove, Iaffirmthat there is something thatcanbedoneand, like

everythingelsethathasfacedchangesregardinglegislationandpublicopinion(likeslavery,for

instance), this will start from the “awareness” and individual reflections about an issue

someone(e.g.journalists)hasaddressedtosomeoneelse(e.g.newspaperreaders).

In the end, I doubt whether Rosler really believes photography has no power before its

viewers, as she writes in the end of her article Post-documentary, post-photography? –

(almost) entirely focused on criticising documentary photography and proving that

photographycannotultimatelychangeanything:

“[…]So,whycontinuetodefenddocumentary?Theshortanswer is,becauseweneed it,

andbecauseit likelywilltocontinuewithorwithoutartworldtheorizing.Asthedivision

widensbetweenrichandpoorintheUnitedStatesandelsewhere(andasartpracticesare

institutionalizedandacademicized), there is less and less serious analysis of the lives of

thoseonthewrongsideofthegreatdivide.Myunderstandingofpostmodernismdoesnot

extendtotheideaofaworldwithnocoherentexplanationofdifferentialsocialpoweror

advocacy of ways to right the imbalance. Explanation and advocacy are still viable in

relationtophotography,asinpurelyword-basedjournalism.Documentary’sbestcourse,

it seems tome, is to provide a balance between observing the situation of others and

expressing one’s own point of view – which ought to include some form of analytic

framework identifying social causes and proposing remedies 86 . In pursuit of this,

86Myemphasis:underlined.

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documentary will continue to negotiate between sensationalism on the one hand and

instrumentalismontheother.”(Rosler,2001:240)

Controversies aside, I am tempted to say that Rosler’s final considerations in her paper

(underlinedabove)tallywithwhatmyresearchhassought,i.e.Iblendmyviewswiththeones

of riversidedwellers (mysubjects) inorder toprovideamoreprofoundscene regarding the

negativeimpactofdams,itscomplexity,itsscope,itsroots,andalsotosignpostapathforthe

“solution”87ofthiscontentiousmatter—i.e.energy.

Somehow related to Rosler’s critique, in 2003 American writer Susan Sontag (whose

production grounds much of Photographic theory) argued that only people who could

effectivelyalleviateorlearnfromsomeoneelse’sexperienceofsufferingshouldbeallowedto

look at images that depict pain. The rest of the viewers would consist of voyeurs—as they

couldnottruly imaginewhat it is like,asthatpainwouldnotconcernthem(Sontag,2003). I

argue that images that speak out conditions that cannot be acceptedmust continue to be

addressedto(andreach)allofus,asweallcanlearnfromthem.Eveniftheyareunpleasantto

look at, they reclaim their word andmake it bold to all who in fact should not allow such

situationstobekeptveiled:allofus.AndIgofurtherandstatethateachoneofuscannotonly

learnfromthosevisualstoriesbutcontributetothealleviationofsuchunacceptablesuffering

too,i.e.cancontributetochangesinagendas,asillustratedaboveandinChapterThree(along

with my considerations on the “responsibilities” of the viewer, according to Azoulay’s civil

contract of photography, also in Chapter Three). Like Azoulay, photographer Jo Spence

believed that “photography should be informative”88, i.e. she believed in photography as a

political and emancipatory act, in the power of the image in the articulation of our society

(Palmer, 2017:90). I also add Susie Linfield’s (see footnote no. 85, for an introduction of

Linfield)andAnthonyLuvera’sperspectivestostrengthenmyargumentsonthissubject.

“[…]Anditisthecamera–thestillcamera,thefilmcamera,thevideocamera,andnow

thedigitalcamera–thathasdonesomuchtoglobalizeourconsciences;itisthecamera

thatbroughtusthetwentiethcentury’sbadnews.Todayitis,quitesimply,impossibleto

say,“Ididnotknow”:photographshaverobbedusofthealibiofignorance.Weknowof

suffering in far-flungpartsof theworld inways thatour forebearsnevercould,and the

87Whichhastodowiththeshiftintheperceptionandassessmentofwealth,wellbeing,nature,anddevelopment,asexplainedinChapterThree.88 Statement that stands out on the biography page of the official website dedicated to her work:http://www.jospence.org/biography.html

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imageswesee–insomeplace,undersomeconditions–demandnotjustourinterestbut

ourresponse.[…]”(Linfield,2012:46)

“(…) [on his collaborative work with people who have experienced homelessness in

differentpartsof theUK,whichtheAssistedSelf-Portraits seriesareapartof]Certainly

part of the intention was to shake up negative preconceptions of homelessness. In my

broader practice, I’m interested in thinking about the role of photography in culture

shifting,inkindofbeingpartofredefiningconsciousnessaboutissues,topics,people,and

places.”(Luvera,2017)89

Together, Azoulay, Spence, Linfield, and Luvera understand photography as an agency for

knowledge and change and, as such, photographers should keep on making them and

everyoneshouldlookatthemtoo.

In this regard, Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar, whose body of work is strongly political and

provocative, asserts that is the duty of the artist to seek to better understand how things

operateinoursocietyandusetheartwork(inhiscase,thevisualartwork)toshowthistothe

audience.Whenspeakingaboutourcapacity,ashumanbeings,ofunderstandingthingsbetter

bymeansofstimuli(whichincludesimage-basedstimuli)thatreachus,hestates:

“[…]Weare,afterall,theresultofallthestimuliwereceive.Themorestimuliwereceive,

themorecompleteourvision.Howcan I comprehendanything if Ionlyknowhalfof the

story? Perhaps the true enemy of our intellect is apathy. Indifference. Aswe defeat our

apathy,weexpandoursearchanddiscoverplaces,mentalplaces,intellectualplaceswhere

we have never been, that we didn’t even know existed. […]” (Alfredo Jaar, Untitled

(handshake),1985)

Jaar focuses his speech on artists (and I think ofmyself, as I wasmotivated to do this PhD

becauseofapreviousawarenessIhadaboutthenegativeimpactofdams,whichhappenedasa

result of various stimuli I received, amongst them, images too), but I consider his reasoning

extends to all of us—who, in the era of digital images, mobile phone cameras, and online

communication,areallmakersandviewersintheend.

89FortheentireinterviewIundertookwithAnthonyLuvera,seeAppendix6.

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5.5QuestionIV–Theviewers’“take”onthework

IfIbelieveintheroleofphotographyinadvocacyandknowledge,andinthebeholderasalso

a protagonist of the act of Photography (in consonance with Jaar’s, Azoulay’s, Linfield’s,

Luvera’s and Spence’s discourses): as a result, when conceiving and arranging narratives, I

neededtoconsiderwhatimpactthisworkmighthaveonviewers.

Supportedbymyconsiderationsonthepotentialeffectofthisworkon“spectators”,according

toRancière’sviewoutlined in theprevioussectionof thisChapter,myexpectationsare that

thiswork can somehow touch andbe absorbedby thosewho come to see it;who, in their

turn, can perhaps resonate it with their own experienced nuances, extending its reach to

otherstoo.Bearingthis inmind, there isalsoaconcernonmypart (ascited intheprevious

sectiontoo)thatthework,intheend,goesunnoticedanddoesnothavetheeffectonpeopleI

hope it does. Aware that reactions to a visual artswork are quite personal, thus these still

incipientexperiences cannotunderpinany formal assessmentof theactual effect this visual

narrative might have in the broader public, I considered using some feedback from small

numbersofpeoplewhoalreadyhadaccesstothisworkindifferentsituations,asIbelievethis

canhelptoexploreitspotentialimpactontheaudience.Mostoftheseresponseshavebeen

positive,withpeoplesayinghowimportantitistoraiseawarenessofunrecognisedissues,and

how effective the imagery presentedwas as ameans to this end (e.g. one student started

using this work as an example of the purpose of photography). A Brazilian designer and

lectureradmittedthatshehadnotrealisedjusthownegativetheimpactofdamscouldbeand

decidedtojointhisprojectbyofferingtohelpmewiththedesignofthebookcontainingthis

research;workingwithlocalassistantsgottheminvolvedwiththeissueintheirownarea,and

a producer texted praise of the video Costs, while two other viewers commented: “it gives

voicetothosepeoplewhohadtheir liveschanged, it takesthepointof theenvironment, the

fauna… I’mdeeplymovedby it…”and“the important thingabout thiswork tome is that it

makesusthinkabouthowmuchwedonotknowaboutriversandhowwehaveoverlooked

them.”

Willthesetestimonialsofviewersbeturnedintoanypracticalactionagainsttheimpoundment

ofrivers?Probablynot.However,theirperceptionsofdams,hydroschemes,andthe“green

andsustainable”havesomehowbeenshakenand,aspublicopinionaboutagivensubject is

revised,thiscanultimatelyleadtoanactualchangeinthefuture—evenifitsoriginallinkwith

imagesishardtotrack,asremindedMeiselas(seeChapterThree,p.140).

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5.6QuestionV–Assemblingthenarrative

Once before the mass of information, images90, feelings, and sensations I have collected

together with participants (and also experienced myself) along my field works, as well as

consideringthedatabuiltupfromtheliteratureIhaveconsulted,Ihadtofindawaytomake

thework communicate in a powerful andeffectivewaywhat I hadproposed it todo:what

hydropowerschemeshavemeantforthosewhohavelivedbothwiththeriverineenvironment

and the effects of the dams;where the costs of hydropower lie in. Carefully analysingmy

materialandalsoreflectingonSusanMeiselas’,JimGoldberg’s,AnthonyLuvera’s,andSharon

Lockhart’s approaches already discussed throughout this thesis, I understood that, as the

negativeimpactsofdamsusuallyoperateinamulti-layeredandcomplexfashion,(and,totell

complex stories, one sometimes needs to explore perspectives that go beyond that of the

photographersolelyproducingimageshimself/herself,asMeiselas,Goldberg,andLuverahave

done in theirworks), I shoulduse themyriadof “sources” I gained topresent this practice-

basedwork.

Weavingpartsofmycollaborators’speech(aswellassomeofmyownsensibilitiesaboutour

encounter)togetherwiththeirportrait(whichtheyconceivedandco-directedbasedontheir

ownexperiencesregardingthedamproject)andanyfurthermaterial,ifany,whenavailable91

(like vernacular image, drawing, instant film, advertisement piece, map, or my own

photographs), could potentially make these wounds accessible to the audience. The text

(whichwould consist of amixof the sitter’s andmyowndiscourses, e.g. excerpts from the

interviewalongwithmyown reflectionsonour collaboration)wouldprovide to theviewers

the ground fromwhich the portrait they look at emerged as well as the context for other

images depicted within the same piece (which, in their turn, would expand the beholder’s

understanding about the whole story portrayed). These components containing relevant

information about every “subject” (portrait, text, and instant film, for instance) would be

arranged as storyboard-like panels (Fig. 5.20), where each piece of each (complementary)

storywouldbeassembledtoformastrongnarrative.

90Altogether this research generated 12,950 photographs and 153 hours of recorded files (video and audiorecordings).91AsIhavealreadydemonstratednotonlypreviouslyinthischapterbutalsoinChapterThree.

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FIGURE5.20.Storyboard-likepanel forMarinêsNicolli’s (a), JoãoEvangelista’s (b),andLuiz’s

(c)stories.Paneldesign.

(a)ThispiececonsistsoftheportraitofMarinêsNicolli juxtaposedwiththephotographshetook(Thevisionofthesun—instantfilm),alongwithanexcerptfromherinterview,whereshespeaksabouttheimpact theGarabidammighthaveonherandher children’s lives (at thecentre-bottom)and textualexplanationontherationalebehindherdecisiontophotographthesun(left).ForMarinêsNicolli’sstory,seep.231-232and261.Thefull-scaleversionofthepanelwaspresentedinthevivashow.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarinêsNicollidosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2017

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(b)ThispiecesetsoutthesequenceofportraitsofJoãoEvangelista,as,atsomepointintheshoot,heproposedtoperformascominginfromtheharvest(hisfocusforhisportraitwastohighlightthefertilesoil he and his family have lost since they moved from the riverside due to the Sobradinho dam).Throughhisdrawing, JoãoEvangelistaalsomakesaccessible tous,viewers,hismemoryofhis formerplace of living and how he perceived the landscape along the riverbank, before the dam. Both hisportraitandhisdrawingspeakaboutmatters thataremissed,erasedby thedam; thenbothdrawingandphotographsarepresentedinthesamepiece,alongwiththeexplanatorytext.ForJoãoEvangelista’sstory,seep.220-221,andChapterTwo,p.97.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JoãoEvangelistadoEspíritoSantoandMarileneRibeiro2018

289

(c)ThispiecepresentsLuiz’sportraitand,ashisdiscourse(textbelowhisportrait)isstronglyembeddedin thematters of heritage and legacy, vernacular images retrieved from his personal archive (whichportraytheattachmentofLuiz’shistorytotheriverineenvironmentandtheland)arejuxtaposedtoit.ForLuiz’sstory,seep.260and279-280.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©LuizWeberyandMarileneRibeiro2018

Theuseof text to insure theaudiencehasaccess to thecontextwithinwhere to“read” the

imagesthatarepresentedtothemisnotasingularityofthisPhDprojectbutratherastrategy

largelyemployedbydocumentariansovertime,e.g.WalkerEvans(Letusnowpraisefamous

men,1941),AlfredoJaar (TheeyesofGuteteEmerita,1996),MathieuAsselin (Monsanto–a

photographicinvestigation,2017),and,particularly,SusanMeiselasinherworksIsurveyedin

this thesis: Kurdistan - in the shadow of History (1998/2008) and Encounters with the Dani

(2003). This reliance on accompanying words in documentary photography as a way to

carefully frame the work to its viewers is noted by acclaimed writer MaryWarner Marien

(Marien, 2010:420-422), whose focus of work has been documentary photography:

“Photographswerenotexpectedtostandontheirown,presumablycommunicatingtoviewers

inauniversalvisuallanguage.”(Marien,2010:421).

Also,whenrelevant,thesequenceofimagesagivenparticipantandIworkedonalongsidethe

290

photoshoot isacknowledgedinthisdisplaydesign(something likewhatLockhartsetupand

presentedviewers inherApeú-SalvadorPortraits series), as Ibelieve that,asviewersaccess

theentiresequence,theycanperceivehowtheconceptforthatgivenportraitaswellasthe

photographer-photographed person relationship evolved along the “event of photography”

(seeFig.5.20b,andFig.5.22).

Thinking about all the precious material this PhD had generated (both in terms of image,

testimonial,knowledge,history,andarchive)andthat it consistedofasubstantialamount, I

considered organising a photobook, as this could also be a suitable way tomake thework

achieve its aims. Apart from being able to include and present more information to the

beholder, and at a pace driven by the latter, books do not have the same space and time

constrainsasanexhibitioninaphysicalsite—abookcanreachanycountryatanytime.Abook

proposes longevity for the project in a way that an exhibition cannot. On the other hand,

physicalexhibitionsitesenablepossibilitiesof scale,architecturedesign,andprintquality to

beexplored.Thenthephotobookandtheexhibitionwouldholdcomplementaryfunctionsin

involvingtheviewerinthestorythatistoldinthiswork.

Thedesignforthebookhasbeenalsoachallenge,especiallybecausetheamountoftexttofit

inissubstantial(asIamdealingwithacomplexsubjectofinquiry,asstatedaboveandalsoset

out inChapters One, Two, Three, and Four) and there are numerous possibilities to inter-

relatethevisualandtextualinformationgathered.LikewisetheshortvideoCosts(seep.240-

241), thebookalsoaimedtobemore lyrical.Concerning thebook, twocoredecisionswere

thenmade:

1) dividingthebookintochaptersthatwouldcorrespondtoevery“territory”revealedby

theresearcher-researchedencountersandexploredintheportraitsjointlymade(see

p. 243-266). This made more sense to me than organising it according to the

geographical sites covered, as these named “territories” ultimately stand for the

intangiblecostsofhydropower–whatthisresearchproposestoaccess,explore,and

present–andarealsointerconnected(Fig.5.21);

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FIGURE5.21.Bookchapters–Mapof theTerritoriesof Losses.Bookdummy forbook.Page

spread.

ORIGINALINCOLOURDesign©AnaLuisaMenezes2018

2) grouping information as individual dossiers that contain, each, all the relevant

information regarding a given collaborator (which followed the same rationale

previously presented for the pieces for exhibition purposes), then every participant

featured in the book would have a space for her/his story to be developed and

resolved(Fig.5.22).Asthereaderaccessessitters’perspectivesonthedamviatheir

dossiers, one after another, her/his understanding of each aspect of it (e.g. loss of

subsistence, disruption of ecological processes, family and community bonds,

destruction of the sense of identity and belonging, silencing and infringements of

rights, war) scale and the actual dimension of the impacts of hydropower can be

revealed.

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FIGURE5.22.Nelci’sdossierinafolder-likeformat.Bookdummyforbook.Fifteensequential

pagesincludingdossiercover(below–top)andlastpage(p.294,bottom,pagespread).

293

294

AsNelcimentioninherinterview(text)herfeelingofanxietyaboutanyaeroplanesheseesflyingoverherplace,wonderingifthisisthecompanyresumingtheGarabiproject,IconsidereditappropriatetoaddtoNelci’sdossiertheflightmapthelatterhad,infact,previouslyusedtosurveythatareaoftheUruguayRiver,asthiswaspartofherstoryandfeelingsabouttheGarabidam.ForotherdetailsonNelci’sstory,seeChapterThree,p.161-164.ORIGINALINCOLOURDesign©AnaLuisaMenezesandMarileneRibeiro2018

Images of the book dummy in its full length can be found in theDVD attached to the back

coverofthisthesis(Appendix10).

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Forthevivashow,thenarrativewasconstructedbymeansofaninstallationwhichaimednot

only to setout theprocessof gatheringandassemblingpieces, andexchangingexperiences

thatconsistedthisresearchbutalsotoputindialogueallthesepiecesofthe“puzzle”sothat

thevisitorcould“read”thestoryof the impactof thedams.The installationcomprisednine

storyboard-like panels, thematerial gathered from the field work (like the actual drawings,

poem,videosandinstantfilmsshotbyparticipants,advertisepiecefromthedeveloper,etc..),

amapportrayingthegeographicsitesofthethreehydroschemessurveyed,factsheetwhich

provided basic information concerning the three dam projects, the book dummy, and the

short-videoCosts.Thepanelsfeatured110x160cmeachandwerearrangedonthewallina

sequencethatwasguidedbyboththeTerritoriesofLosses,theaesthetics(i.e.thebalanceof

colours and shapes of every portrait), and the atmosphere that involved themaking of the

portraits (ranging frommore straightforward statements, to more sentimental testimonials

regarding family, identity,belongingand subsistence, andcatharsis andprotest).Oneof the

panelsdoesnotfeatureapersonbutalandscape(oneoftheislandsthatweresubmergedasa

consequenceof thedammingof the riverdownstream): thispanelwaspositionedasall the

othereightones–whichdepicttheparticipants(i.e.theaffectedcommunities)–hadtofaceit,

hadtofacethedesolatelandscape,theunbearableconsequenceofthedam.Thispanelalso

worksasabridgebetweenthespacewherethevideoCosts (which ismainlyfocusedonthe

landscape) isscreenedandthespacewheretheportraits (whichconcentrateonthepeople)

are set out. The objects cited abovewere set up on plinths, enabling the visitor to see the

actual/concrete material (drawing, instant film, poem, etc.) that were used to shape the

narrative, and bringing about information that complements the stories presented on the

panelsand/or in thevideoCosts. ThevideoCostswas setup so that the soundcould travel

throughtheentireexhibitionspaceandechoestheriverinevoicesandsoundsamidstallother

materialshown–i.e.thestoryboard-likepanels,drawings,etc.(Fig.5.23).

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FIGURE5.23.Imagesfromthevivashow.Installationview.

MoreimagescanbefoundinAppendix10.ORIGINALINCOLOUR©MarileneRibeiro2018

297

Oncecompleted,what Ibelieve tobe themostchallengingpoint (andmany times themost

frustratingone)withregardtoeveryart/photographicwork,particularlythoseoneswhichaim

totacklebigsocial,political,orenvironmentalissuesand“demandaction”,havetobefaced:

howtomakethisworkreachtheaudience92.EventhoughIamawarethatthisisastagethat

extendsbeyondthetimeframeforthisPhD,Iconsideredmakingsomepointsaboutit,asitis

animportantmatterinmypractice.

5.7QuestionVI–Gettingtheworkoutintheworld

Ihaveassembledtogetherwithmycollaboratorsstoriesthatintendnotonlytosetupavisual

narrative on the negative impacts of hydroelectric power but also to engage those affected

concerningtheir roleasvoices for theseconcealedtensionstosurfaceaswellasvoices that

reclaimHumanRightsandtheRightsofNature,andchallengeourunderstandingofdamsand

the global energypolicy agenda.As such, it is imperative that thiswork gains at least some

publicrecognition.Intheirbookdedicatedtoreflectingonanddiscussingresearchinthefield

of Photography, photographers and researchers Anna Fox and Natasha Caruana stress the

importance of making the photographic work reach the audience so that the research can

have actual impact, “as methods of communication and dissemination of ideas play an

important role in conveying new knowledge and debate” (Fox and Caruana, 2012:143).

Notably, as this PhD work involves many subjects that cross each other (energy policies,

internationalaffairs,economy,development,publicopinion,naturalresources,riversystems,

biology conservation, social sciences, etc.), I understand that,more than reachingabroader

audience, it requires strategies to make it available to “multiple” audiences, as Anthony

Luvera93(2017)explains,whentalkingabouthiscollaborativeworks:

“[…]Whenwe’re talkingaboutaudiences forawork that is socially-engaged, I think it’s

reallyimportanttobequitespecificaroundthinking,well:therearepolicy-makers?There

are people involved in influencing debates and thinking around the issue? There is the

everyday public? And people within the everyday public come from different parts of

society,wecomefromdifferentpartsofthecity,orthecountry. […] Ithinkthat,forme,

it’snotsomuchaboutbroadaudiences,it’saboutmultipleaudiences:thinkingaboutvery

specificplacesfortheworktobeseeinginawaythatwillenablemanydifferenttypesof92Issue that Martha Rosler had also stressed, back in 2001, and, despite the advantage of the Internet, is stillconsideredabottleneckforsocialdocumentaryphotography.93FortheentireinterviewIundertookwithAnthonyLuvera,seeAppendix6.

298

individualsandpeoplefromdifferentsectionsorplaceswithinthesocietytothinkabout

thework.”

In this respect, I intend to find ways, and look for opportunities, that can make this work

accessible to as broad an audience (and “multiple”, as Luvera has noted) as possible, then,

reaching groups with distinct backgrounds, even outside the art, social movement, and

biological science communities.Byalsobeingopen topossibilitiesother than thatof formal

spacesofexhibition(butalsonotdenyingthelatter,asIamfocusedonmultipleaudiences,as

alreadyaddressed),Ibelievetheworkmighteventuallybeseen(and“heard”).Crucially,above

seeking for diverse upfronts to spread the outcomes of this project, ethical and moral

principles guide my decisions of where to go, as this is the sort of work that cannot be

exhibitedinorpromotedbyvenuesandinstitutionsassociatedwiththedambuildingindustry.

Imakesurethateverypossibilitythatrises(andmightrise inthefuture) iscarefullythought

about as well as subsequently discussed with the MAB94before carrying on, I see in this

initiativeIhadmyselfawaytopreventthattheworkcanbemisleading,toprotectparticipants

fromexploitation,andtorespectmyownideologiestoo.

AlthoughIamfarfromconsideringthisenoughandawarethatmuchmoreneedstobedone

inorderforthepublictogettoknowthisproject,sofarthisPhDworkhasbeenawardedthe

CNPq PhD scholarship (2014), the Royal Photographic Society Awards (2014), has been

shortlistedfortheMarilynStaffordFotoReportageAward(2017),andselectedfortheCircuito

Penedo de Cinema (2018). It has been featured in the Royal Photographic Society Journal

(2015), intheWorldSocialForum–PreparatoryMeeting(2016),onthePhotoworkswebsite

(2016),intheLishuiInternationalPhotographyFestival(2016),intheSomaticShifts:TheBody

andBeyond in Creative andCritical Research –Research Student Conference and Exhibition

(2017), in the Fast Forward2: International Network Researching Women in Photography

(2017), and in the Alternative World Water Forum (2018). Amnesty International’s

headquartersinLondonhostedsomestoryboard-likepanelsandanartisttalkonthisproject,

inJuly.Someoftheinterviewsandliteraturereviewdoneforthisresearchwillalsobepartof

the text book Voices of Latin America, to be published by January 2019. Dialogue with

Greenpeace for this project to be disseminated in its channels as well as negotiationswith

institutionsbasedinthemajorcityoftheSobradinhodamareaforanexhibitionandeventon

94WhichhashistoricallyworkedcollectivelyagainstthedamindustryandforthoseaffectedbytheseventuresandwhichhassupportedthisPhDresearchsinceitsearlystages,asmywish(asalreadyexplainedinChaptersOneandTwo).

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thisworktotakeplacearealsooncourse.Aftercompletion,Ihopetogainmoreexposurefor

thework,soastoraiseawarenessfurther.

Still concerning the subject of getting the work out in the public realm and taking the

outcomesofthisPhDbeyond,Iaimtogobacktothelocalcommunitiesthattookpartinthis

project. Iwant localfamiliesnotonlytoexperiencetheoutcomesofourcooperativework—

andtohaveaccesstowhatothercommunitiesthatalsoparticipatedinthisworkproduced—

butalsotodiscusstheirimpressionsandfeelingsregardingthisPhDproject.Oncethere,Ialso

intend that we collectively assemble proposals that push decision-makers and society as a

whole towards anagenda that in fact engageswithenvironmental conservationandhuman

rights.Paralleltothis,Iwillbealsolookingformeanstopublishthebook,toexhibitthework

indifferent spaces, and to raise funds tobuildanonlineplatform that canhost theproject,

makingallthematerialgeneratedbythispractice-basedresearchavailabletothewiderpublic

andfunctioningasanarchivetoo.Besidesthis,ImakethematerialbuiltviathisPhDresearch

availablefortheMABandothersocialmovementsandinstitutionsthatsupportedthisproject,

liketheXinguVivoparaSempreMovement(MXVPS)andtheInstitutoSocioambiental(ISA),to

use it for their own aims (which ultimately tallywithwhatmotivatedme to undertake this

PhD).

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BLANK

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ConclusionsandContributionstoKnowledge

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“(…) I would rather risk failing in trying to

share this information with my audience

instead of condemning to the invisibility

theserealities.(…)”

(AlfredoJaar,2013,min29:51)

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Conclusions

Throughout this thesis, Ihavedemonstratedthat themethodsapplied in thispractice-based

researchworkedasapowerfulwaytobuildupknowledgeandcreateasociallyrelevantand

visuallyeffectivework.Aspractitionersof the fieldofphotographySusanMeiselas,Anthony

Luvera, Jim Goldberg, and Sharon Lockhart have signposted, by means of their ground-

breaking approaches in faceof the traditionalmethodsof documentarypractices,modesof

working thatembrace collaborationwith the subjectportrayedandwelcomeothermaterial

apartfromthephotographsmadebythephotographerher/himselftoassemblethestoryto

be told can have a strong effect in visual storytelling. As stressed by scholars from Social

Sciences,likeanthropologistCarolynFluehr-Lobban(2008),collaborationwiththe“subject”(in

this case, the subjects depicted in the photographs made) can better retrieve and shape

information about the theme the researcher seeks to understand and articulate to her/his

interlocutors. This thesis has managed to highlight how involving in the process of making

thosewhosestoriesthephotographeraimstotellcancontributetoamoreconsistent,ethical,

andreliableoutcome.Byengagingthephotographerandthephotographedpersoninajoint

worktoconstructimagesthataimtoarticulatetotheirviewersthesortsofimpactsdamshave

caused, particularly those related to things that monetary and/or objective means cannot

tackle,thisresearchhasalsoreinforcedthepoliticalattributesofphotographyanditscapacity

offunctioningasamediatortocommunicateintangiblematters.

The resultant photographs are poignant because they are embedded in both the aesthetics

andthe“political”.Thatis,thetrainedphotographeremploysherknowledgeonhowtobest

usetheapparatustoproperlyputindialogueandarrangethecomponentswithintheframe,

and,atthesametime,thesitter/collaboratorandthephotographer jointlyarticulatehowto

makeuseofrepresentationtotransmittheirperceptions(which,intheend,concernboththe

structuresofpower insocietyand the reformulationofconcepts like thoseofdevelopment,

wealth,andwellbeing,i.e.concernRacière’sdissensus).Consequently,asdiscussedinChapter

Three, the mode in which these portraits are generated reinforces and testifies David Levi

Strauss’(2003),AriellaAzoulay’s(2008,2012),andJacquesRancière’s(2004,2010)arguments

thattheaestheticsandthepoliticalareentitiesinherentof(andintertwinedin)everyartwork:

they have to be considered together when the work is being scrutinized, instead of being

regardedasexclusivematters,whichiswhatartcriticshavetendedtodo.

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Fromtheconsiderationsabove,thisthesisalsodemonstratesthatacollaborativepracticethat

engages in hybridizing photographer’s and her “subjects’” perspectives within the act of

photography—creating, negotiating, and shaping together the (staged) image to be

photographed, enabling photographer and sitter to build upon each other’s knowledge,

exchangeemotions,interferein,andimproveeachone’slabourduringtheprocessofimage-

making—cangenerateanoriginaldocumentarywork.Thisresearchintroducesawayoftelling

a story that is distinct from that of traditional documentary practices or even that of

documentaryphotographyprojectsthatarerootedinparticipatorymethods(asdefinedinthe

Methodology).

Bringing to the foreground theactive roleof thedepicted subject in theactofphotography

(notasavictimbutasacitizenwhorefusesher/hisvoicebeingsilencedbywhatAzoulayand

Rancièrerefertoas“theregime”)andalsoreflectingonthecommitmentoftheviewer,once

before a photograph, this practice-based research has affirmed the political attributes of

photographyaswellasitsrelevanceinhowwe,society,understandthings.

Also, thewoundscausedbythehydroschemearenotstraight forwardlyaddressed in these

staged portraits made by the photographer and the sitter, rather, the audience needs to

interactwithothermaterialthatstandsalongwiththesejointly-madephotographs(liketheir

accompanying text) to get to know what these dam projects involve, then the portraits

resonate deeply. Consequently, this thesis also highlights the importance of other material

that accompanies a photograph (like text and other imagery) in signposting the context in

which the image shouldbe read:particularly concerning the relevanceof theaccompanying

text in the interpretation of a given image, as also emphasised by American writers Mary

WarnerMarien(Marien,2010)andRebeccaSolnit(Solnit,2010).

AsaddressedinChapterFive(p.289),Marien(2010:420-422)acknowledgestheemployment

of text by practitioners as a strategy to provide a framewithin which the audience should

considertheworkbeforethem(andphotographerSusanMeiselashasextensivelyusedthisin

her works). Rebecca Solnit (2010) also recognises the power the text attached to the

photographholdsinthisactofcommunication,yet,toalerthowcaptionscanguidetheimage-

readertowardsamisleadinginterpretationaboutthesubjectportrayed.Tothisregard,Abigail

Solomon-Godeau (1991:179-180, 183) andMartha Rosler (1981:162-163 and 183, 2001:217

and228)alsoexpresstheirconcernabouthowtheenvironment/sitewherethevisualworkis

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displayedinterferes in(andcan,eventually,distort) its interpretationbytheviewer.This isa

point that needs to be carefully considered in the next stage of this PhD project (i.e.

dissemination of the work produced) to not only attempt to prevent the work from being

undermined/misshaped but also to perceive sites and opportunities that, considering what

these given venues represent to society, can add to and strengthen the information my

collaboratorsandIareattemptingtosharewithouraudience.

Thisresearchhasalsorevealedthescopeofthedamagescausedbyhydroprojects,notonlyin

termsoftheirintensity,types,andrelevance,butalsowithregardtothecapacitytheseharms

have to resonate through time and geographic space. According to my collaborators’

testimonials,thenegativeimpactsofhydropowerplantscanreachasfaras700kmupstream

and400kmdownstreamofthesitewherethedamisbuilt.Thesenegativeeffectscanalsohit

theaffectedpopulation/areadecadesbeforethedaminfactstartstobebuiltandlastaslong

as 40 years after it. Moreover, these negative impacts can ramify and be amplified via a

cascade effect, spiralling out of control and eventually leading to further disastrous “side

effects”. These impacts through time, geographic space, and via cascade effect are

acknowledgedinthediagramIbuiltforthisthesisastheblueboxes(Fig.5.15,ChapterFive,p.

242). As these are complex phenomena that demand a laborious reasoning and/or long

sequence of events to explain them (particularly those driven by the cascade effect), the

groundwork for these findings, which is, again, based on what my encounters with my

collaboratorshavedisclosed,ispresentedasAppendix8–Demonstrationofthescopeofthe

damagecausedbyhydropowerplantprojects throughTime,SpaceandviaCascadeEffect.

These findings emphasise the pressing necessity for policy and decision makers to take

seriously both the locals’ perspectives and scientific publications in the areas of biology,

ecology, geography, and social sciences (which have also demonstrated how harmful hydro

power projects have been and can be in future), instead of having their decisions mainly

underpinnedbypoliticalandeconomicinterests.

Also, fromwhatmycollaboratorshaveexpressed,alongwithmyownexperiences, readings,

analyses, and reflectionsonmypractice, I articulatean inference regarding rivers anddams

which I present as part of my conclusions as: free-flowing rivers as biological and social

networksandthebreaking-bondeffectofdams.

Everyhumangroupthatlivesinclosecontactwiththenaturalworldperceivesthespacethey

occupy as amicrocosm comprised of themselves, other living beings that co-habit this site,

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legendsandlocalbeliefs,thetides,seasons,earth,water,rocks,andsenses(ViveirodeCastro,

1996, 2012;Gudynas, 2015:142). Notably in theAndean (Gudynas, ibid) and in theAmazon

(ViveirosdeCastro, ibid)regions,allthesethingscanswapplaces,e.g.ajaguarcanbeaman

andamancanbeajaguar,ahumanbeingcanbeturnedintoaplant,therunningwatercan

havehuman’stemper.ParticipantÉlio’swordsprovideaflavouronthispeculiarreasoning:

“[...]ThetimesIgottotheriveranditwasangry,Iknewitwasannoyedand,then,itwas

nothardformetowaituntilitwascalm,easyagain.[...]tosaytome,‘theriver,Icannot

gointhere,butI'llgoinanyway’.Noway![Iknow] it'sitstime,it’sangrynow.So,ifwe

analyzethings,natureisus,becauseyouknow,I’mnotwillingorwelleveryday.[...]”

ForthepeoplewhodwellontheriverbanksoftheXingu,forinstance,theXinguRiverisnota

waterchannel:itisanentity,somethinglikeadeitybut,atthesametime,somethingofwhich

theyareparttoo.

Another more complex example comprises the belief some Amazonian groups have in the

giantwaterlilyactuallybeinganindigenouswomanwhodrownedintheriverwhenshewas

tryingtograbthemoon(whichwasactuallyreflectedonthewater).Thesepeoplelookatthe

plantonthewateranddonotseeaplant,butratherapeerthatlivesinthewater.

Hence,fortraditionalcommunitiesthat livealongsidetherivers,thewholespacetheymove

throughandinhabitisunderstoodasthemselves(takeparticipantJumaXipaia’swordsinher

interviewtoo–ChapterFive,p.267).Consequently,whenadamblockstheriverandforces

thesepeople todealwithadrasticallydifferent landscape (eitherbecause theyhavehad to

moveorbecausethedamhasseverelyalteredtheecosystemtheyarestilllivingin),itactually

destabilisesthiscosmos.

Furthermore,onemightnotethatthecaseofdamsandhydropower isnotabout interfering

with a piece of land that is strictly located somewhere, but rather disrupting a continuum,

whichissomethingthatcannotbeconstrictedorlimitedwithinanyspacebutultimatelytothe

entireEarth (as, in theend,all riversareconnectedtothesea).Thiscontinuumrespondsto

the movement of physical and chemical substances (e.g. sand and nitrogen), and for the

movement and adaptations of aquatic and terrestrial species (i.e. for genetic diversity and

evolutional processes too). As this complex body (the river) flows, it intrinsically sustains all

these fluxesandconnections (someexamplesare shown in thepaleorangeboxes linkedby

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blacklinesinthediagrambuiltforthisthesis,Fig.5.15,ChapterFive,p.242).Fragmentingthis

body causes all theseother things (whichare supportedby it) to eventually collapse, asmy

participants havepointedout throughout thiswork via their discourse, feelings, object, and

locationchosenfortheirportraitandalsothroughtheirperformancestothecamera.Iargue

that, via the knowledge brought out throughmy collaborators during our joint labour, this

research shows that free-flowing rivers actually function as biological and social networks.

Consequently, interrupting its natural flow (as dams do) rips up all the bonds this dynamic

bodysustains.This,inturn,destabilisesthewholestructureandeventuallyleadstothemass

destructionmycollaboratorshaveengaged indemonstratingthroughthevisualstorytelling I

proposeasthisPhDwork.

Based on this reasoning, I argue that the damage hydropower inflicts on the whole

environment95reaches suchmagnitude because it operates via what I name “the breaking-

bondeffect”(displayedastheredcircleinthediagram,Fig.5.15).Thiscouldbedescribedas

an effect that is able to disrupt; to tear out the intangible threads that link the complex

systemsthattheriversustains.ToillustratethisIwillstartwiththesystemthatcomprisesthe

communityoffish:thissystemislinkedtosubsistenceliving(i.e.ahealthycommunityoffish

willmake food—fish—available for riverside dwellers). Getting food from the river and also

witnessingfishaliveintheriver,thesedwellersperceivetheriverassourceoflife,i.e.theriver

willbethatriver,forthesepeople,onlyifitfeaturesfishandthesepeopleinteractingthere.If

the river can no longer either provide fish or feature these people there, it is not a river

anymore, according to these peoples’ understanding of what a river is (according to the

reasoning in their community).Thedammingofa riverbreaks the linkbetween the running

waterand the fish,which leads to thedeathof fish,whichbreaks the linkbetween fishand

these local fishermen families, which destroys these people’s river, which breaks the link

between their understandingofwhat the river is and their understandingof their own self,

andsotheyfindthemselveswithouttheirkeyreferencesofidentity.

As a network, it is impracticable to describe the beginning and the end of this process of

ruptures triggered by the dam, because, as stated (and roughly illustrated in the diagram),

they are interconnected and ramified. Nonetheless, my collaborators, through their

experiences,guidedmetowardsthisnew,moreholisticformofunderstandingriversandthe

impactsofdams.

95Considering theenvironment as a composite that involves, apart fromother things, abiotic characteristics andspecies,includinghumanbeings,aswellasinteractionsbetweenthesecomponents.

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As such, the outcomes of this PhD research demand the “peripheral”96knowledge to be

considered to be as valuable as the academic, scientific, Cartesian way of producing

“arguments”.This“peripheralknowledge” isaknowledgethaturgesotherworldviewstobe

included in the process of policy and decision making, it is a knowledge that seeks for

intangiblematterstobemeasuredwithadifferentscaleinsteadoftheonethatisappliedto

measuremonetarythings;itisaknowledgethatcallsforfree-flowingriverstobetreatedasa

continuum living body wherein life and culture flourish and are perpetuated through it, as

subjectsofrightthatneedtoremainflowingforthecomplexandpreciousnettheysustainto

continue.

Originalcontributionstoknowledge

Demonstratingthenegativeimpactsofdams/hydropowerhasbeenconsideredabottleneckin

thefieldsofecology,socialsciences,andenergypoliciesduetotheintangiblenatureofmany

of its components. In 2001, when the Northern Irish writer Patrick McCully published the

secondeditionofhis classicbook,Silenced rivers: theecologyandpoliticsof largedams, he

describedhowpolicy-makerswereunable to consider some losses that a dam could trigger

whentheywerenotrelatedtothingsthatcouldbeobjectivelymeasured(McCully,2001:79).

Thirteenyearslater,whenprovidingananalysisontheimpactsofdams,withspecialinterest

intheeffectoftheseventuresinChina,PuWangandcolleagues(Wangetal.,2014)cameback

tothisproblemconcerningintangiblematters(whichtheyclassifiedasbelongingtoeitherthe

embodiedortherelationalwealth,asoutlinedinChapterOne):

“[…]Materialwealthiseasytounderstand,andthereforeitslossismostoftenequitably

compensated,orevenovercompensated.Butembodiedwealthandrelationalwealthare

generallyaffectedin indirectmanners,andthustheyaremoredifficulttorecognize […]”

(Wangetal.,2014:94)

96Namedhereasperipheralinordertostressthatthisknowledgerisesfromtheperipheryandnotfromthecentre,i.e.not fromstandardcentresofknowledge,whichhavebeenhistorically located ineitherEuropeor theUnitedStates, as noted by Boris Kossoy (2002c), Joan Fontcuberta (2002), and Boaventura de Souza Santos (2007).Consequently,theknowledgethis“centre”generatesisimpregnatedwithwaysofthinkingandunderstandingthatconcern people from the USA and Europe only, not considering, for instance, African, Andean, and Amazonianpeople’slogicandreasoning.

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The approach I chose to tackle this complex and contentious issue enabledme to disclose,

dissect, and hopefully make the essence and magnitude of the costs of hydropower more

intelligibleand“tangible”tobothspecialistsandnon-specialists.Thisapproachwasinspiredby

studieson transdisciplinarity (whoseoverviewwasmadeaccessibleby JayHillel Bernstein –

Bernstein, 2015) and also guided by my willingness to explore new possibilities within

documentarypractices. Byworking througha visual narrative jointly constructedwith those

whohave first-hand,personal,experienceofbothriversandhydroprojects, IhopethisPhD

makes the implications of these ventures for the whole environment (understood as the

riverine ecosystem including the people who inhabit it as one of its components) more

accessible to people as well as the role of these infrastructure schemes in the spheres of

power and, ultimately, in geopolitics. Despite being focused on Brazil, reflections raised

through this practice-based research may be expanded to other countries that have also

underpinnedtheiragendasonhydropoweranddams(likeIndiaandChina)andenrichdebates

onenergypolicies,development,wealth,wellbeing,andclimatechange.

ThisresearchalsorespondstoandtakesfurthertheclaimsbyscholarslikeArndSchneiderand

Christopher Wright (Schneider and Wright, 2010, 2013 – as set out in Chapter Two) for

practicesthatexplore inmoredepththepossibilities foranthropologicalandartistic toolsto

work together in order to produce stronger works in both the fields of the Arts and

Anthropology.

ThisPhDcomesupwithaninnovativepracticalapproachconcerningthewayoftellingstories

through visual means. It not only engages the researched (subjects of the images) in the

process of making but also blends the roles of photographer and subject, challenging

traditional documentary photography practices (as defined in the Introduction). Moreover,

thisresearch,bymeansofvisualstorytelling,presentsanewwaytounderstandandconsider

socio-politicalandenvironmental issues:fromtheperspectiveofthosewhohaveaprofound

knowledge about the subject of inquiry, yet whose voices have been undermined and/or

neglected.

As stated at the beginning of this thesis, dams have a long-term relationship with society,

prosperity, and destruction; hence, debates around the costs and benefits of them might

continue. What this thesis attempts to add into this discussion, instead, concerns a more

fundamentalmatter,thatrelatedtotheunderstandingofwhatarerivers.

310

Thatsaid,Ihopethisresearchcancontributetothedebatearounddocumentaryphotography

as well as to art practices in the twenty-first century. In the field of the Arts, I argue this

practice-based research reaffirms collaborative processes as new shapes in which art also

manifests, as this photography-based work addresses and intervenes in the arena where

society plays, through a true and mutual engagement of the photographer and the

“community”thisworkembraces:riverinepeople.

311

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Appendices

APPENDIX1

Structureoftheenvironmentalregulatoryframework

forhydropowerplantprojectsinBrazil

According to theBrazilian lawandregulations,anyactivity thatmight interfere inanarea,pollute,or

use natural resources must have its negative environmental and social impacts examined by a

governmentalagency (Lawno.6938/1981).Everyhydropowerplantproject thatmightgeneratemore

than 10 MW (installed capacity) must go through a process of environmental assessment that will

evaluateitsnegativeimpactsforthepurposeofapprovingitornot(CONAMAresolutionno.001/1986).

TheBrazilian Instituteof Environment andRenewableNatural Resources (InstitutoBrasileirodoMeio

Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis – IBAMA) is the governmental body that leads this

processwhenthehydroelectricstationfeaturesmorethan300MWofinstalledcapacityandeventually

signsoutordeniesthelicensesapplicantrequested(CONAMAresolutionno.237/1997).Thisframework

comprisesfourstagesasfollows:

1) Studiesandpublicconsultation(applicationfortheprocessoflicenses)–Applicantsubmitsthe

initial proposalwhich, amongotherparameters, specifies location-to-be and typeof activity(ies)

involved.IBAMAcreatesaReferenceTerm(TermodeReferência)basedonthespecificitiesofthis

initialproposalinordertoguideapplicantthroughthestudiesofviabilityshe/he/itmaydevelop.

FromtheReferenceTerm,theapplicantsetsupacompleteEnvironmental ImpactStudy(Estudo

deImpactoAmbiental–EIA)intheareathatwillbepotentiallyaffected,aswellasholdsapublic

consultation, wherein the proposed project and its consequent impacts are presented and

discussedwith citizens.During thepublic consultationpeoplemaymanifest theirwills regarding

theprojecttotheproponent’sspokesperson(s)aswellastotheIBAMA,andthismustbetakenas

a relevant point for the IBAMA’s decision to issue or not the first license – i.e. the Provisional

EnvironmentalLicense(LicençaPrévia);

2) LicençaPévia (ProvisionalEnvironmental License)– this is theLicense thatacknowledges the

feasibilityofthepresentedprojectanddemandsapplicanttoelaborateandsetoutforassessment

a detailed plan of compensation andmitigation actions – the Basic Environmental Plan (Plano

Básico Ambiental - PBA) – based on the negative impacts outlined in the EIA. Applicant is also

demanded to undertakemitigation and compensation actions that will prepare the area under

influenceof theproject to theworks– as theseactionsaremandatory for thenext stage tobe

approved and they are referred as “socio-environmental conditions” or “socio-environmental

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provisions”(condicionantessocioambientais)forthenextstagetotakeplace(inthiscase,forthe

LicenseforInstallation).Thislicensecanbevalidtoupuntil5yearsandmustbefollowedbythe

LicenseforInstallation;

3) LicençadeInstalação(LicenseforInstallation)–thisistheLicensethatacknowledgesthePBA

presentedandauthorizesapplicanttobuildthehydropowerplantaswellasproceedotherdam-

related works, like opening roads and assembling facilities for workers. This license is only

approvedwhetherapplicantaccomplishedthecompensationandmitigationsactionagreedtobe

implementedinthemeantimebetweentheapprovalofthePBAbytheIBAMAandtherequestfor

the License for Installation (what is referred, as mentioned above, as the conditions –

condicionantes-fortheLicenseforInstallationtobesigned).Thislicensecanbevalidtoupuntil6

yearsandmustbefollowedbytheLicenseforOperation;

4) LicençadeOperação (License forOperation)– this is theLicense thatauthorizesapplicant to

shut thedam sluices gates, fill the reservoir, and generate energy. This license is only approved

whether applicant accomplished the compensation and mitigations action agreed to be

implementedinthemeantimebetweentheapprovalofthePBAbytheIBAMAandtherequestfor

theLicenseforOperation(whatisalsoreferredastheconditions–condicionantes–fortheLicense

forOperationtobesigned).Thislicensecanbevalidtoupuntil10yearsandcanalsoberenewed,

asnamedintheinitialcontract(asusuallyhydropowerplantshavecontractsofaboutthirtyyears

foroperation),afteranewassessmentiscarriedoutbytheIBAMA.

Eachoneoftheselicensescanbesuspendedorcancelledatanytimeiftheapplicant(e.g.thecompany

or developer): (i) does not accomplish the mitigation/compensation actions agreed (the “socio-

environmental conditions” -condicionantes socioambientais), (ii) omits/misleads information required

for the process of assessment (e.g. on its Environmental Impact Study and/or on its subsequent

monitoring reports), (iii) if the project, at any point, starts to present noticeable risks for either the

environmentorhumanhealth.

TheNationalWaterAgency (AgênciaNacionaldeÁguas -ANA)mustbealsoconsultedandauthorize

theuseofthenaturalresource–i.e.theuseofthewater–forthepurposeofgeneratingenergyina

initialstageofthisprocessoflicenses(Lawno.9984/2000;MMA,2009:54).

In case the proposed project involves areas inhabited by indigenous people, the National Indian

Foundation (Fundação Nacional do Índio – FUNAI), Brazilian governmental agency that carries out

policies which concern indigenous people affairs and welfare, also leads this process of assessment,

discussionandapproval(MMA,2009:55).

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ReferencesCONAMA–ConselhoNacionaldoMeioAmbiente(1986)ResoluçãoCONAMAno.001.Brazil,January23,1986.CONAMA–ConselhoNacionaldoMeioAmbiente(1997)ResoluçãoCONAMAno.237.Brazil,December19,1997.Lawno.6938.Brazil,August31,1981.Lawno.9984.Brazil,June17,2000.MMA – Ministério do Meio Ambiente (2009) Programa Nacional de Capacitação de gestoresambientais:licenciamentoambiental.Brasília:MinistériodoMeioAmbiente.

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APPENDIX2

DeclarationofCuritiba:

AffirmingtheRighttoLifeandLivelihoodofPeopleAffectedbyDams

ApprovedattheFirstInternationalMeetingofPeopleAffectedbyDams,Curitiba,Brazil

March14,1997

We, the people from 20 countries gathered in Curitiba, Brazil, representing organizations of dam-

affectedpeopleandofopponentsofdestructivedams,havesharedourexperiencesof the losseswe

havesufferedandthethreatswe facebecauseofdams.Althoughourexperiences reflectourdiverse

cultural,social,politicalandenvironmentalrealities,ourstrugglesareone.

Our struggles are one because everywhere dams force people from their homes, submerge fertile

farmlands,forestsandsacredplaces,destroyfisheriesandsuppliesofcleanwater,andcausethesocial

andculturaldisintegrationandeconomicimpoverishmentofourcommunities.

Our struggles are one because everywhere there is a wide gulf between the economic and social

benefitspromisedbydambuildersandtherealityofwhathashappenedafterdamconstruction.Dams

have almost always cost more than was projected, even before including environmental and social

costs.Damshaveproducedlesselectricityandirrigatedlesslandthanwaspromised.Theyhavemade

floods evenmore destructive. Dams have benefited large landholders, agribusiness corporations and

speculators. They have dispossessed small farmers; rural workers; fishers; tribal, indigenous and

traditionalcommunities.

Ourstrugglesareonebecausewearefightingagainstsimilarpowerfulinterests,thesameinternational

lenders, the samemultilateral and bilateral aid and credit agencies, the same dam construction and

equipment companies, the same engineering and environmental consultants, and the same

corporationsinvolvedinheavilysubsidizedenergy-intensiveindustries.

Ourstrugglesareonebecauseeverywherethepeoplewhosuffermost fromdamsareexcludedfrom

decision-making. Decisions are instead taken by technocrats, politicians and business elites who

increasetheirownpowerandwealththroughbuildingdams.

Ourcommonstrugglesconvinceusthatit isbothnecessaryandpossibletobringanendtotheeraof

destructive dams. It is also both necessary and possible to implement alternative ways of providing

energyandmanagingourfreshwaterswhichareequitable,sustainableandeffective.

For this to happen, we demand genuine democracy which includes public participation and

transparency in the development and implementation of energy and water policies, along with the

decentralizationofpoliticalpowerandempowermentoflocalcommunities.Wemustreduceinequality

333

through measures including equitable access to land. We also insist on the inalienable rights of

communitiestocontrolandmanagetheirwater,land,forestsandotherresourcesandtherightofevery

persontoahealthyenvironment.

Wemustadvancetoasocietywherehumanbeingsandnaturearenolongerreducedtothelogicofthe

marketwhere theonlyvalue is thatof commoditiesand theonlygoalprofits.Wemustadvance toa

societywhich respects diversity, andwhich is based on equitable and just relations between people,

regionsandnations.

Oursharedexperienceshaveledustoagreethefollowing:

1. Werecognizeandendorsetheprinciplesofthe1992'NGOandSocialMovementsDeclaration

ofRiodeJaneiro'andthe1994'ManibeliDeclaration'onWorldBankfundingoflargedams.

2. Wewill oppose the construction of any damwhich has not been approved by the affected

peopleafteraninformedandparticipativedecision-makingprocess.

3. Wedemandthatgovernments, internationalagenciesandinvestors implementanimmediate

moratoriumonthebuildingoflargedamsuntil:

a) There isahalt toall formsofviolenceand intimidationagainstpeopleaffectedbydams

andorganizationsopposingdams.

b) Reparations,includingtheprovisionofadequateland,housingandsocialinfrastructure,be

negotiatedwiththemillionsofpeoplewhoselivelihoodshavealreadysufferedbecauseof

dams.

c) Actionsaretakentorestoreenvironmentsdamagedbydams-evenwhenthisrequiresthe

removalofthedams.

d) Territorial rights of indigenous, tribal, semi-tribal and traditional populations affectedby

dams are fully respected through providing them with territories which allow them to

regain their previous cultural and economic conditions - this again may require the

removalofthedams.

e) An international independent commission is established to conduct a comprehensive

reviewofall largedams financedorotherwise supportedby internationalaidandcredit

agencies, and its policy conclusions implemented. The establishment and procedures of

the review must be subject to the approval and monitoring of representatives of the

internationalmovementofpeopleaffectedbydams.

f) Eachnationalandregionalagencywhichhasfinancedorotherwisesupportedthebuilding

oflargedamshavecommissionedindependentcomprehensivereviewsofeachlargedam

project they have funded and implemented the policy conclusions of the reviews. The

reviews must be carried out with the participation of representatives of the affected

people'sorganizations.

g) Policies on energy and freshwater are implemented which encourage the use of

sustainable and appropriate technologies and management practices, using the

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contributionsofbothmodernscienceandtraditionalknowledge.Thesepoliciesneedalso

todiscouragewasteandoverconsumptionandguaranteeequitableaccesstothesebasic

needs.

4. Theprocessofprivatizationwhichisbeingimposedoncountriesinmanypartsoftheworldby

multilateral institutionsis increasingsocial,economicandpoliticalexclusionandinjustice.We

do not accept the claims that this process is a solution to corruption, inefficiency and other

problemsinthepowerandwatersectorswheretheseareunderthecontrolofthestate.Our

priority is democratic and effective public control and regulation of entities which provide

electricityandwaterinawaywhichguaranteestheneedsanddesiresofpeople.

5. Overtheyears,wehaveshownourgrowingpower.Wehaveoccupieddamsitesandoffices,

marched in our villages and cities, refused to leave our lands even though we have faced

intimidation, violence and drowning. We have unmasked the corruption, lies and false

promisesofthedamindustry.Nationallyandinternationallywehaveworkedinsolidaritywith

othersfightingagainstdestructivedevelopmentprojects,andtogetherwiththosefightingfor

humanrights,socialjustice,andanendtoenvironmentaldestruction.

Wearestrong,diverseandunitedandourcauseisjust.Wehavestoppeddestructivedamsandhave

forceddambuilderstorespectourrights.Wehavestoppeddamsinthepast,andwewillstopmorein

thefuture.

Wecommitourselvestointensifyingthefightagainstdestructivedams.FromthevillagesofIndia,Brazil

andLesothototheboardroomsofWashington,TokyoandLondon,wewillforcedambuilderstoaccept

ourdemands.

To reinforce our movement we will build and strengthen regional and international networks. To

symboliseourgrowingunity,wedeclarethat14March,theBrazilianDayofStrugglesAgainstDams,will

fromnowonbecometheInternationalDayofActionAgainstDamsandforRivers,Water,andLife.

Águasparaavida,nãoparaamorte!

¡Aguasparalavida,noparalamuerte!

Waterforlife,notfordeath!

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APPENDIX3

ResearchEthicsCommittee’sLetterofApprovaland

InformedConsentForm

ResearchEthicsCommittee’sLetterofApproval

Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro 7th October 2015 Dear Marilene Re: Research Ethics Application Thank you for submitting your updated application for research ethics approval. I can now confirm that your application for research ethics approval has been considered and approved. The Research Ethics Committee members considered your ethical self-evaluation for your proposed project and confirmed that the rationale and informed consent of the participants are well detailed and meet the criteria for approval. Overall attention to the Code of Practice has been carried out with due care and attention and does not, in itself, raise any substantive concerns. The Committee advises that as your project involves the handling of personal data it is essential that you familiarise yourself with the 8 Principles of the Data Protection Act. Please study the information at the following link which sets out the key definitions in the Act, and explains what they mean, and shows how they often relate to each other. http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/the_guide/principle_1.aspx You should discuss with your supervisor the logistics of securely generating, storing and processing data both electronically and in hardcopy to ensure there is no breach of the Data Protection Act. If you require any further information please don’t hesitate to contact me. Yours sincerely, Nino Nizharadze (presently on maternity leave) Research + Enterprise Manager (Staff Research) Professor Trevor Keeble Direct telephone: 01634 888662 Email: tkeeble@ucreative.ac.uk

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InformedConsentFormEnglishTranslation(Sobradinhodamarea)

Informed Consent Form for inhabitants of the Sobradinho dam area

Name of Investigator: Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro Name of Organization: University for the Creative Arts – Farnham, UK Name of Sponsor: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq/Brazil Name of Project: A photography-based inquiry into the impact of dams in Brazil This Informed Consent Form has two parts:

• Information Sheet (to share information about the study with you) • Certificate of Consent (for signatures if you choose to participate)

You will be given a copy of the full Informed Consent Form PART I: Information Sheet Introduction: I am Marilene Ribeiro and I am from Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais state). I have worked with subjects involving environment and people and my interests are grounded in not only understanding things and inquiring society’s points of view but also contributing for species conservation and people welfare. I am currently doing a research which might help decision makers and society as whole resize the negative impact of hydroelectricity. In this research I will talk to and photograph inhabitants of communities which were affected by the construction of dams for hydropower plants purposes, in Brazil. Then, this research depends on community dwellers participation and engagement, since the former will just be able to happen if people who have gone through the situation of compulsory displacement share one’s experience and thoughts with us. You are also eligible to participate even if it was not you but your antecessors who have experimented such situation. Photography will be used for this research because it is a good and strong way to present ideas to a wide audience, even those coming from different backgrounds and ideals. You will be encouraged to contribute to this research from the beginning to the end, in ways you think are more suitable to communicate your thoughts. You can be as creative as you wish. If you come across any word you do not understand, please ask me to stop as we go through the information and I will take time to explain. If you have questions later, you can ask them of me or of another person of our team. Purpose:

Thisisadirect translation fromtheoriginal InformedConsent,whichis inthePortugueselanguage.IwillnotbeusinganEnglishversioninmyresearch,exceptfortheappendicesofmythesis.

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Hydroelectricity has been mistakenly accepted as a “green energy” source regardless its harmful and irreversible consequences for both nature and human beings. However, the majority of world population simply ignores this fact. Government, infrastructure engineering companies and mass media fail to support the interests of both ecologists and people afflicted by the dam construction process. Thus I have proposed a research by means of participatory portraiture, i.e. guided by both local people and the local environment, since practices involving immediate affected people might expose a fairer dimension of the impact of dams. At the end, I expect to produce a written material discussing about the historic context of hydroelectricity in Brazil, the relationship between its socio-environmental impacts and our encounters, how photography and collaborative practice was used empower these subjects. Information, recorded audio, and images may also take part of exhibitions, magazines, journals, conferences and seminars, aiming to raise awareness on the negative impact of dams. All of these will be available for you to check out, use and comment on. All this material will also be available for the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) uses. Selection of Participants: I wish to talk to as many dwellers as who want to speak about their/their antecessors’ experience of displacement for the construction of Sobradinho’s dam to take place. That is the reason for you to be chosen to participate of this study. If you know someone else under such situation who might want to talk about it, you can also invite him/her to join us. Voluntary Participation: Participation in this study is voluntary, in other words, you can choose to say no. Procedure:You will be invited to sit for a portrait. For such portrait you will be asked to present an object which represents a remembrance of being displaced from your/your family former place of living due to the construction of Sobradinho’s dam. You will also be asked to choose the location(s) you wish such photo shoot takes place. Your relatives (son/daughter/ mother/father/grandmother/grandfather/cousins/nephew/niece, etc..) and also your friends can be depicted with you (or on your behalf) in your portrait, if you wish for. When you are ready, you will be photographed by the researcher and, after this very first shot, you will be asked to direct the next ones until you think the picture on the DSLR camera digital display is consistent enough to your idea of yourself, to your personal history as well as to the importance given to the object(s) you have chosen. During this process, we appreciate your explanation about your choices of angles, facial expressions, family and/or objects and/or background arrangements. You can talk to us about this or, if you prefer, you can draw, make notes, diagrams, sketches or whatever you think is helpful for clarifying your thoughts to us. We will keep these interventions of yours and we may record our dialogs in order to be analysed as part of the research process, afterwards. You will be invited to take part of all processes of analysis, when you will be encouraged to make suggestions as well as to participate of the decisions made by researcher team, in a collaborative basis. At anytime, you can claim for your photographs, interventions and dialog recording. Duration: We are asking you to take part of a photo shoot that will take about 1.30 hour of your time. We can do this outside of work hours. You will freely choose the location, how you will be dressed for the shoot as well as the way you wish to be be portrayed. There is also some information concerning your family’s displacement for Sobradinho’s dam to take place we wish you to share with us (your point of view and your/your relatives’ remembrances, the impact it had in your lives). Such sharing of information will be conducted as an informal chat instead, and it may be as long as you wish for. Risks and Discomforts:

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Since this research deals with issues concerning Brazilian government policies as well as community beliefs, there is a risk that you may feel uncomfortable talking about some topics. However, we do not wish for this to happen. You must know that you do not have to answer any question or take part in the discussion if you feel some questions are too personal or if talking about them makes you uncomfortable. Benefits: The immediate and direct benefit to you will be: having your family, remembrance objects, and place of living documented in a photograph form. But, more than it, your participation is likely to help us present participatory photography as a tool for dimensioning negative impacts of the construction of dams, for promoting alternative energy policies in Brazil than hydroelectricity as well as for providing a collaborative archive of images and written material from the afflicted by dams environment, in Brazil. Reimbursements: You will not be provided with any payment to take part in the research. However, all photographs and information related to this research will be available for you. Confidentiality: As a participatory research in photography, data are expected to be widely broadcasted. Then, if you wish to keep any information confidential (something that had been photographed, discussed or said during the encounter with the researcher), please, ask to the research team to do it so, at anytime. Sharing of Research Findings: At the end of the study, we will be sharing what we have learnt with the participants and with the community. We will do this by meeting first with the participants and then with the larger community. If we both agree that it is the case, photographs displaying you may be attributed to you by name. All material produced during this research (photographs, interventions, notes, recorded statements) may be presented in conferences, seminars, talks, journals, newspapers, exhibitions, magazines, trustworthy webpages (e.g. University’s webpage, the Movement of People Affected by Dams webpage, researcher personal webpage, Biotrópicos Institute’s webpage, The Royal Photographic Society’s webpage). All photographs and the written thesis/papers will also be available to all participants and communities surveyed. They can share the former with their families if they wish. We will also publish the results in order that other interested people may learn from our research. Researcher will be available to talk about her finds and present this research material whenever either community or the Movement of People Affected by Dams wishes. Use of likeness: According to Personality Rights Law, no photograph, video or audio depicting a person can be used against her/his own will. Then, once accepting to participate of this research, you agree you give your permission for present and future uses of the images/audio depicting you by researcher, University for the Creative Arts and the Movement of People Affected by Dams, as long as it does not expose you in a negative way. You also agree you are aware that the presentation forms named in this form does not have any infringement of copyright, right of publicity or any other claim related to the Likeness (collectively, “Claims”). Such uses include presenting your image/audio in conferences, seminars, talks, journals, newspapers, exhibitions, magazines, and trustworthy webpages (e.g. University for the Creative Arts’ webpage, the Movement of People Affected by Dams webpage, researcher personal webpage, Biotrópicos Institute’s webpage, The Royal Photographic Society’s webpage). You are also aware that you will not be provided with any payment regarding above-mentioned uses. If, at any time, the research material is used for profitable purposes, you will be contacted for authorization in advance of the use. In this special case you will also be informed of the amount that

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may be forwarded to you or to the Movement of People Affected by Dams (generally 25% of the total amount granted). Right to refuse or withdraw: This consent is voluntary. You may choose not taking part of this study. Choosing to participate or not will not affect you directly and indirectly. You may stop participating of the research at any time that you or wish without losing any of your rights here. Then, you can say No if you wish to, now or latter. Do you know that you can ask me questions later, if you wish to? Who to Contact: Then, if you have any questions you may ask them now or later, even after the study has started. If you wish to ask questions later, you may contact any of the following: - Marta: martaquilombola@hotmail.com -0055 74 88263482 - Marilene: mcardosoribeiro@gmail.com - 0044 7778808804 This proposal has been reviewed and approved by University for the Creative Arts’ Ethics Committee, which is a committee whose task it is to make sure that research participants are protected from harm. If you wish to find about more about the University for the Creative Arts’ Ethics Committee, contact: Tracy Crowther (e-mail: tcrowther@ucreative.ac.uk) 00441227 817342 - ext: 7342. PART II: Certificate of Consent Certificate of Consent: I have been invited to participate in this research study which will involve me being portrayed by researcher as well as taking part of research-related analyses, written papers, catalogues and exhibitions. I have been also informed that none of the above presentation will expose me in a negative way. I have read the foregoing information, or it has been read to me. I have had the opportunity to ask questions about it and any questions that I have asked have been answered to my satisfaction. I consent voluntarily to be a participant in this study. I understand I can withdraw at any time and all records of my participation will be destroyed. Name of Participant ________________________________________

Signature of Participant ___________________

Date ___________________________ Day/month/year If illiterate: I have witnessed the accurate reading of the consent form to the potential participant, and the individual has had the opportunity to ask questions. I confirm that the individual has given consent freely.

Name of witness______________________________ AND Thumb print of participant

Signature of witness ______________________

Date ________________________ Day/month/year

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Statement by the researcher/person taking consent: I have accurately read out the information sheet to the potential participant, and to the best of my ability made sure that the participant understands that the following will be done: 1. He/she will take part of a photo shoot; 2. Such photo shoot is part of an inquiry on the social end and environmental negative impacts regarding the construction of dams in Brazil; 3. Photographs, interventions, testimonials, and comments resulted from this encounter will be used as material for this research and its ends; 4. He/she is encouraged to participate as well as discuss about any topic he/she wishes at anytime with research team. I confirm that the participant was given an opportunity to ask questions about the study, and all the questions asked by the participant have been answered correctly and to the best of my ability. I confirm that the individual has not been coerced into giving consent, and the consent has been given freely and voluntarily. A copy of this Informed Consent Form has been provided to the participant.

Name of Researcher __________________________________________ Signature of researcher ________________________ Date _____________________ Day/month/year

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OriginalinPortuguese

1)Sobradinhodamarea

Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido Para habitantes da região da barragem de Sobradinho

Nome da pesquisadora: Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro Nome da Instituição de Ensino: University for the Creative Arts – Farnham, Reino Unido Nome do financiador: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) - Brasil Nome do Projeto: A photography-based inquiry into the impact of dams in Brazil (Uma investigação fotográfica sobre o impacto de barragens no Brasil) Este termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido tem duas partes:

• Parte I: Informações (para compartilhar informações sobre este estudo com você) • Parte II: Certificado (para assinaturas, se você aceitar participar desta pesquisa)

Você ficará com uma cópia deste documento e a pesquisadora com outra. PARTE I: INFORMAÇÕES Introdução:

Eu sou Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro e trabalho com assuntos que envolvem a relação entre as pessoas e o meio-ambiente. Meu interesse é contribuir para o bem-estar do ser humano e para a preservação das outras espécies e da natureza.

Minha atual pesquisa pode ajudar os tomadores de decisão e a sociedade como um todo a redimensionar os impactos negativos da hidroeletricidade. Nesta minha pesquisa, eu irei fotografar e conversar com os moradores de comunidades que foram afetados pela construção de represas para usinas hidrelétricas, no Brasil. Então, este estudo depende muito da participação e engajamento desses moradores, pois a pesquisa somente acontecerá se as famílias que tiveram de se mudar por causa da represa compartilharem suas experiências, pensamentos e sentimentos conosco.

Você pode participar dessa pesquisa mesmo que tenham sido seus pais e/ou avós que vivenciaram com maior intensidade essa situação.

Usaremos a fotografia nesta pesquisa porque acreditamos que ela é uma maneira eficiente e poderosa de apresentar conhecimento e ideias para muitas pessoas, independente da sua nacionalidade, idioma, educação e ideologia.

Você será encorajado a contribuir com esta pesquisa, desde início até o final, da maneira que você considere ser a mais adequada para comunicar seus pensamentos (você pode ser tão criativo quanto desejar).

Se, em qualquer momento, você se deparar com alguma palavra ou expressão que você não entenda ou tenha dúvida, por favor, peça que eu pare e pergunte-me. Será um prazer esclarecer isso para você.

Se você tiver qualquer pergunta para fazer, mesmo depois de assinar este documento, você também pode fazê-la para um membro da nossa equipe, a qualquer momento. Justificativa e objetivos: A hidroeletricidade tem sido equivocadamente aceita como uma “fonte limpa” de energia, mesmo com suas consequências danosas e irreversíveis para a natureza e os seres humanos. A maioria da população mundial simplesmente ignora esses efeitos negativos das barragens para hidrelétricas e os meios de comunicação, os governantes, as empresas de engenharia e as empreiteiras não são capazes de

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fornecer essas informações nem de suprir as demandas dos ecólogos, ecologistas e atingidos por barragens.

Por causa disso, eu propus esta pesquisa, que será um trabalho guiado tanto pelas pessoas que vivenciaram e vivenciam os efeitos da construção dessas barragens quanto pelo ambiente que as cerca. Eu acredito que assim poderei apresentar os impactos das barragens para hidrelétricas de forma mais justa.

Ao final desta pesquisa, eu espero produzir material tanto escrito quanto visual discutindo sobre: o contexto histórico da hidroeletricidade; a relação entre os impactos socio-ambientais das barragens para hidrelétrica e este nosso encontro; como a fotografia e a colaboração podem ser usadas para fortalecer os argumentos relativos ao assunto “impacto de barragens”.

Todas as informações, gravações de vídeo e de audio e fotografias desta pesquisa também podem fazer parte de encontros, conferências, congressos, palestras, oficinas, revistas, artigos, jornais, exposições e outras apresentações que tenham o objetivo de conscientizar as pessoas sobre os impactos negativos da construção dessas barragens.

Essas informações também estarão disponíveis para o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens e você conferirem, utilizarem e comentarem. Seleção dos participantes:

Nós gostaríamos de conversar com tantos moradores quanto os que desejarem falar sobre suas experiências em relação a ter de se mudar para que a represa de Sobradinho fosse construída e essa é a razão para você ter sido escolhido para participar deste estudo.

Caso você conheça outras pessoas que também passaram por essa situação, você tembém pode convidá-las e pedir que elas nos procurem. Participação voluntária:

A participação neste estudo é voluntária, ou seja, você não receberá nenhuma quantia em dinheiro para participar. Procedimentos: Você será convidado para posar para um retrato. Para tal, nós pediremos que você escolha um objeto que represente seu(s) sentimento(s) relativo à mudança no seu local de moradia, que aconteceu com a construção da barragem de Sobradinho. Nós também pediremos a você que escolha um local que você achar representativo desse sentimento, para fazermos o seu retrato. Seus parentes (filhos, companheira(o), pais, avós, primos, tios, etc..) e seus amigos também podem aparecer neste retrato, junto contigo ou no seu lugar, se você desejar. Quando você estiver pronto(a), você será fotografado(a) pela pesquisadora e, após essa primeira fotografia, a pesquisadora pedirá que você dirija os próximos retratos de você próprio até o momento que você considere que o retratato feito está da maneira que você julga ser a que melhor represente você, sua história pessoal e a importância desse objeto escolhido por você. Voce poderá verificar cada fotografia feita, olhando o display da câmera da pesquisadora. Suas explicações sobre as escolhas que você fizer relativas a: distância, expressão facial, objeto escolhido, maneira de apresentá-lo na fotografia, inclusão ou não de familiars/amigos, etc.. serão muito bem-vindas. Essas suas explicações podem ser faladas ou desenhadas ou esquematizadas ou escritas num papel ou exteriorizadas de outra forma que você julgar a melhor para expressar seus sentimentos. Nós também usaremos essas suas explicações como nosso material de pesquisa. Nós também gravaremos depoimentos seus, se você desejar falar um pouco mais sobre esse(s) seu(s) sentimento(s) relativo à mudança no seu local de moradia, que aconteceu com a construção da barragem de Sobradinho. Você será convidado a participar também das etapas posteriors da pesquisa (seleção de imagens, discussão dos achados, etc..) de uma maneira colaborativa. A qualquer momento, você pode solicitar cópia das fotografias, dos vídeos e áudios que contemplam você, bem como das informações que você forneceu por escrito e/ou desenho/esquema. Duração:

Como explicado acima, você fará parte de um ensaio fotográfico. Esse ensaio durará cerca de uma hora e meia (noventa minutos). Você escolherá o local, o horário, o que você usará para tal ensaio (roupas, acesssórios, etc..) e como quer aparecer nos retratos que faremos de você, junto com você.

Como também mencionado acima, nós gostaríamos que você compartilhasse conosco seu ponto de vista, suas opiniões, suas lembranças e/ou as lembranças de seus familiares sobre a mudança que você e seus familiares vivenciaram como consequência da construção ds barragem de Sobradinho. Essa nossa conversa pode durar o tempo que você desejar.

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Riscos e desconfortos:

Como esta é uma pesquisa que lida com temas relacionados a políticas públicas e também a pensamentos comunitários que podem ser divergentes; então, pode ser que você se sinta desconfortável para falar de certos assuntos, mesmo com todo o esforço da nossa equipe para que isso não aconteça. Você pode se negar a responder uma pergunta ou a falar sobre um assunto específico que surja durante nosso encotnro, caso essa pergunta ou esse assunto não deixe você à vontade. Benefícios: Os benefícios imediatos e diretos para você serão: receber fotografias feitas de você, da sua família, do(s) objeto(s) de valor sentimental para você e do local onde você vive. Além disso, os resultados dessa pesquisa podem ser importantes para mostrar os efeitos negativos da hidroeletricidade e estimular busca por novas políticas energéticas no Brasil. Todo este material da pesquisa funcionará também como arquivo da história das pessoas atingidas por barragens, no Brasil. Remuneração:

Tratando-se de participação voluntária, você não receberá nenhum tipo de pagamento em dinheiro pela sua participação nesta pesquisa. No entanto, todas as fotografias vídeos, sons e informações relacionadas a esta pesquisa que contemplem você e/ou sua família estarão disponíveis para você. Confidencialidade:

Como se trata de uma pesquisa de fotografia e colaboração, pretendemos divulgar amplamente todos os dados coletados. Portanto, caso você deseje que qualquer informação desse nosso encontro seja confidencial, por favor, peça à nossa equipe que não a divulgaremos (manteremos o sigilo). Divulgação dos materiais e resultados desta pesquisa:

No final desta pesquisa, nós compartilharemos o que aprendemos com os participantes, num primeiro momento, e, após isso, com a comunidade em geral, não só no Brasil, como em outros países também.

Como você vai participar da pesquisa, você concorda que as fotografias nas quais você aparece citarão também seu nome como colaborador. Todo o material que nossa equipe ou você produzir durante esse nosso encontro (fotografias, desenhos, notas, coisas escritas, gravações de som e/ou vídeo) poderá ser apresentado em conferências, encontros, seminários, jornais, revistas, exposições e em páginas seguras de Internet (como as páginas da Universidade, da pesquisadora e seus asssitentes, do Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, do Instituto Biotrópicos, da Sociedade Real de Fotografia da Inglaterra - The Royal Photographic Society).

Todas as fotografias vídeos, sons e informações relacionadas a esta pesquisa que contemplem você e/ou sua família estarão disponíveis para você, sua comunidade e o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens.

Se as comunidades participantes e/ou o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens desejarem, a pesquisadora poderá apresentar os resultados dessa pesquisa na sua comunidade. Direito de imagem:

Participando desta pesquisa, você autoriza que pesquisadora, seus assistentes, a universidade e o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens usem as imagens nas quais você apareça e/ou as gravações da sua voz, desde que não isso não exponha você de maneira negativa. Os usos possíveis são sem fins lucrativos e com a finalidade de, por exemplo: apresentação da sua imagem e/ou voz em conferências, encontros, seminários, jornais, revistas, exposições e em páginas seguras de Internet (como as páginas da Universidade, da pesquisadora e seus asssitentes, do Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, do Instituto Biotrópicos, da Sociedade Real de Fotografia da Inglaterra – The Royal Photographic Society). Você não receberá nenhum pagamento em dinheiro por tais usos. Direito de negar ou desistir:

Sua participação é livre e voluntária, ou seja, você não é obrigado a participar desse estudo e você pode deixar de participar desta pesquisa a qualquer momento, sem que isso prejudique você. Com quem entrar em contato:

Se você tiver alguma pergunta ou dúvida, em qualquer momento, mesmo depois que a pesquisa já tenha começado, você pode entrar em contato com: - Marta: martaquilombola@hotmail.com - 74 88263482

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- Marilene: mcardosoribeiro@gmail.com - 0044 7778808804

Esta pesquisa foi revisada e aprovada pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa da University for the Creative Arts – esse comitê tem a função de certificar que os participantes da pesquisa estão protegidos de qualquer problema.

Se você desejar saber mais sobre esse comitê de ética em pesquisa, por favor, entre em contato com: Tracy Crowther (e-mail: tcrowther@ucreative.ac.uk) 00441227 817342 - ext: 7342. PARTE II: CERTIFICADO Certificado do Consentimento do Participante:

Eu fui convidado para participar nesta pesquisa onde o pesquisador e/ou seus(s) assistente(s) gravarão meus depoimentos, farão fotografias de minha pessoa, de meus familiars e de meus lugares de moradia e convívio social, coletarão informações por mim escritas e/ou desenhadas. Estou ciente de que todo esse material será dado de pesqusia e poderá fazer parte de encontros, conferências, congressos, palestras, oficinas, revistas, artigos, jornais, exposições e outras apresentações que tenham como objetivo de conscientizar as pessoas sobre os impactos negativos da construção de barragens para hidrelétricas. Eu também fui informado que as formas de divulgação da pesquisa acima mencionadas não irão me expor de maneira negativa. Eu li todas as informações acima ou elas foram lidas para mim. Eu tive a oportunidade de esclarecer todas as minhas dúvidas de maneira satisfatória. Sei que, em qualquer momento, poderei solicitar novas informações e motivar minha decisão, se assim o desejar.

Eu entendo que eu posso desistir de participar desta pesquisa a qualquer momento e que, se esse for meu desejo, todas as informações, imagens e gravações relativas à minha pessoa serão destruídas.

Declaro que concordo em participar desse estudo e que recebi uma cópia deste Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido.

Contatos do participante: - telefone: ________________________ e-mail: _____________________________ - endereço: ___________________________________________________________ Nome do participante ________________________________________

Assinatura do participante ___________________

Data ___________________________ dia/mês/ano Se não alfabetizado: Eu testemunhei a leitura deste documento para o participante e que as explicações dadas ao participante foram satisfátorias. Confirmo que o participante teve a oportunidade de esclarecer suas dúvidas. Confirmo que o participante deu seu consentimento livremente. Declaro que o participante concordou em participar desse estudo e que recebeu uma cópia deste Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido.

Nome da testemunha ______________________________ E Impressão digital do

participante

Contatos da testemunha: - telefone: ____________________ e-mail:_______________________

Assinatura da testemunha ______________________

Data ________________________ dia/mês/ano

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Declaração da pesquisadora ou da pessoa responsável: Eu declaro que li com acurácia todas as informações deste documento para o participante e que certifiquei-me de que o participante entendeu que: 1. Ele/ela fará parte de um ensaio fotográfico, como modelo e co-produtor; 2. As fotografias de tal ensaio fotográfico são parte de uma investigação sobre os impactos socio-ambientais negativos da construção de barragens para hidrelétricas, no Brasil; 3. Fotografias, intervenções, declarações e comentários dos participantes serão usados como material para esta pesquisa e seus fins; 4. Ele/ela será encorajado a participar bem como discutir sobre os assuntos que desejar, a qualquer momento, com a equipe desta pesquisa. Eu declaro que o participante teve a oportunidade de esclarecer suas dúvidas e que o participante aceitou fazer parte desta pesquisa de maneira livre e voluntária.

Uma cópia deste documento foi entregue ao participante.

Nome da pesquisadora (ou da pessoa responsável): __________________________________ Assinatura da pesquisadora (ou da pessoa responsável) ______________________________ Data _____________________ dia/mês/ano

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2)Garabi-Panambidamcomplexarea

Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido Para habitantes da região a ser atingida por Garabi-Panambi

Nome da pesquisadora: Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro Nome da Instituição de Ensino: University for the Creative Arts – Farnham, Reino Unido Nome do financiador: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) - Brasil Nome do Projeto: A a photography-based inquiry into the impact of dams in Brazil (Uma investigação fotográfica sobre o impacto de barragens no Brasil) Este termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido tem duas partes:

• Parte I: Informações (para compartilhar informações sobre este estudo com você) • Parte II: Certificado (para assinaturas, se você aceitar participar desta pesquisa)

Você ficará com uma cópia deste documento e a pesquisadora com outra. PARTE I: INFORMAÇÕES Introdução:

Eu sou Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro e trabalho com assuntos que envolvem a relação entre as pessoas e o meio-ambiente. Meu interesse é contribuir para o bem-estar do ser humano e para a preservação das outras espécies e da natureza.

Minha atual pesquisa pode ajudar os tomadores de decisão e a sociedade como um todo a redimensionar os impactos negativos da hidroeletricidade. Nesta minha pesquisa, eu irei fotografar e conversar com os moradores de comunidades que foram ou podem ser afetados pela construção de represas para usinas hidrelétricas, no Brasil. Então, este estudo depende muito da participação e engajamento desses moradores, pois a pesquisa somente acontecerá se as famílias que tiveram (ou terão) de se mudar por causa da represa compartilharem suas experiências, pensamentos e sentimentos conosco.

Usaremos a fotografia nesta pesquisa porque acreditamos que ela é uma maneira eficiente e poderosa de apresentar conhecimento e ideias para muitas pessoas, independente da sua nacionalidade, idioma, educação e ideologia.

Você será encorajado a contribuir com esta pesquisa, desde início até o final, da maneira que você considere ser a mais adequada para comunicar seus pensamentos (você pode ser tão criativo quanto desejar).

Se, em qualquer momento, você se deparar com alguma palavra ou expressão que você não entenda ou tenha dúvida, por favor, peça que eu pare e pergunte-me. Será um prazer esclarecer isso para você.

Se você tiver qualquer pergunta para fazer, mesmo depois de assinar este documento, você também pode fazê-la para um membro da nossa equipe, a qualquer momento. Justificativa e objetivos: A hidroeletricidade tem sido equivocadamente aceita como uma “fonte limpa” de energia, mesmo com suas consequências danosas e irreversíveis para a natureza e os seres humanos. A maioria da população mundial simplesmente ignora esses efeitos negativos das barragens para hidrelétricas e os meios de comunicação, os governantes, as empresas de engenharia e as empreiteiras não são capazes de fornecer essas informações nem de suprir as demandas dos ecólogos, ecologistas e atingidos por barragens.

Por causa disso, eu propus esta pesquisa, que será um trabalho guiado tanto pelas pessoas que vivenciaram e vivenciam os efeitos da construção dessas barragens quanto pelo ambiente que as

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cerca. Eu acredito que assim poderei apresentar os impactos das barragens para hidrelétricas de forma mais justa.

Ao final desta pesquisa, eu espero produzir material tanto escrito quanto visual discutindo sobre: o contexto histórico da hidroeletricidade; a relação entre os impactos socio-ambientais das barragens para hidrelétrica e este nosso encontro; como a fotografia e a colaboração podem ser usadas para fortalecer os argumentos relativos ao assunto “impacto de barragens”.

Todas as informações, gravações de vídeo e de audio e fotografias desta pesquisa também podem fazer parte de encontros, conferências, congressos, palestras, oficinas, revistas, artigos, jornais, exposições e outras apresentações que tenham o objetivo de conscientizar as pessoas sobre os impactos negativos da construção dessas barragens.

Essas informações também estarão disponíveis para o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens e você conferirem, utilizarem e comentarem. Seleção dos participantes:

Nós gostaríamos de conversar com tantos moradores quanto os que desejarem falar sobre suas experiências em relação à possibilidade de ter de se mudar para que as represas de Garabi/Panambi sejam construída e essa é a razão para você ter sido escolhido para participar deste estudo.

Caso você conheça outras pessoas que também passam por essa situação, você tembém pode convidá-las e pedir que elas nos procurem. Participação voluntária:

A participação neste estudo é voluntária, ou seja, você não receberá nenhuma quantia em dinheiro para participar. Procedimentos: Você será convidado para posar para um retrato. Para tal, nós pediremos que você escolha algum objeto que represente seu(s) sentimento(s) relativo às mudanças que já estão acontecendo ou acontecerão na sua vida por causa das barragens de Garabi/Panambi. Nós também pediremos a você que escolha um local que você achar representativo desse sentimento, para fazermos o seu retrato. Seus parentes (filhos, companheira(o), pais, avós, primos, tios, etc..) e seus amigos também podem aparecer neste retrato, junto contigo ou no seu lugar, se você desejar. Quando você estiver pronto(a), você será fotografado(a) pela pesquisadora e, após essa primeira fotografia, a pesquisadora pedirá que você dirija os próximos retratos de você próprio até o momento que você considere que o retratato feito está da maneira que você julga ser a que melhor represente você, sua história pessoal e a importância desse objeto escolhido por você. Voce poderá verificar cada fotografia feita, olhando o display da câmera da pesquisadora. Suas explicações sobre as escolhas que você fizer relativas a: distância, expressão facial, objeto escolhido, maneira de apresentá-lo na fotografia, inclusão ou não de familiars/amigos, etc.. serão muito bem-vindas. Essas suas explicações podem ser faladas ou desenhadas ou esquematizadas ou escritas num papel ou exteriorizadas de outra forma que você julgar a melhor para expressar seus sentimentos. Nós também usaremos essas suas explicações como nosso material de pesquisa. Nós também gravaremos depoimentos seus, se você desejar falar um pouco mais sobre esse(s) seu(s) sentimento(s) relativo às essas mudanças causadas pelas barragens de Garabi/Panambi. Você será convidado a participar também das etapas posteriores da pesquisa (seleção de imagens, discussão dos achados, etc..) de uma maneira colaborativa. A qualquer momento, você pode solicitar cópia das fotografias, dos vídeos e áudios que contemplam você, bem como das informações que você forneceu por escrito e/ou desenho/esquema. Duração:

Como explicado acima, você fará parte de um ensaio fotográfico. Esse ensaio durará cerca de uma hora e meia (noventa minutos). Você escolherá o local, o horário, o que você usará para tal ensaio (roupas, acesssórios, etc..) e como quer aparecer nos retratos que faremos de você, junto com você.

Como também mencionado acima, nós gostaríamos que você compartilhasse conosco seu ponto de vista, suas opiniões, suas lembranças e/ou as lembranças de seus familiar, ou seja, sua história. Essa nossa conversa pode durar o tempo que você desejar. Riscos e desconfortos:

Como esta é uma pesquisa que lida com temas relacionados a políticas públicas e também a pensamentos comunitários que podem ser divergentes; então, pode ser que você se sinta desconfortável

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para falar de certos assuntos, mesmo com todo o esforço da nossa equipe para que isso não aconteça. Você pode se negar a responder uma pergunta ou a falar sobre um assunto específico que surja durante nosso encotnro, caso essa pergunta ou esse assunto não deixe você à vontade. Benefícios: Os benefícios imediatos e diretos para você serão: receber fotografias feitas de você, da sua família, do(s) objeto(s) de valor sentimental para você e do local onde você vive. Além disso, os resultados dessa pesquisa podem ser importantes para mostrar os efeitos negativos da hidroeletricidade e estimular busca por novas políticas energéticas no Brasil. Todo este material da pesquisa funcionará também como arquivo da história das pessoas atingidas por barragens, no Brasil. Remuneração:

Tratando-se de participação voluntária, você não receberá nenhum tipo de pagamento em dinheiro pela sua participação nesta pesquisa. No entanto, todas as fotografias vídeos, sons e informações relacionadas a esta pesquisa que contemplem você e/ou sua família estarão disponíveis para você. Confidencialidade:

Como se trata de uma pesquisa de fotografia e colaboração, pretendemos divulgar amplamente todos os dados coletados. Portanto, caso você deseje que qualquer informação desse nosso encontro seja confidencial, por favor, peça à nossa equipe que não a divulgaremos (manteremos o sigilo). Divulgação dos materiais e resultados desta pesquisa:

No final desta pesquisa, nós compartilharemos o que aprendemos com os participantes, num primeiro momento, e, após isso, com a comunidade em geral, não só no Brasil, como em outros países também.

Como você vai participar da pesquisa, você concorda que as fotografias nas quais você aparece citarão também seu nome como colaborador. Todo o material que nossa equipe ou você produzir durante esse nosso encontro (fotografias, desenhos, notas, coisas escritas, gravações de som e/ou vídeo) poderá ser apresentado em conferências, encontros, seminários, jornais, revistas, exposições e em páginas seguras de Internet (como as páginas da Universidade, da pesquisadora e seus asssitentes, do Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, do Instituto Biotrópicos, da Sociedade Real de Fotografia da Inglaterra - The Royal Photographic Society).

Todas as fotografias vídeos, sons e informações relacionadas a esta pesquisa que contemplem você e/ou sua família estarão disponíveis para você, sua comunidade e o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens.

Se as comunidades participantes e/ou o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens desejarem, a pesquisadora poderá apresentar os resultados dessa pesquisa na sua comunidade. Direito de imagem:

Participando desta pesquisa, você autoriza que pesquisadora, seus assistentes, a universidade e o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens usem as imagens nas quais você apareça e/ou as gravações da sua voz, desde que não isso não exponha você de maneira negativa. Os usos possíveis são sem fins lucrativos e com a finalidade de, por exemplo: apresentação da sua imagem e/ou voz em conferências, encontros, seminários, jornais, revistas, exposições e em páginas seguras de Internet (como as páginas da Universidade, da pesquisadora e seus asssitentes, do Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, do Instituto Biotrópicos, da Sociedade Real de Fotografia da Inglaterra – The Royal Photographic Society). Você não receberá nenhum pagamento em dinheiro por tais usos. Direito de negar ou desistir:

Sua participação é livre e voluntária, ou seja, você não é obrigado a participar desse estudo e você pode deixar de participar desta pesquisa a qualquer momento, sem que isso prejudique você.

E, caso você não queira mais participar, todo o material que você nos forneceu (fotografias, entrevista, etc..) será destruído. Com quem entrar em contato:

Se você tiver alguma pergunta ou dúvida, em qualquer momento, mesmo depois que a pesquisa já tenha começado, você pode entrar em contato com: - Neudicléia: (055) 96141245 - Marilene: mcardosoribeiro@gmail.com - 0044 7778808804

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Esta pesquisa foi revisada e aprovada pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa da University for the Creative Arts – esse comitê tem a função de certificar que os participantes da pesquisa estão protegidos de qualquer problema.

Se você desejar saber mais sobre esse comitê de ética em pesquisa, por favor, entre em contato com: Tracy Crowther (e-mail: tcrowther@ucreative.ac.uk) 00441227 817342 - ext: 7342. PARTE II: CERTIFICADO Certificado do Consentimento do Participante:

Eu fui convidado para participar nesta pesquisa onde o pesquisador e/ou seus(s) assistente(s) gravarão meus depoimentos, farão fotografias de minha pessoa, de meus familiars e de meus lugares de moradia e convívio social, coletarão informações por mim escritas e/ou desenhadas. Estou ciente de que todo esse material será dado de pesqusia e poderá fazer parte de encontros, conferências, congressos, palestras, oficinas, revistas, artigos, jornais, exposições e outras apresentações que tenham como objetivo de conscientizar as pessoas sobre os impactos negativos da construção de barragens para hidrelétricas. Eu também fui informado que as formas de divulgação da pesquisa acima mencionadas não irão me expor de maneira negativa. Eu li todas as informações acima ou elas foram lidas para mim. Eu tive a oportunidade de esclarecer todas as minhas dúvidas de maneira satisfatória. Sei que, em qualquer momento, poderei solicitar novas informações e motivar minha decisão, se assim o desejar.

Eu entendo que eu posso desistir de participar desta pesquisa a qualquer momento e que, se esse for meu desejo, todas as informações, imagens e gravações relativas à minha pessoa serão destruídas.

Declaro que concordo em participar desse estudo e que recebi uma cópia deste Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido.

Contatos do participante: - telefone: ________________________ e-mail: _____________________________ - endereço: ___________________________________________________________ Nome do participante ________________________________________

Assinatura do participante ___________________

Data ___________________________ dia/mês/ano Se não alfabetizado: Eu testemunhei a leitura deste documento para o participante e que as explicações dadas ao participante foram satisfátorias. Confirmo que o participante teve a oportunidade de esclarecer suas dúvidas. Confirmo que o participante deu seu consentimento livremente. Declaro que o participante concordou em participar desse estudo e que recebeu uma cópia deste Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido.

Nome da testemunha ______________________________ E Impressão digital do

participante

Contatos da testemunha: - telefone: ____________________ e-mail:_______________________

Assinatura da testemunha ______________________

Data ________________________ dia/mês/ano

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Declaração da pesquisadora ou da pessoa responsável: Eu declaro que li com acurácia todas as informações deste documento para o participante e que certifiquei-me de que o participante entendeu que: 1. Ele/ela fará parte de um ensaio fotográfico, como modelo e co-produtor; 2. As fotografias de tal ensaio fotográfico são parte de uma investigação sobre os impactos socio-ambientais negativos da construção de barragens para hidrelétricas, no Brasil; 3. Fotografias, intervenções, declarações e comentários dos participantes serão usados como material para esta pesquisa e seus fins; 4. Ele/ela será encorajado a participar bem como discutir sobre os assuntos que desejar, a qualquer momento, com a equipe desta pesquisa. Eu declaro que o participante teve a oportunidade de esclarecer suas dúvidas e que o participante aceitou fazer parte desta pesquisa de maneira livre e voluntária.

Uma cópia deste documento foi entregue ao participante.

Nome da pesquisadora (ou da pessoa responsável): __________________________________ Assinatura da pesquisadora (ou da pessoa responsável) ______________________________ Data _____________________ dia/mês/ano

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3)BeloMontedamcomplexarea

Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido Para habitantes da região da barragem de Belo Monte/Altamira

Nome da pesquisadora: Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro Nome da Instituição de Ensino: University for the Creative Arts – Farnham, Reino Unido Nome do financiador: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) - Brasil Nome do Projeto: A photography-based inquiry into the impact of dams in Brazil (Uma investigação fotográfica sobre o impacto de barragens no Brasil) Este termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido tem duas partes:

• Parte I: Informações (para compartilhar informações sobre este estudo com você) • Parte II: Certificado (para assinaturas, se você aceitar participar desta pesquisa)

Você ficará com uma cópia deste documento e a pesquisadora com outra. PARTE I: INFORMAÇÕES Introdução:

Eu sou Marilene Cardoso Ribeiro e trabalho com assuntos que envolvem a relação entre as pessoas e o meio-ambiente. Meu interesse é contribuir para o bem-estar do ser humano e para a preservação das outras espécies e da natureza.

Minha atual pesquisa pode ajudar os tomadores de decisão e a sociedade como um todo a redimensionar os impactos negativos da hidroeletricidade. Nesta minha pesquisa, eu irei fotografar e conversar com os moradores de comunidades que foram ou podem ser afetados pela construção de represas para usinas hidrelétricas, no Brasil. Então, este estudo depende muito da participação e engajamento desses moradores, pois a pesquisa somente acontecerá se as famílias que tiveram ou terão de se mudar por causa da represa compartilharem suas experiências, pensamentos e sentimentos conosco.

Você pode participar dessa pesquisa mesmo que tenham sido seus pais e/ou avós que vivenciaram com maior intensidade essa situação.

Usaremos a fotografia nesta pesquisa porque acreditamos que ela é uma maneira eficiente e poderosa de apresentar conhecimento e ideias para muitas pessoas, independente da sua nacionalidade, idioma, educação e ideologia.

Você será encorajado a contribuir com esta pesquisa, desde início até o final, da maneira que você considere ser a mais adequada para comunicar seus pensamentos (você pode ser tão criativo quanto desejar).

Se, em qualquer momento, você se deparar com alguma palavra ou expressão que você não entenda ou tenha dúvida, por favor, peça que eu pare e pergunte-me. Será um prazer esclarecer isso para você.

Se você tiver qualquer pergunta para fazer, mesmo depois de assinar este documento, você também pode fazê-la para um membro da nossa equipe, a qualquer momento. Justificativa e objetivos: A hidroeletricidade tem sido equivocadamente aceita como uma “fonte limpa” de energia, mesmo com suas consequências danosas e irreversíveis para a natureza e os seres humanos. A maioria da população mundial simplesmente ignora esses efeitos negativos das barragens para hidrelétricas e os meios de comunicação, os governantes, as empresas de engenharia e as empreiteiras não são capazes de fornecer essas informações nem de suprir as demandas dos ecólogos, ecologistas e atingidos por

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barragens. Por causa disso, eu propus esta pesquisa, que será um trabalho guiado tanto pelas pessoas

que vivenciaram e vivenciam os efeitos da construção dessas barragens quanto pelo ambiente que as cerca. Eu acredito que assim poderei apresentar os impactos das barragens para hidrelétricas de forma mais justa.

Ao final desta pesquisa, eu espero produzir material tanto escrito quanto visual discutindo sobre: o contexto histórico da hidroeletricidade; a relação entre os impactos socioambientais das barragens para hidrelétrica e este nosso encontro; como a fotografia e a colaboração podem ser usadas para fortalecer os argumentos relativos ao assunto “impacto de barragens”.

Todas as informações, gravações de vídeo e de audio e fotografias desta pesquisa também podem fazer parte de encontros, conferências, congressos, palestras, oficinas, revistas, artigos, jornais, exposições e outras apresentações que tenham o objetivo de conscientizar as pessoas sobre os impactos negativos da construção dessas barragens.

Essas informações também estarão disponíveis para o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens - MAB, o Instituto Socioambiental – ISA, o Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre - MXVPS e você conferirem, utilizarem e comentarem. Seleção dos participantes:

Nós gostaríamos de conversar com tantos moradores quanto os que desejarem falar sobre suas experiências em relação a ter de se mudar para que a represa de Belo Monte/Altamira fosse construída e essa é a razão para você ter sido escolhido para participar deste estudo.

Caso você conheça outras pessoas que também passaram por essa situação, você tembém pode convidá-las e pedir que elas nos procurem. Participação voluntária:

A participação neste estudo é voluntária, ou seja, você não receberá nenhuma quantia em dinheiro para participar. Procedimentos: Você será convidado para posar para um retrato. Para tal, nós pediremos que você escolha um objeto que represente seu(s) sentimento(s) relativo à mudança no seu local de moradia que aconteceu ou poderá acontecer com a construção da barragem de Belo Monte/Altamira. Nós também pediremos a você que escolha um local que você achar representativo desse sentimento, para fazermos o seu retrato. Seus parentes (filhos, companheira(o), pais, avós, primos, tios, etc..) e seus amigos também podem aparecer neste retrato, junto contigo ou no seu lugar, se você desejar. Quando você estiver pronto(a), você será fotografado(a) pela pesquisadora e, após essa primeira fotografia, a pesquisadora pedirá que você dirija os próximos retratos de você próprio até o momento que você considere que o retratato feito está da maneira que você julga ser a que melhor represente você, sua história pessoal e a importância desse objeto escolhido por você. Voce poderá verificar cada fotografia feita, olhando o display da câmera da pesquisadora. Suas explicações sobre as escolhas que você fizer relativas a: distância, expressão facial, objeto escolhido, maneira de apresentá-lo na fotografia, inclusão ou não de familiares/amigos, etc.. serão muito bem-vindas. Essas suas explicações podem ser faladas, desenhadas, esquematizadas, escritas num papel ou exteriorizadas de outra forma que você julgar a melhor para expressar seus sentimentos. Nós também usaremos essas suas explicações como nosso material de pesquisa. Nós também gravaremos depoimentos seus, se você desejar falar um pouco mais sobre esse(s) seu(s) sentimento(s) relativo à mudança no seu local de moradia que aconteceu ou poderá acontecer devido à construção da barragem de Belo Monte/Altamira. Você será convidado a participar também das etapas posteriores da pesquisa (seleção de imagens, discussão dos achados, etc..) de uma maneira colaborativa. A qualquer momento, você pode solicitar cópia das fotografias, dos vídeos e áudios que contemplam você, bem como das informações que você forneceu por escrito e/ou desenho/esquema. Duração:

Como explicado acima, você fará parte de um ensaio fotográfico. Esse ensaio durará cerca de uma hora e meia (noventa minutos). Você escolherá o local, o horário, o que você usará para tal ensaio (roupas, acesssórios, etc..) e como quer aparecer nos retratos que faremos de você, junto com você.

Como também mencionado acima, nós gostaríamos que você compartilhasse conosco seu ponto de vista, suas opiniões, suas lembranças e/ou as lembranças de seus familiares sobre a mudança que você

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e seus familiares vivenciaram ou podem vivenciar como consequência da construção da barragem de Belo Monte/Altamira. Essa nossa conversa pode durar o tempo que você desejar. Riscos e desconfortos:

Como esta é uma pesquisa que lida com temas relacionados a políticas públicas e também a pensamentos comunitários que podem ser divergentes; então, pode ser que você se sinta desconfortável para falar de certos assuntos, mesmo com todo o esforço da nossa equipe para que isso não aconteça. Você pode se negar a responder uma pergunta ou a falar sobre um assunto específico que surja durante nosso encotnro, caso essa pergunta ou esse assunto não deixe você à vontade. Benefícios: Os benefícios imediatos e diretos para você serão: receber fotografias feitas de você, da sua família, do(s) objeto(s) de valor sentimental para você e do local onde você vive. Além disso, os resultados dessa pesquisa podem ser importantes para mostrar os efeitos negativos da hidroeletricidade e estimular busca por novas políticas energéticas no Brasil. Todo este material da pesquisa funcionará também como arquivo da história das pessoas atingidas por barragens, no Brasil. Remuneração:

Tratando-se de participação voluntária, você não receberá nenhum tipo de pagamento em dinheiro pela sua participação nesta pesquisa. No entanto, todas as fotografias vídeos, sons e informações relacionadas a esta pesquisa que contemplem você e/ou sua família estarão disponíveis para você. Confidencialidade:

Como se trata de uma pesquisa de fotografia e colaboração, pretendemos divulgar amplamente todos os dados coletados. Portanto, caso você deseje que qualquer informação desse nosso encontro seja confidencial, por favor, peça à nossa equipe que não a divulgaremos (manteremos o sigilo). Divulgação dos materiais e resultados desta pesquisa:

No final desta pesquisa, nós compartilharemos o que aprendemos com os participantes, num primeiro momento, e, após isso, com a comunidade em geral, não só no Brasil, como em outros países também. Como você vai participar da pesquisa, você concorda que as fotografias nas quais você aparece citarão também seu nome como colaborador. Todo o material que nossa equipe ou você produzir durante esse nosso encontro (fotografias, desenhos, notas, coisas escritas, gravações de som e/ou vídeo) poderá ser apresentado em conferências, encontros, seminários, jornais, revistas, exposições e em páginas seguras de Internet (como as páginas da Universidade, da pesquisadora e seus asssitentes, do Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, do Instituto Biotrópicos, do Instituto Socioambiental – ISA, do Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre, da Sociedade Real de Fotografia da Inglaterra - The Royal Photographic Society).

Todas as fotografias vídeos, sons e informações relacionadas a esta pesquisa que contemplem você e/ou sua família estarão disponíveis para você, sua comunidade e o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens.

Se as comunidades participantes e/ou o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens desejarem, a pesquisadora poderá apresentar os resultados dessa pesquisa na sua comunidade. Direito de imagem:

Participando desta pesquisa, você autoriza que pesquisadora, seus assistentes, a universidade, o Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, o ISA e o Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre usem as imagens nas quais você apareça e/ou as gravações da sua voz, desde que não isso não exponha você de maneira negativa. Os usos possíveis são sem fins lucrativos e com a finalidade de, por exemplo: apresentação da sua imagem e/ou voz em conferências, encontros, seminários, jornais, revistas, exposições e em páginas seguras de Internet (como as páginas da Universidade, da pesquisadora e seus asssitentes, do Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, do Instituto Biotrópicos, do ISA, do Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre, da Sociedade Real de Fotografia da Inglaterra – The Royal Photographic Society). Você não receberá nenhum pagamento em dinheiro por tais usos. Direito de negar ou desistir:

Sua participação é livre e voluntária, ou seja, você não é obrigado a participar desse estudo e você pode deixar de participar desta pesquisa a qualquer momento, sem que isso prejudique você.

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Com quem entrar em contato: Se você tiver alguma pergunta ou dúvida, em qualquer momento, mesmo depois que a pesquisa

já tenha começado, você pode entrar em contato com: - Elisa: elisaestronioli@gmail.com / 93 992234531 - Marilene: mcardosoribeiro@gmail.com / +44(0)7778808804

Esta pesquisa foi revisada e aprovada pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa da University for the Creative Arts – esse comitê tem a função de certificar que os participantes da pesquisa estão protegidos de qualquer problema.

Se você desejar saber mais sobre esse comitê de ética em pesquisa, por favor, entre em contato com: Tracy Crowther (e-mail: tcrowther@ucreative.ac.uk) +44(0)1227 817342 - ext: 7342. PARTE II: CERTIFICADO Certificado do Consentimento do Participante:

Eu fui convidado para participar nesta pesquisa onde o pesquisador e/ou seus(s) assistente(s) gravarão meus depoimentos, farão fotografias de minha pessoa, de meus familiares e de meus lugares de moradia e convívio social, coletarão informações por mim escritas e/ou desenhadas. Estou ciente de que todo esse material será dado de pesqusia e poderá fazer parte de encontros, conferências, congressos, palestras, oficinas, revistas, artigos, jornais, exposições e outras apresentações que tenham como objetivo de conscientizar as pessoas sobre os impactos negativos da construção de barragens para hidrelétricas. Eu também fui informado que as formas de divulgação da pesquisa acima mencionadas não irão me expor de maneira negativa. Eu li todas as informações acima ou elas foram lidas para mim. Eu tive a oportunidade de esclarecer todas as minhas dúvidas de maneira satisfatória. Sei que, em qualquer momento, poderei solicitar novas informações e motivar minha decisão, se assim o desejar.

Eu entendo que eu posso desistir de participar desta pesquisa a qualquer momento e que, se esse for meu desejo, todas as informações, imagens e gravações relativas à minha pessoa serão destruídas.

Declaro que concordo em participar desse estudo e que recebi uma cópia deste Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido.

Contatos do participante: - telefone: ________________________ e-mail: _____________________________ - endereço: ___________________________________________________________ Nome do participante ________________________________________

Assinatura do participante ___________________

Data ___________________________ dia/mês/ano Se não alfabetizado: Eu testemunhei a leitura deste documento para o participante e que as explicações dadas ao participante foram satisfátorias. Confirmo que o participante teve a oportunidade de esclarecer suas dúvidas . Confirmo que o participante deu seu consentimento livremente. Declaro que o participante concordou em participar desse estudo e que recebeu uma cópia deste Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido.

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Nome da testemunha ______________________________ E Impressão digital do

participante

Contatos da testemunha: - telefone: ____________________ e-mail:_______________________

Assinatura da testemunha ______________________

Data ________________________ dia/mês/ano Declaração da pesquisadora ou da pessoa responsável: Eu declaro que li com acurácia todas as informações deste documento para o participante e que certifiquei-me de que o participante entendeu que: 1. Ele/ela fará parte de um ensaio fotográfico, como modelo e co-produtor; 2. As fotografias de tal ensaio fotográfico são parte de uma investigação sobre os impactos socioambientais negativos da construção de barragens para hidrelétricas, no Brasil; 3. Fotografias, intervenções, declarações e comentários dos participantes serão usados como material para esta pesquisa e seus fins; 4. Ele/ela será encorajado a participar bem como discutir sobre os assuntos que desejar, a qualquer momento, com a equipe desta pesquisa. Eu declaro que o participante teve a oportunidade de esclarecer suas dúvidas e que o participante aceitou fazer parte desta pesquisa de maneira livre e voluntária.

Uma cópia deste documento foi entregue ao participante.

Nome da pesquisadora (ou da pessoa responsável): __________________________________ Assinatura da pesquisadora (ou da pessoa responsável) ______________________________ Data _____________________ dia/mês/ano

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APPENDIX4

Scriptforthesemi-structuredinterviews

Sobradinhodamarea

1. Whathappenedtomakeyoumove?

2. Howdoyoufeelaboutthisyouhavejusttoldme?

3. Isthereaparticular‘thing’thatcouldrepresentyourfeelings,forustouseitto‘make’a

photographdepictingyoualongwiththisfeelingyouhave?

4. Howwouldyouliketobeportrayedinaphotographwiththis‘thing’totellyourstory/expressthesefeelings?

5. Whatisnatureinyouropinion?

6. DoyouthinknaturemighthavebeenaffectedbytheSobradinhodamprojectornot?

7. Why?(and,ifso,How?)

Garabi-Panambidamcomplexarea

1. Do you think Garabi (or Panambi, depending onwhere the interviewee currently lives) damprojectisaffectingyourlifeupuntilnowornot?

2. Why?(and,ifso,How?)

3. Ifnot:DoyouthinkGarabi(orPanambi)damprojectmightaffectyourlifeinthefuture?Why?(and,Ifso,How?)

4. Howdoyoufeelaboutthisyouhavejusttoldme?

5. Is there a particular ‘thing’ that could represent your feelings, for us to use it to ‘make’ a

photographdepictingyoualongwiththisfeelingyouhave?

6. Howwouldyouliketobeportrayedinaphotographwiththis‘thing’totellyourstory/expressthesefeelings?

7. Whatisnatureinyouropinion?

8. DoyouthinknaturemighthavebeenaffectedbytheGarabi(orPanambi)damprojectupuntilnowornot?(Ifnot:andinthefuture?)

9. Why?(and,ifso,How?)

10. Whatisyourimaginaryfutureregardingthisentiresituation?

11. Wheredoyouimagineyouwillbelivinginthefuture?

12. Whatdoyounotwanttolose?(ORmiss?–intermsofbothmaterialandimmaterialstuff)

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13. Whatdoyounotwanttoforget?

BeloMontedamcomplexarea

1. Whathappenedtomakeyoumove?(or,forthosewhoarestillintheirusualplaceofliving,whathappenedtoyourliferegardingtheBeloMontedamproject?)

2. Howdoyoufeelaboutthisyouhavejusttoldme?

3. Isthereaparticular‘thing’thatcouldrepresentyourfeelings,forustouseitto‘make’a

photographdepictingyoualongwiththisfeelingyouhave?

4. Howwouldyouliketobeportrayedinaphotographwiththis‘thing’totellyourstory/expressthesefeelings?

5. Whatisnatureinyouropinion?

6. DoyouthinknaturemighthavebeenaffectedbytheBeloMontedamprojectornot?

7. Why?(and,ifso,How?)

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APPENDIX5

Excerptsofinterviewswithparticipants(collaborators)

translatedtoEnglish

Audiorecorded(someinterviewsalsovideorecorded)

Originallanguage:Portuguese

Interviewer:MarileneRibeiro(researcher)

TranscribedbyKarinaRibeiro

TranslatedtoEnglishbyDiegoSatyro,EdgarRefinetti,PaulaCoppio,MarileneRibeiro,RachelAnnDavis,

andTomGatehouse

Interviewee:ÉlioAlvesdaSilva,61yearsold,fishermanandformercommunityleaderofthecurrently

clearedSantoAntôniohamlet

Date:05.10.2016

Location:Km23,Altamira

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Wheredoyouusedtolivebeforemovingtohere,Élio?

ÉlioAlves–Beforelivingat[km]23,IlivedintheSantoAntôniohamlet,whichwaslocatedatkm50on

theTransamazônicaHighway,whichrunsfromAltamira[city]toMarabá[city]. I lived32years inthat

community, Iwas one of its founders. Then, the arrival of theNorte Energia [and the CCBM},which

cametobuildtheBeloMonte,mademecometolivehereatkm23-which,infact,isnotmydream,it

was notmy dream to live far from the river, because I am a fisherman and I will never changemy

identitybecauseIamafishermanandI likewhatIdo.TodayIwork, it isverydifficultformetowork

becauseIhavetomovefromkm23tokm50.Inthiscase,Ihavetotravel73kmbycarandthenIhave

to go6 kmmore, until I get towhere theboat is to get towork. So, it's verydifficult, it's a verybig

sacrifice,sometimesmaybeitdoesn’tevenpay,butsinceIdon’thaveanotheroption,I'mforcedtodo

that,right,andsoI'vebeenleadingmylifelikethisuntilnow.Idon´tknowhowit'sgoingtobegoing

fromnowon,butuntilthenI'mabletodoit,Idon´tevenknowuntilwhenI'llbeabletodothis.

MR–Youhavetodothiseveryweek?

EA–Everyweek.

MR–Howlongisitfromheretotheedgeoftheriver,whereyoustartfishing?

EA–It´sa5-hourtriptogethere,atthespotonwhichI´lldive.

MR–And,whenyoulivedinSantoAntônio,howlongdidittakefromyourhousetotheboat?

EA–[Laughter]10minutesfrommyhouse,Iwouldreachtheboatwalking.[…]

MR– I’d likeyouto tellmewhatSantoAntôniowas like,beforethenewsandhowyou learntofthe

news[abouttheBeloMontedamproject].

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EA-SantoAntônio,beforethenews,wasacommunitywhereeverybodywantedtolivethere.Doyou

knowwhy?It'snotbecausewehadtheMoney.ItisbecausethepeopleofSantoAntôniowerehappy.

Evenwithoutmoneywewerehappy,everyonewashappy.Therewere67familieslivingthere,eachhad

theirwork.Therewere28 fishermenaffiliatedwith the fishingcolony, they fisheddirectly, and there

weretherestof thepeopleofSantoAntôniothatweren’t fishermen,but that fished indirectly in the

winter,while inthesummertheydidn’t fish,andotherpeopledid, lotowners,andothersworkedon

the farm and also lived in Santo Antônio. Our community was very united, we were a very united

people.Wecalledmeetings,peopleparticipated,youknow.Iwasapresidentoftheassociation,ofthe

community, but itwasn’t onlyme speaking, I gavemy opinion and listened to people, so thewhole

communitymanifesteditself,spoke,gaveopinions,andwiththisweweregoodatsurviving,youknow,

peopleagreedbetweenthemselves.SowhenweheardaboutBeloMonte[dam]wedidnotbelieveit,

wedidnotbelieveBeloMontewascoming...itwasnotreallytheBeloMonte,itwastheKararaô.[...]

Whenthe firstdemonstrationtookplace inAltamira,whenthenativesshowedthat theywere there,

thattheindigenousindividual[Tuíra]putthemacheteintheengineer'sneck,thatdayIwasthere,you

know,thatwaswherethefightingbegan,butatthetimethatthepeoplestartedthatfight,therewas

noalternative,ithadalreadybeendecidedthattheprojectwouldbecarriedout,youknow,andsoon

BeloMontewouldcome.[…]

Our people, fromour region, itwas not only the people of SantoAntônio, no, everyonewas ruined.

Peoplewhodidwellwerethosewhowerealreadywell,peoplewhoownedabigfarm,whohadlotsof

bigcacaoplantations,thesepeopledidwell.Butriversidedwellersandfishermen,no;everyonelostand

weofSantoAntônio,welostmuchmore,becausewelostourwork,welostourbondoffriendship,we

lostourhome,welosteverything,youknow?[...]

MR–Whereareallthesepeople,today,fromSantoAntônio?Howmanyfamilies?

EA–67families.

MR–Wherearetheytoday?

EA–ApartisinthemunicipalityofAnapu,apartinthemunicipalityofSenadorJoséPorfírio,apartin

themunicipalityofVitóriadoXingu,apartinthemunicipalityofAltamira,apartinthemunicipalityof

BrasilNovoandtherest,Idon’tknow.IknowtherewerepeoplewhowenttoMaranhão.WhatifItold

youthatIdonotknowwhereeachonelives?IleftheretogotothesideroadofAnapu,wherepartof

themlivesnow,Ionlymanagedtogetuptokm14becausetherewasnocartogoforwards,thenIhad

togoback.Ivisitedonly3familiesandIhadtogoback–IwantedvisiteveryoneandIcouldn’t.So,my

planwastovisitthesepeoplefromtimetotime,butIdon’tevenhaveanoldbiketodothat,soIcan’t

doit,Ican’tgettowheretheyare.Iknowtheregion,moreorless,ifIenteredthesideroadIwouldget

towheretheyare,becauseIknowtheyarethere,but...[...]That’smyconcern,child,youknow,thatI

don’tknowhowthelivesofthesepeopleare,thatIdon’tknowwheretheylive,Idon’tknowwhattheir

lives are like, when I lived in Santo Antônio I knew about the lives of each one. Because then our

communitywaslikethat,ifso-and-sowasnotallright,thecommunitywouldgatherupandhelp.Sonow

Ikeepthinking,sometimesI liedownatnightandIsleepthinking, ‘Well’, Iwonderhowso-and-so is?

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Youknow?‘HowisMissMaria,Helena,how'stheir lifenow?That Idon’thaveaclueabouthowit is.

‘How's thesituationwith thoseguys?Dotheyhaveadequate food?Are theyable tobuyinggas?’,So

that sometimesworriesme. I know it's not up tome to live that, but I live it, you know, I live this

concern,notjustwithmychildren,right,soIhavemyconcern,Iworryaboutmychildren,theyareall

grownup,butneverceasetobechildrentome,soIhavethisverygreatconcernwiththepeoplethatI

don’tknowwheretheyare,we livedtogetherformanyyears,together, itwasthirty-somethingyears

together like that, so for us to split up like this, everybody disappearing, you don’t knowwhere the

personis,howtheylivetheirlives,that'sverydifficult,youknow.Andtheydidit,youknow.Soitwas

verydifficultforus,likethis.Weknowthatourfootballteamwasthebestfootballteamin[theregion

of]Altamira,BeloMonte [village],youknow?Wemanagedtowin72 trophies–that is somenthingno

team, not even in Altamira, could do, I do not know of a team that has thatmuch trophies andwe

managedtowinthosetrophies,72ofthem.Wehavetournamenttrophies,championshiptrophies,we

haveitall. [...]Oursoccerfield,aswecouldnotmakeoneanddidnothavethemoney,wepaidwith

chickens.Theguywiththemachine,hesaid,‘you,guys,getsomechickensforme.’Wepaidforthefield

with8chickens.Afterwards,we finished itwithhoes,asagroup.All the timewe tookcareof it [the

field]asagroup:everyonewouldgo -wewouldtake farofa [typeof food] in themorning-andthen

spendthedaythereskimmingthefield,arrangingeverything.

MR–Eachonewenttoadiferenteplace,then?

EA–Eachonewenttoadiferenteplace.

MR–AndwhydidpeoplegotoSantoAntônio?Whatwasgoodthere?

EA–Everythingwasgood,theonlythingIdidnothavewasmoney,but itwasagoodplacetofish,a

good place to live, it had [river] beaches. The beaches! You should have seen our beach: everybody

wantedtodobeachbirthdays,becauseourbeachwasexcellent,therewasplacetocreategardens,to

plantcassava,banana,rice,corn;sothingsweremucheasierforusthere.Wehadfish,wehadturtlefor

ustoeat,wehadtracajá,wehadthearmadillo,thepaca,thedeer,wehadeverything.

MR–So,therewasaforestthere?

EA–Therewasaforestsurroundingthearea,wewouldhunt,everybodywouldkilltheirgame,adeer,

thenwewouldshare,apieceforeach.Iwouldkilladeer,Iwouldkeepaquarter,therestwasdivided

betweeneveryone,Iwouldkillapaca,Iwouldtakeaquarterbackhome.

MR–Dividedbetweenwhom?

EA–Everyonewholivedneareachother,eachonetooka littlebit,thoseclosest.So,suddenly, Iwas

thereathome,Ihadnoteventhoughtaboutit,andaquarterofapacaarrivedthatsomeonehadkilled.

Andthat'showweusedtolive,youknow.SowetookpleasureinlivinginSantoAntônio.Our[football]

teamplayedwell!Whenweenteredthefield...

MR–Andwhathasthearea[SantoAntônioHamlet]become?

EA – It has become a construction site. Actually it's a parking lot there, you know, it's not even a

constructionsite,becausetheydidnotmakeabuilding,theytookthebushandputthestone,thathard

stone,which is for thetrucknot togetboggeddown,becauseonly those trucksgothere.Whereour

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[football]fieldwas,theykindofputacementthere,youknow,forthosetrucks,loaded,forwaitingin

line,right,andthenthere'satruckpark,whereourvillagewas,wherethecommunitywas.[…]

MR– Élio, youwere tellingme aboutwhen the [BeloMontedam]buildingwork came, you told the

storyofthecaimanandtheturtle,right?Couldyoupleasetellitagain.Yousaidtherewasaforestthere

[inSantoAntôniohamlet].

EA–Ononesideofthevillage–infrontofthevillage,ontheothersideandon,yet,theotherside,when

itwaswintertime [rainy season],water came in, therewere twobig igapós [alluvialwoodlands], you

know, and it was a kind of nursery, where the fish laid their eggs (...) where there are fish, well, it

catches the attention of everything, right? It got the attention of otters, lots and lots of otters, and,

when the water went down, caimans–they like to stay in ponds. When they [workes of who were

buildingthedam]starteddetonatingdynamitetobustthewholestone–andtheloadofdynamitewas

veryheavy,itshudderedthehouse,crackedthewallofthehouse,crackedthewallofmasonryhouses,

thedog thatwas lying in themiddleof the street,when theydetonated thedynamiteand theearth

trembled,thedogwouldkeepcirclingoverandover,gettingupandrunning,likehewascrazy.ThenI

saw:at1p.m.intheafternoon,Iwasthere,andthecaimanwasjusthere,walkinginthemiddleofthe

hotsun,inthemiddleofthesoccerfield[oftheSantoAntôniohamlet],itwasinthefield,justwalking

by!Whywas it there? Itwas stunnedwith somuchdynamiteexplosions that it got lost,went crazy,

insteadoffollowingthewater,no,itfollowedthebush,youknow,itwenttothemiddleofthefield.I

sawthatcaimanwalkingthereatoneo'clockintheafternoon,awayfromthestream,morethan300m

away from the stream! So, the caiman, itwas completely baffled! I also saw tracajá [yellow-spotted

Amazon river turtle]walking in thedust.Because they created roadseverywhere, carts,water trucks

everywhereandtherewasdustandIsawatracajápassingthroughthedust,walkinginthedust.Sowhy

did that creature have to get out of thewater, out of his pond, to go through dust? Somethingwas

troublingus andwediscovered that itwas thedynamite.When Iwas in the river at 6o'clock in the

morning, thatwasthetimetheydetonated,asirenewasheard, thathurtourheads,hurtourhearts,

hurtoursouls,welistenedtothatsiren,itwentonefor3minutes,whenitwasgoingtostopwefeltthe

earthtremble,thecanoeIwason,inthewater,ittrembled,sothefishwereleaving...littlefish,big,big

fish,theyallwentawaysoonandthelittlefishjumpedoutofthewater,theywereallcrazyjumpingout

of thewater, in the river, thatwas far away [fromwhere the dynamitewere placed] and I told the

people,‘Inafewdayswe’renotgonnahaveasinglefishheretoeat’.[…]

To build the dam so much was destroyed, you have no idea, you have no idea howmuch life was

destroyed to make this dam, you know. Well, I mean life is not killing a person, you know, it's a

defenselessanimal,asloth,anarmadillo,apaca[smallmammal]...thefish,youknow,fishwereourlife

source,thepeopleofAltamiraeatfish,andthepeopleofAltamiratodaydonothaveanymorefish,you

know.Ourfishwerealldestroyed.Ihaveastepchild,whenImarriedhismother,shealreadyhadhim,

Clemildo, he worked there [at the consortium–CCBM–that built the dam], in a cargo truck that

transportstonsofmaterial,andonedayanemployeesaid,‘Clemildo,godownbytherivertogetsome

cargo’,hewasontheothersideoftheriver,thereinthequarry.Hewentdown[theriver].Doyouknow

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whatitwasthathehadtocarry?14tonsofdeadfish,no,16tonsofdeadfish.Theguycamewiththe

cargoandthrewitallin,‘Youcantakeit.’He[Clemildo]cametoAltamira,andtheholewasalreadydug,

‘Youcanthrowitthere,’soClemildodumpedthecargothere.Thenthemachinecameandburieditall.

HecametoAltamira,hewasworkingatthecompanyfor3yearsandafewmonths,goingon4years,

andhesaid,‘Iquit’.Thentheguysaid,‘Butwhat,Clemildo,what'shappening?’,andClemildoanswered,

‘No,no,Icannotbeartoseeyoudestroythethingmy[step]fatherallowedmetogrowupwith,Icannot

bearit.’HecametoAltamira,quit,theynegotiatedwithhim,theydidnotpayhimwhathewasdue,he

negotiated with his rights behind him, he got a cargo truck and he works for a firm that is now

constructing a mall here in the square and did not go back to that consortium any more. [crying]

Becauseithurthisconscience,youknow,heknewIraisedthemattheexpenseoffish,andthenhehad

toloadanentiredeadfishtrucktobeburied.Thatwasnotreportedinanynewspaper.Then,another

14tonswereburied,that'swhentheIBAMAfinedNorteEnergia.Thatfineonlyappearedforaweekin

thenewspaper,andthen,nooneelsetalkedaboutitanymore,youknow.Therewere30tonsoffishin

twotruckloads,weknowthis,notcountingthetimesdocumentariesweremade,thatpeopleshowed

thewaterwhitewithdeadfish,itwasnotshownthat,insidethelake[reservoir],[Antônia]Meloknows

this,there'sabunchofpeopleworkinginthere[cryingsobs]togetdyingfishtobeburied.Youknow,

this is under the covers, you know, just like the consortium, just like the company building this dam

killedhundredsofpeoplewhodidnotappearinthenewspapers,everybodyknowsit.Thenewspapers

didnotshowit.Wehadacolleaguewhomanagedtogetinsidethefirstdemonstrationthathappened,

7workersdied,3showedup[wereofficiallydeclaredasdeadduetothedamworks],youknow.They

hadanavalancheofcement,30workersdied,5showedup,youknow.So,therearehundredsofpeople

under that concrete, the newspapers can´t show this, if the dam stops, and the project is the

government´s,itcan´tstop,youknow,ourlifeisdispensable,[crying]ourlifeisworthlesstothem,but

theprojectcannotstop.Becausetheprojectisworthmuchmorethanthelifeofacitizen,theprojectis

worthmuchmorethananentireforestdestroyed,theproject isworthmuchmorethanariverbeing

killedandtheprojectisworthmuchmorethanthecityofAltamira,whichisacitythatIwasproudto

sayIlivedinandnowamsadtosaythatIlivein.Sothegovernmentprojectisworthmuchmorethan

this[crying].[…]

MR–Thinkingaboutall thatyousawand lived, thecommunity,nature,whatyouhave insideyou in

relationtoallthissituationthathappenedbecauseofthedam?Ifyouweretogiveaname,whatwould

itbe?

EA – I think the name Iwould have to give it is destruction, you know, it's ... Because, after doing a

wholesurveyof itall,doasummaryofwhathappened,what's left?What's leftof it? I’mnotputting

anything in themayor’s head, or the councilman’s, the businessman’s, I'mputting it insidemyhead,

what's left for me? You know, nothing is left for me. Just as there is Élio, there are manyManoel,

Antônio,Zé,thatlivedthesamelifeIdid,what’sleftforthosepeople?Mrs.Maria,Mrs.Raimunda,that

fished, you know, Mrs. Socorro, what’s left for them? What’s left for us? Nothing’s left. So, what

happened?Itwasdestroyed,youknow?Somysummary,thenameIhavetogivethis,isdestruction,it

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destroyedourlife,destroyednature,destroyedthelifeofthefish,destroyedthelivesofanimals,you

know,sothewholething,forme,iscalleddestruction,it'stheonlythingIhavelefttosay,thatwewere

destroyedalongwiththat[…]So,wewentalongwiththat,youknow,ourlifewentaway,alongwiththe

lifeofthesefish,thelifeofthiscaiman,thelifeofthistracajá,becausetheylivedinnatureandwelived

innature,youknow.Itwasdestroyedandsowerewe.[…]Soour lifewentawaywithallofthat,you

know?Forthosewhohavefeelings[weeping],forthosewhovaluewhatnatureis,wewentawaywith

it,thereisnowaywecandenyitandsay‘Idon’tcarewhatishappening’,thereisnoway.Weinfiltrate

ourselvesinthis,wefeelthispain,wefeelthisrevoltthatandcan’tdoanything,wehavetowitnessit,

wehavetoswallowit,sometimes,shutup,becausewhenwetalk,wegetpunished,wearecondemned,

wearepersecuted,youknow?[...]youhavetofollowthis,[because]wecan’tsayanything,wecan’tgo

aheadandmakeademonstration[because]Imightbepromptlyarrested,youknow?[…]

Ifonesaid, ‘Élio, IwantyoutogofromheretoRiodeJaneiro,to live inthebestapartment inRiode

Janeiro, tohaveeverything fromahelicopter togotothebeach ...’.No. Iwouldprefer to liveonthe

edgeoftheXingu[River],inastrawshack,butIwouldlookattheXingu,sitontheedgeandbreathemy

pureairthatIusedtobreathedthere,thatlittlewindthatcomesoverthewater,IknewIcouldthrow

myhook,IcouldgetmyfishthatIwantedtoeatandIknewthatitwasnotcontaminated,thatitwas

clean,itwashealthy,andthenIwouldgointheXingu,IwouldtakemybathknowingthatIwasbathing

in clean water, you know, I saw the little piabas [species of fish] playing there and I had the same

happinessasthem–Ididnotlivethere,butIwas,Iwaspartofthatstory...Ihadthegreatestpleasures

during the time that I enjoyed the Xingu, I survived at its expense. [It] never chargedme anything,

nothinginreturn,onlyrespect.That'swhatIlived.Thatrightthere.[...]

Thisishowweusedtolive,weusedtoliveofffish.I’maguythatthinksthatthisI’mlivingnowisnot

myworld,youknow,I’minadifferentworld,that'swhyIdonotfeelwellhere.Peoplecomehere,‘Élio,

youhaveaniceplace’…Ido,butthishereforme,thishereisnotworthalot,youknow,thatforme,

whatmatterstomeisn´tmoney,materialthings,whatmatterstomeistolivewell,istohavejoy,you

know....whatmatterstomeistohavefriends,know,havefriends,makefriends,makefriendships,have

peopleonmyside. I´ve lostthat,evenbattlingsohardIcan’treversethis,youknow[weeping],andI

lostthat,Ilostmyfriends,IlostthefriendshiplinksthatIhad,Ilostmyjob,Ihavenotlostmylife,nor

hope,northecouragetofight,youknow.I’mstillsteady,IkeepdoingwhatIcando,youknow,Ikeep

fighting,Ikeeponbattlingon,Ikeeponsurviving,onewayoranotherI'mstillhere.[…]I'mafisherman,

Idon’thaveariveranymoreformetofish.Ihadeverythinginmyhands,butitwasnotmewhothrewit

away,youknow,itwasaprojectfromthisdirtygovernmentthattookthisawayfromme,notonlyfrom

me,butfromseveralpeople,thousandsoffishermenwhoareinthesamesituationasme,withouttheir

...youknowhowtogetwheretheyare livingnow,right?You'veseentheirsituationupclose.Sothis

situationisnotjustmine,itisthatofseveralpeople.[...]

Ihadadream–Idonotknowifafisherman'slife,afisherman'sprofession,isabeautifulthing,butfor

me, I was proud to be a fisherman, I'm proud to say this, I wanted to take my children, my

grandchildren,wantedtotakethemalongwithme,youknow?Becauseit'ssomethingthatyoudowith

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honesty,it'sathingthatyoudofromyourheart,it'sathingthatyourespectnature.Ilearnttorespect

theriverthewayitis,Ilearnttounderstandtheriverthewayitis,Ilearntaboutthenaturethatlives

aroundtheriver, I learnttorespectallthisandsotheriverneverfailedme.AlwayswhenIgettothe

river,there'smyfishforme,myfishformetoeat,myfishformetosell,formetosurvive.Theproblem

ishowdistantIamnowfromit,youknow,andthewholeproblemisthatIcouldnotdefendtheriver

either,becauseourriverisbeingkilled,ourriverisdyingandwecannotdomuch.[...]

ThetimesIgottotheriveranditwasangry,Iknewitwasannoyedand,then,itwasnothardformeto

waituntil itwascalm,easyagain.SometimesIwouldtakeanap,andthen,whenIwokeup,theriver

would be calm, Iwould go in, and Iwould never feel bad for the river to come in and beg for help.

Sometimes ithappened, ithappenedonce,but itwasa rainstorm that camesuddenly, it tookmeby

surprise.Buttosaytome,‘theriver,Icannotgointhere,butI'llgoinanyway’.Noway![Iknow]It'sits

time, it’s angry now. So ifwe analyze things, nature is us, because you know, I’mnotwilling orwell

everyday.[...]

So,theXinguRiverwasmyfatherforme,myeverythinglikethat,youknow,itgavemeeverythinggood

[sigh].EverythingyoucanreceivefromafriendIreceivedfromtheXinguRiver,aswellassurvival,joy,

willingnesstolive,joytolive,everythingbyitsside,alongwithit,livingtheXinguRiver.AndIamproud

tosaythatIamafishermanIknowwhatthisis.BecauseLuanaandJanaina[otherresearcherswhodid

theirresearchesintheareatoo]askme,‘Élio,whydoyouknowsomuchabouttheriver?Whydoyou

knowallthis?Youknowwhichbirdthatsingsonthebankoftheriver.Why?’.WhenIwasinfishing,I

wasnotjustwaitingforthefishtohitmynet,no,Iwaslisteningandanalyzingeverythingandlearning,

youknow?SometimesIgotlostinthefog,inJune,whentheriverislowering,everymorningthere’sa

fog,therivercoversup.OnceIwascrossingthefence,Icouldnotseefromwhereyouare,WhatdidI

do?I'dstopthecanoe.Icoundnotseeanything,anysidethatIlookedatIcouldn’tgoto,Iwouldlisten

tothebirdsing, Iwouldmark, ‘Wherethebird issinging istheriverbank’andthenIwouldmarkthat

courseandIwouldgooutthere,soIwouldfollowthesongofthebirdformetogetoutofthefogand

allthisIwentonlearning.[...]IneverstudiedbecauseIdidnothavethechance,youknow?I'venever

haveachancetositinaclassroomtostudy,soIsometimescomplainaboutit,becauseit’ssomething

like,‘Well,Icouldhavestudied,nowIcouldbeaguywithadegreeinsoandso...’.Ihaveadegree,I

haveadegreeinlife.Iknowwhatlifeis,Iknowwhatitistolivelife,Iknowwhatitistorespectyou,I

knowwhat it istorespectachild, Iknowwhat it istorespectanoldman.[...]Whenpeoplehearme

talk,sometimestheygetupandapplaudme,youknow?Ihaveoftenbeenapplaudedstandingupinthe

lecturesIgave,whichisasourceofpridetome.[…]

MR–Doyouhaveanyfeelingsaboutthisallthatyoutoldmeabout,Élio?

EA–Ido,Ihaveafeeling...sometimesIhaveafeelingofguilt,thatIthinkIhavenotdoneenoughto

savetheriver,toridmycommunityalittlemore.Somysenseofguiltformypartinmycommunity,soI

thoughtthatifIhadalittlemoreexperience,andIhadstartedalittleearlierinthefight,maybeIhad

beenabletotakeSantoAntôniotoanotherplace just likewewanted,mysenseofguilt isthis,sofor

me,fornothavingbeenabletogotoanotherplace,soeveryonecouldbetogethertoday,andtherestI

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donotfeel.Ifeelalotofrevolt,alotofhatred,well,youknow,Iknow,we'resosmall,youknow,our

valueissominimal,Idon’tknow,ourspeechisnotworthalot,then,atthesametimeIhavetoagree

withthesituationthatIliveintoday,IhavetoagreewithitbecausethenIhavetoputmyselfinwhatI

am,IhavetoputmyselfinthepositionthatIam,Ican’tputmyselfinapositionthatIamnot,because

I'mnotgoingtogetanything.So,Istandlikeafisherman,Iintroducemyself,Iidentifymyselfatevery

place I go, you know, my identity is my fisherman's license, I have my identity, as a Brazilian, as a

Braziliancitizen,butasaworker,myprofessionisfishing,I'mafishermanandmylicensewalkswithme,

evenifI'mworthnothingelsebutit’swithme,andthatwillneverchange,youknow,whereverIgoI'll

beafisherman.Icangotoworkasanything,Idon’twantto,youknow,butmyidentityisnotgoingto

change,no,becauseit'ssomethingIdoandIlike,youknow.Ilovedfishing,Ilovedit,beingintheriver,

sleepingthereatnightafterfishing,Ilovedit.So,Idon’tregretchosingthisprofessionatall.IthinkIdid

therightthing,becausethebestthinginyourlifeiswhenyoudowhatyoulike,youdoitwithloveitall

goeswellandIthinkIchoseit,youknow,Ichosetobeafishermanandeverythingworkedout,Iraised

myfamily,youknow,IamwhatIam,I’mnotgoingtochange.Iwillcontinuetobethis,Ihopeoneday

that I canmove fromhere,but toaplace I cankeepdoingmy fishing,whetherdiving, inacanoe,or

usinganet,orhook,becauseifyouputmewherethere’sfish,we'renevergoingtorunoutofdinner,

becauseIknowhowtocatchthem,Iknowhowtofishthem,I’velearnttofishthem.So,forme,that's

notgoingtochange,I'mgoingtotakethisstoryofmylifefortherestofmylife.IfImeetyouinafew

years, I'm going to tell you the same story, itwon’t change, no. I have thepleasureof telling this to

people,andpridetoo.SotodosomethingthatIlikedsomuchtodo,withsuchdignity,withsomuch

respect,withsomuch,youknow,somuchpleasureindoingit,itwasverygoodforme,itwasgoodfor

me, it was good for my learning, the school that I didn’t have the right to have, I had in the river.

Knowledge,youknow,likethat,I’llpilotanykindofboat,I’lldon’tplaywithwater,I’llbeadiver,I’llgo

down, I’ve been down [in the river] 50m, but I’ll don’t playwithwater, I know I respect thewater,

becausewehavetorespectit,soIfeelgoodlikethis,youknow.Ifeelalmostfulfilled.Well,youknow,

there'ssomethingmissing,butifIwerebytheXingu[River],IamsurethatIwouldfeelfulfillednow.[...]

Interviewee:LeonardoBatista(akaAronor),57yearsold,fisherman,Yudjá/Jurunaethnicgroup

Date:14.10.2016

Location:CollectiveUrbanResettlementJatobá(RUCJatobá),Altamira

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Leonardo,inwhatregionwereyouborn?

LeonardoBatista– Iwasborn southof theVoltaGrandedoXingu [Xingu’sBigBend]area, inaplace

calledArarunaIsland.GoingtowardstheAmazonRiver,notsofarfromthefirstlargewaterfalls,almost

nearthecommunityofBeloMonte,passingBeloMonte[village].Iwasborntherein1959.There,when

Iwasstillchild,still livingwithmyparentsandmybrothers,IusedtoworkwithBraziliannut,fishand

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therubbertrees.IwasabouteightyearsoldwhenmyfathercametotheregionofParatizão[upstream

ofVoltaGrande].Backthenwemadealivingbasicallyfromtherubbertreesandthefish.TheBrazilian

nutharvestseasonrunsinwinter,that’swhenweusedtogodowntheareatoharvestthenuts.

Later,asagrownup,Istartedworkingasacowboyonafarm,andduringweekendsIusedtogofishing

ontheriver.Ihadtwosourcesofincomes:thefarmsalaryandalso,atthattime,themoneyfromthe

fish,whichImadewiththehelpofmywife.Thereweremanytimeswhenwedidnothavetotouchthe

farm’smonthlypayment,whichwaspaidonthefirstdayofthemonth,that’sbecausetheincomefrom

thefishingitselfwouldbeenoughtobuyallthethingsweneeded.That’showourliveswerebeforethe

[BeloMonte]dam.

MR–Then,whathappened?

LB–In2011,withthebeginningoftheBeloMontedamconstruction,everybodywasforcedtoleave,

thoselivingontheislandaswellasthoselivingalongtheriverbanks.Somewereindemnified,butonly

theoneswhohadlandownership,alandtitleandall,wereentitledtoasmallindemnification.Therest

wasleftinthesamesituationIwas.[…]

Wehad to leave Paratizão because theNorte Energia [consortium in charge of the BeloMonte dam

project]employeescametoussayingthattheywould indemnifyeveryoneatthearea;then,myboss

decided to terminate my contract, given that he himself would also be compensated. They [Norte

Energia’sofficials]claimedthattherewouldn’tbeaproblem,andthatmybosscouldpayme,andlater

ontheywouldindemnifyhim.Andsohedid.AndsinceIwasnolongerafarmemployee,therewasno

way I could stay thereand carry thingsmyself backand forth,nor leavemyboat at the river's edge,

right?When Iworkedwithmyboss, Ihada tractorwitha cart, andeverything Ineeded to carrymy

belongingsaround.AndsinceIwasnolongerpartofthefarmstaff,myformerbossnolongerhadtolet

memakeuseofthetractorandcarttocarrythings.Ithenwenttotheriversidearea,alittleriverbeach

inalittleislandnearmybrother’shomeandtomydaughter’shouseinAltamira,hereattheriverside,

nearthePortodasCarroças,locatedbytheErnestoAciolyroad.AfterthatwebecameresidentsatRUC

[CollectiveUrbanResettlement] Jatobá, in theAltamira surroundings,withoutour support locationat

Altamira’scitycentre,onthebanksoftheXinguRiver.

BeginningonNovember24th,2015,withthesigningoftheLicenseforOperation1forthehydroelectric

plantatBeloMonte,thereservoirstartedtobefilled.Andtheriver’slevelwentsohighthatitcovered

theislandswhereweusedtostay,tokeepourboats,andeventofish.Itwasallunderthewater.We

couldnolongerworkasfishermen,becausewenolongerhadaplacetogofishinganddockourboats;

wheretokeepourcoolersorsetupourtentandourbelongings.Wecouldn’tgofishingandstaythere

insideourboatsall thetime,right?That'swhy itgotreallyhardforus livingthere,at the ‘beiradão’–

that’showwecalltheriversidehere.Priorthedamitdidnotmatterifwelivedonthemainland,orif

welivedonabeach,oronanisland,evenonthetopofarockformationwecould.Weknewthat,ifwe

wouldsetupa littlehouseonabeach there,duringwintertime,earlyNovember,December, January

andFebruary,thelittlehousewouldbeunderthewater;butafterFebruary,Marchon,ourdwellwould

1SeeAppendix1fordetails.

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bethereagain.Now, it'sbeendifficult,weknowweno longerwillhave itback, right? Idonotknow

whattodowithmylife.Theplaceweraisedourfamilies,livedourwholelives...Allgone.[…]

The islands,thebeaches,theriver, thewater, thefish,wealwaysworkedhardtotakegoodcareand

preservethearea.Aspartoftheheadofagroupofindigenousfishermen,wehavealwaysdiscussedin

meetingsandwith IBAMA[Brazilian Institute for theEnvironmentandRenewableNaturalResources],

whichwasourenvironmentalpreservationpartner.However,whatwasthepurposeofworkingsohard

protectingthearea?[startstocry]...Ouroutrage,ourdistress,itissostrong[sobbing]thatwecannot

bearit!Itisthedespairofourlives,itisalotofsuffering,it’shelpless,nooneisabletoholdit,because

ofthelovethatwehaveforwhatwetookcareofandpreserved,[stillweeping];It'sverystressfulforus

toexplainit,torememberit.Ialwaystellpeoplethatgoingbacktotheriverbank,toourriver,where

weusedtolive,itislikeputtingthephotoofourmother,ourfatheronthewall,weareabletolookat

them,butawarethetheyarenotlongeralive.It'stoosad!It'stoopainful!It'sapainfulthingforus,who

raisedour families there, led a happy life, andnowwe get to live here! It's a difficult thing that I've

alwaysbeentalkingabout.Idonotunderstandwhatkindofgovernmentwoulddothistous.Isawan

interviewwithPresidentDilma[Rousseff],duringhertermofoffice,attheendof2013;shewastalking

aboutBeloMonte,hereinourcity[Altamira].IfIamnotmistaken,itwasonDecember30th,2013,Isaw

itduringtheJornalNacional[BrazilianprimetimenewsprogramairedbyRedeGloboNetwork].Shesaid

thatBeloMonte came to the cityofAltamirabringing improvement to the city and to thepeopleof

Altamira, and respecting individual rights, specially the rights of the indigenous people. No one is

noticing ithere!Whatwesee is theviolationoftherightsand lackofrespect!This isverysadforus.

Especially,forthenativepeople.Inthetimesweusedtouseourownweapons,Imeanmyuncles,my

grandparents, my brothers did, we had our rights secured, and we were respected. But, we

surrendered, right?Weallow it tobecomecraftsmanship toys -arrows,burduna [indigenouscudgel],

bowandarrow.Whentheseweaponswereused,wewererespected.Butwegave itup...Forweare

obedient,weobey the law andbelieve in justice; so Justice should also do something for our rights.

BecauseIdonotbelievethatBeloMontehassomuchpowertobedoingwhatitisdoingwithusherein

ourcityofAltamira. IdonotblametheDPU,that is, theUnion’sPublicDefender; Idonotblamethe

localFederalPublicProsecutor'sOffice inAltamira,because Iseetheirperformance,Dr.Thaís's [Thaís

Santi]andtheDPUpersonnelfightforus.Justiceisonourside,butNorteEnergiashowsnorespectfor

anyone,for IBAMAtobeginwith! Itarrivedherenotascompany,butasaharshlawthatnobodycan

break; things must always be the way they [Norte Energia] want! We are not objects, an object is

something you take and place itwherever youwant it.We, human beings, have the right to choose

whatwebelieveisbestforourlivesandthismustberespected.

It’sindeedverypainful;butpeopleneedtospeakup,tellthetruthandchargetheauthoritiesfortheir

rights.WeareBraziliancitizens,wehavetherighttoclaimforourrights.Sincetheywillnotgiveusback

thelifewe’vehad,atleastalittlesomethingtomakeiteasier,becauseeverythingwewereworkingfor,

takingcareofwasforourfuture.Whatisthefuture?Thefutureisourchild,ourgrandchild,theislands

thatwepreserved,therubbertreesthatweusedtoworkwith;therewasfoodforthefish,andalsothe

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fruitsfromtheislands.Theyruinedeverything!Welosteverything:welosttheisland,welostthefish,

welostourrightsandit'slikeyouseeithere,it'sthewaythey[NorteEnergiaandConsórcioConstrutor

BeloMonte–CCBM]wantit![…]

Pickingupthepoorcreaturesandthrowingthemnegligently,attheriverside:‘Oh,no,yourlittlepiece

of land is this one, fromhere to there, youwith your family, you get clothes to your children,we're

going to givewood and other constructionmaterial and youwill build your own house...’. No! ‘Hey,

guys!Everyoneherehadahouse!You[NorteEnergiaandCCBM]didknockthemdown!’Wedon’tneed

ahouse,weneedourriverback.So,theyaretheoneswiththeobligationtobuildthehousesforthose

relocated. ‘We are going to place a deposit tottaling R$5,000.00 in your bank account, paid in 6

installments.YouwilltakeR$900.00[about£225.00]amonth,okay?’WhatcanonegetwithR$900.00a

month?Tomethisisacrime!Indeedit’sacrime!Thiscouldcallforlegalaction!Weknowthat!

MR–Aronor,Justtohaveanidea,howmuchmoneydidyouusedtomakewiththefishingactivityper

month?

LB–Ourmonthly incomecoming from fishingwasaboutR$3,000.00 [around£760.00], Sometimesa

littlebitmore.Thiswastheaverageamountweusedtomakewithourfishhere.

MR–NowyouarehereattheRUC[CollectiveUrbanResettlement,builtbyNorteEnergia inorderto

resettledisplacedfamiliesbytheconstructionoftheBeloMonteHydroelectricPowerPlant, located4

kmfromtheXinguriverbank],correct?

LB–Yes,andfishinghereisnolongerpossible.EvenifIlivedontheriverbank,Itwouldnotbepossible,

becauseourfishisgone.Untillastyear,2015,inthesummer,Iusedtogofishingwithmywifeandson.

Weusedtobringabout50kgoffishandahundredandpluskilosofacari,athick-skinnedcatfish,which

isafavoriteintheregion.Weusedtosellallthefish.Thereweremanytimeswhenwesoldalltheacari

butnotthe50kgofothervarietiesoffish,given itshugepopularity. Infact,theacariwasoneofthe

firstspeciestohavetheirpopulationaffectedbytheXinguRiverchangesduetotheconstructionofthe

wallsofthePimentalandBeloMontesites.Nowadays,ifyoucatch5kg,noonewantsthem,because

theacarisaredying,theygotsick;theyarebottom-feeders,andeatbasicallythemossthatgrowson

theriverbed.Theyneedfast-flowingcurrents,butourriverisgone,itturnedintoalake.Sincethewater

isnolongerflowing,themossandthestoneswheretheydwellareallcoveredinmud.

Thefluxofwaterfromthecurrentusedtowashthemudawayfromtheriverrocks,leavingbehindonly

themoss,whichwastheirsourceoffood.Now,giventhedeforestationoftheislands,allthedirtturns

intomudthatgetsstuckbetweentherocks.Theacarisnoweat themudandget intoxicated. In fact,

they are dying! They are not fit for eating. You can catch them with your bare hands, in dry soil!

Betweenoneandtwoo’clockintheafternoonyoucanfindthemattachedtopiecesofwood,forthey

cannotfindrockstohideunder.Theynowliveinshallowwaters,andsufferwiththesunheataswell.

Thefishwerethefirstonestofeeltheeffectsinourregion.Theyusedtolivebetweentherocks,and

manyperish.Manyaquariumspecies, like the zebrapleco,arealldying too.Theydon’t giveup their

habitat.Theydon’tgoaway.Theystayanddie.That’sthecasewiththeacari.Whatcouldbehappening

to the other fishes? No one knows. Besides the sludge contamination, lots of lianas [tropical woody

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vines],whichareknowtobepoisonous,havedied.Actually,lotsofdeadtreescanalsobepoisoningthe

water. We really don’t know what is going to happen with the fishes. Some species like curimatá,

aribuia, trairão [giant trahira]and thesppotedsorubimare lake fishes,and theymight remain in this

region. The giant trahira does no feed onmud, but it might manage to live in the lake.Maybe the

sourubimalso…theymightremaininourregion.Wearenotsure.Theotherspecieslikethefreshwater

pompano, thewhitepacu, thekumakuma, thepiau, theywill all begone!Theydonot feedonmud,

neitheronothersmallerfisheslikethepeacockbassandthehake;theyfeedonfruits,flowers,leaves

thatwill no longer exist.Whatwas left in the islands after the deforestation is deadnow. Fruits like

landi,guava,rubbertreefruit,guabiroba,sarão,jacitarawereallfishfood.Theyusedtoeattheflowers

ofthesamaúna[tree],orkapoktree.Theywillnolongerhavethem.Theyaregoingtoperishjustlike

theacaris.Maybetheywillgosomewhereelsethatwouldgivethemconditionstosurvive.Thingsare

overhereinourlake[thereservoiroftheBeloMontedamcomplex].ThefishweusedtocatchatParati

[area close to Paratizão], located some 40minutes by power-boat fromwhere I lived, theymay be

foundnowonly indistantplaces thatwill requireadayandahalf toget there.That ifyouget lucky!

Heretheycannolongerbefound.It’sarealchangetous.

There isa fish thatcanonlybe foundhere inourXingu river,which is thepacudeseringa.Why is it

calledlikethis?Becauseitfeedsexclusivelyontheflowerandthefruitoftherubbertreeandfromthe

snails–alsocalledbúzios.Thesewerethefirstonesthatdisappeared,becausethesnailsthatlivedon

theriverbankswereburiedbythemudandcouldnotsurvive.Therubbertreeswereonlyfoundinthe

islands.Theonesleftafterthedeforestationperished,floodedbythewater. Inadditiontotherubber

trees,therearealsoothertrees:thegolozeira,abiu,whosefruitandflowersareeatenbythefishate.

Thepacu,whitepacu,pacudeseringa,cadete,caranha–alsoknownaspinkpacu–thejatuarana,also

calledmatrixã,allofthesefishsurvivedonthefruitofthesetreesandwillnolongermakeitasthetrees

nolongerexist.That’soursituationhere,that’sthewayourlivesturnouttobe.Wehaveexperienced

all thatandweknowitbecausewewerebornandraised intheriver.ThepeoplefromEnergiaNorte

mayhavetheirtheory,butwehaveourpraxis.

MR–Sincewhenitbecamedifficulttofindthefish?

LB–Sincethedamstarted.ButevenmoredifficultsinceNovember24th,2015,whentheriverturned

intoalake;wenolongerhaveariver.Ourriver,ourislands,ourbeaches,they’reallgone.

MR–Whatabouttheotheranimalsthatfeedfromthefruitsaswell?

LB–Guanandhoatzin,theyarealsosufferinginthesedrownedislands.Becausehoatzins,theyfeedon

leaves and there are no leaves left for them to eat. They are soweak that they are falling from the

branchesintothewater.Whethernoonerescuesthem,theydie,drowned.Likewiseiguanasaredying.

Theyhavenot layeredeggsthisyear.They laytheireggs inthebeachsandandtherearenobeaches

left2.Whereelsecouldtheydeposittheireggs?Nottomentionourturtles,ourtrajacás[yellow-spotted

Amazon turtle], we have no idea where they went.We lost what we used to help preserve. ‘Oh, it

2AsthewateroftheXinguRiverroseupstreamthedam,sandbanks,whicharetypicaloftheXinguriver,vanishedintothereservoir.

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[huntingtracajás]wasbannedbytheIBAMA,right?’,‘Yeap.’Catchingatrajacátofeedourfamilieswas

prohibitedhereinAltamira.Wasitpreservation?Yes,itwas.Andweunderstooditverywell.Andour

outrageisthatwetriedsohard,wereallyprotectedit,sothatthey[thedam]couldcomeandputan

end to it!Whywewere taking somuch care?Where are our rights regarding the future? Future in

whichweinvested,thatwepreservedforourfamilies?Whataboutnow?

For us, indigenous people, all things fromnature are really important.We take good care of all that

naturehasgiventous,wepreservethemoutoflove.Weloveallitoffersus.Allisimportantforus:the

tracajá,thered-footedtortoise,andtheturtle.Wewerebornknowinghowtotakecareofit.

IBAMA’spresidentmetusonNovember5th,2015,hereatAltamira.Shetalkedtousandpromisedthat

all thatwas included in the social environmental provisionswould be in effect before the operation

LicenseforOperationwere issued.ThatwasNovember5th,2015.Bythe24thshegrantedthisLicense

andwhathadbeenaccomplished?Nothing!Nothing!Manytimeswhenwegotoameetingandweget

stressedwith them, theyaccuseusofbeingdisrespectful;but theyhave to respectus inorder tobe

respected,andthat’sit.Wehadtoputupwithalot,andwesufferwithoutrage.

WeusedtogettotheErnestoAciolyroadrightattheriverside,wherewelived,andweneverpaidone

centtogetaride.Nowadays, ifwedonothaveR$50orR$60wedon’tgofromhere,theRUC,tothe

riverside, and neither the way back. That’s difficult! Where have they thrown us? Having no rights

whatsoever,havingnorighttochoose.Andittooklotsofarguingbecausetheywerenotevenwillingto

provide us with the resettlement. There are many families living with their things scattered in the

corners,two,threefamiliesinasinglehouse.It’scontempt,somethingthatwecan’tstand.

MR–WhydidyoumovetoErnestoAciolyroad?

LB –Wemoved becausewe had no other option. You couldn’t build a shack on the stretch of solid

ground. They placed awarning stating that you should not occupy the area forwhich they had paid

compensation. In2011,noonecouldbuildashackonthe islands. Itwasn’tallowed.Even ifwehada

shack,wewouldhavetoleave,becausealltheislandswouldbeflooded.Allofthem.Wewouldhaveto

leave,onewayoranother,likethatsaying‘takeitorleaveit’.Wecamehere[toRUCJatobá]byforce.It

wasjustlikeleavingaturtleinthemountainandthrowingatortoiseinalagoon.That’swhathappened

tous.Wearenotfromhere,wearefromtheriverside,bornandraised.Howwillwegoback?Howwill

welive?Whatwouldwedofora living?Howwillwefeedourfamilies?Howaboutourrights?This is

contempt,aviolationtothehumanrights.It’snotenoughtosimplytellus‘youwillhaveyourlandback,

somewherebesidetheriver’.No.Weledahappylife,wewereindependent,wehadfood,wewereable

toaffordwhatweneeded.WehadnoneedtorelyonFUNAI[NationalIndianFoundation–government

bodythatdealswithindigenouspeople’saffairsandwelfare]foranything.

MR–Yousaidthatthepeoplethatbuiltthedamshowednorespectforhumanrights.Doyouthinkthey

showedrespectfornature?

LB–No, theydisrespectedeverything.Everything!Take the islands, for instance,whenwesawthose

machinesontheislands,clearingthewoods,itfeltasiftheyweretakingapieceofus.Iftheyrespected

nature,theywouldn’tdothat,right?Howmanybeaches,whereturtlesnested,weredestroyedthen?

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Howmanystonecaves,wherezebraplecosandotherfishesusedtodwell,werecoveredwithdirt?All

finished. They had no respect for anyone, not for the human beings, not even for nature. That’s

somethingI’mnotafraidtosay,I’veneverbeingafraidtosaythetruth:iftheydon’tlovenature,ifthey

don’t respect nature, at least they should show respect for the human feelings. They have no

compassion!Itoldthem:wecare,welookafterandwepreserveforlove,unlikethem,thatjustuseand

destroyformoney.It’sverysad.Weappealtoothergovernments,non-Braziliangovernments,weneed

help,becauseweknownothingabouthelpcomingfromBrazil.[…]

TheNorteEnergiaandtheCCBMareactinghowtheyseefit,regardlessofthedirectionsoftheIBAMA

inAltamira.Theydon’tobey IBAMA,ortheFederalPublicProsecutor'sOffice,ortheDPU,ornoone!

Everything happens as they want, and I don’t know why. Up until now, no one seems capable of

embargoingthem.Ifwegettogetherandclaimourrights,wearetreatedascriminals,repelledbythe

policeorbytheNationalPublicSecurityForce.No!Weareclaimingforaright,theycannotdothatto

us,wearenotaskinganythingofNorteEnergia.Theysaidthattheirpurposeistobuildthedam,notto

makeanyonerich.Rich?Wealsohaven’tbeenworkingandprotecting[theregion]allourliveswaiting

forthemtoenditall.Wedidn’tneedelectricityfromBeloMonte[dam].Welivedinthemargin,wehad

ourgenerators,wecouldbuygas,wehadourfishing,our jobs,ourTV,withouttheneedofadamto

destroyourriver.Insum,NorteEnergiahastoomuchpowerhere.IftheBraziliangovernmenthasthis

debtandwants todeal thewholecountry fordams, that’snotour fault, it’s theirs.Theyshouldhave

moreresponsibilitywithwhattheyaredoingwiththepeoplehere.Notjustwiththisdam,butwithall

thedams.

Whyistherenoauthority,notribunalthatcangrantaninjunctionstoppingtheBeloMonteproject?At

leastwhiletheymeetthe[socio-environmental]conditions.This[theproject]doesnotstop!Theyjust

sayitwill,weknowtheyarebirdsofafeather.Willthegovernmentfinethegovernment?Never!They

believethatweareilliterate,nativeBrazilians.Weareawarethatit’sjustastory:whiletheyclaimthat

it’sstopped,theworkisactuallygoingon.Iwasthere[atNorteEnergia]workingforsixmonthsandI

never saw it stop, fornothing. Itworks24-7. It’s baloney! I cannotbelieve thatNorteEnergiahas so

muchpower!Ifweproposeameeting,theysaythattheyarenotthegovernment.Iftheyaren’t,who

arethey?Thatisaquestionthatleavesushopeless,right?

MR–Whodoyouthink‘they’canbe?

LB–Weknow thatNorteEnergia is thegovernment.Weknow.Theydeny it, but it is a government

ownedcompany.And these fake fines,weknowtheyare fake. Letme tell you,whatdoes16million

[reais] represent to Norte Energia? We know they are receiving billions [the Belo Monte project

currentlycosts30billionsreais].It’speanuts.20million,orrather16million,forthem,it’speanuts.And

wherefromisthismoneycoming?Ofwhat isours.Fromhere.Andhowaboutourrights?Whereare

they?Therearenot!Notevenourparentsdownthere,inPaquiçamba[IndigenousReserve]…Ifyouvisit

there,Manuel Juruna[former leaderofPaquiçambavillage] ismycousin,Agostinho[leaderofMïratu

village]ismycousin,Leandro,oftheArarapeople,heismywife’suncle.Allthatisupsetting,whenwe

seeourparents’situation,tradingrightsfor‘trinkets’.Rightscannotbetraded,rightscannotbebought,

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rightsarerights.CCBMandNorteEnergiabuiltsomeroadsandgavetrucks,bassboatsandhousesto

thenativeBrazilians.Theysaythatthesearetheindigenouspeoplerights.Totraderightsforthis?!No!

Thesearenotourrights,thesearethedutiesofthegovernment.Welive inanareathat justhasthis

‘IndianReserve’name,butitsrealowneristhegovernment.Regardlessofthedam,thesearedutiesof

thegovernment.

Forthem[NorteEnergiadnCCBM]itisatrade.‘Sincewepaid,wehavetherighttodothis.’No,it’san

injustice.Theydidn’tpayanyone.Just likeIsaidatmybrotherDario’s.Helivedforalmostfortyyears

and brought up a family there, an orchard: açaí palm, mango tree, nance, cupuaçu. They planted

everything. It’s said that theywere compensated in R$57,000 [about £14,000], for leaving the island

thatwouldbesubmergedbyBeloMonte.Itoldhim,‘brother,Iknowthisisnotofmybusiness,butifI

had, theywouldn’tmakeme leave the island.And if theydid, theywouldhave to giveme sufficient

meanssothatIwouldn’tneedtoworkanymore.Becauseyouhadplantedallthat,youhadtakencare

of all that.’ They took the poor wretch from there and brought him here, to the RUC Jatobá, after

Paratizão. They gave him a stretch of land and now he has to take care of himself there. It’s not

somethingyoushoulddowithahumanbeing.‘Youarehere,doyourbest.’

Just like theguyofATMTV [the localTV] said,weareprisioners [here in thecity],we live insideour

houses,guardedbybars,whilethecriminalsliveoutside,free.Thatiswhatwewouldlike:ifsomeone

camehereandsawthesituationoftheriversidepeople,theindigenouspeople,thepeopleofAltamira,

whathavebecomeofourcity.Why?Becauseof thedam,thatdestroyedus. Inreturn,NorteEnergia

andCCBMwantto‘improveourlife’.Howaretheygoingtoimproveourlives?Theyfinishedus!There

is noway to rebuild our lives, because you can’t bringbackwhat you took fromus.Noway. In case

anythingbadhappenedtous,wecouldrelyonourriver.Andnow?Now,it’snousetheysaying‘Iwill

take youbackbeside the river, I’mgoing tobuild a house, Iwill…’Andour living conditions?What’s

goingtohappen?

MR–Youweretellingmethatwhattheytookfromyoucannotbebroughtback.Canyougivemean

exampleofthesethings?

LB–Allright,I’llmakeitclear.Ourbeach,itwasourrecreation.InJune,periodofvacation,that[river]

beachwasajoyforourfamily,togothere,tosleepthere,tofish,toeat[whatwefished],tobatheina

rapid. That streaming water… so beautiful, a marvel from nature. Our islands, they had such good

shadows,whereyoucouldputhammocks,tosee,tofeelthewindofnature,tohearthebirdssinging.

Thisispartofwhattheydestroyed.Howaretheygoingtobringitback?Yousawthebeachthatthey

buildinposto6?YousawthebeachtheycreatedinMárcioHonório?It’sabog.Theythinkit’sawesome.

Whattheycallbeautyweconsidersadness.

MR–Whatisbeautytoyou?

LB–Beauty, forus,was thenature,whatnaturegivesus. Thebirds singing, thegreen leaveson the

trees, the clean runningwaterof a river, ahealthy fish.All of this conveysbeauty, nature’s creation,

whatkeepsthenaturealive.That’sbeauty!

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It’snousetotellusthatAltamiraisbeautifulnow,thatthedamisbeautiful.Maybeforthem.Altamira

turnedtosadness!Tous,it’ssadness,averysadstory.In2012,whenweoccupiedthecofferdam,quite

closetowherethedamis,IshowedtheCiroIslandtomyson,Leonel,andItoldhim,‘son,canyousee

that island? That’s history. Your grandmother lived over six years there… and it will disappear.’

Nowadays,yougetaroundthereandyoucannotknowwhere it is.He isgoingtosaytohisson, ‘son,

accordingtheyourgrandfather,therewasanislandaroundhere,whereyourgreatgrandmotherlived.

Butthisislandnoonewilleverseeagain.’That’sit.Asadanddreadfulstoryinourlives.

MR–Youthinkthatthisisanotherthingthatcan’tbebroughtback?

LB–No,there’snobringingitback.Well,therewouldbe,ifourrelatives,wholivedownstream,were

takenaway,andoneplacedbombsinthatdamandendedwithallofit,thenourriverwouldliveagain.

Just like I say: ‘our river, it isn’t dead. I don’t consider it dead. It’s paralyzed, stopped, a part of it,

paralytic.’It’slike–knockthewood!–you’vegotastrokeand,you,whousedtorun,playfootball,start

touseawheelchair:you’renotdeadbutyouhaven’tgotthatenergyyouusedtohave.That’showwe

seeourriver:stuck,paralyzed,askingforhelpand…[startstocry]…[silence]…unfortunately,there’sno

onetohelp…Unfortunately…that’showwefeelit.It’sverysad,onedespairs,onecries,notoutofjoy,

butoutofsorrow.Whatcouldwedo?...Upuntilnow,wehaven’tseenanydemonstrationofourrights.

Whathorrifiesus is thatwhenwe look forour rights,police repelsusas ifwewerecriminals. I keep

askingmyself:‘God,inwhichcountryarewe?’SometimesIdon’tbelievethatweareinBrazil,sucha

democraticcountryand…isthishappeningtous?Manytimeswetrytofindoutwhereweare,because

wedon’tknowanymore.

MR–Youweretellingmetherewasacommunityfestivityeveryyear?

LB–Yes,theSãoJoséCommunityParty.Itwasanoldfestivity,thrownbythelateZéMariaPreto.Every

March19th, therewasthe festivity.Thenameof thecommunitywasalsoSãoJosé.EveryMarch19th,

localpeopleusedtogothere.Theyusedtocomehere, inAltamira, totakethepriest.Arrivingthere,

therewasamass.Afterthemass,theyusedtocelebratebaptismsandweddings.Webroughtthepriest

back lateron.Thenwedancedforró.But itwasnotexclusivelyonMarch19th.Oh,no.Weusedtogo

thereeverythreemonths.OnMarch19th,Iusedtoaskthem:whendowegettothrowapartyagain?

Whatday?Whichmonth?Andwewouldmakearrangementstogothereagain,andtohavethepriest

baptizeandsometimesmarrysomelocals.Whentherewerenobaptismsorweddings,wejustprayed

andcomebackhome.Andthenthepartywouldbreakup.Junewasholidaytime.Soeverybodyhere,

closetoAltamira,usedtovisitthere,anopportunityfororganizinganotherparty.

MR–WhendidSaintJoseph’scommunityfestivitystart?

LB–Oh,itisaveryoldtradition.It’sreallyold.Iwaseight-year-oldwhenIgottotheareaoftheParati

River, and this party was already going on. The late ZéMaria Preto already used to celebrating São

José’sDay.There isa longhistory.Whenhedied,hisdaughterbecamethehost.Shewouldn’t letthe

celebrationdie,forshe’dinheritedthegenesfromheroldman.WhenevertheHolyWeekwouldfallin

March,thefestivitywasre-scheduledtoMay-EitheronMarch19thoronMay1st.WhentheHolyWeek

wastoolongandnotduringLent,wewouldendupcelebratingitonMarch19th.Itlastedforsomany

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years,butendedin2011.Thingsweregettingroughbackthen.Thefestivitycametoanend.Andsodid

thecommunity.Alotofpeoplewentawayin2011.Theygotsomecompensationandmovedout.Some

ofthemcamehere,toAltamira,otherswenttoBrazilNovo[Altamira’sneighboringtown],ortoRamal

doCocooreventoKilometer27.Peoplespreadacrossthearea.Itislikewhenyouhavearicefieldand

aflockofchicopretos[aspeciesofbird]peckingatyourcrop.Ifyoufireyourpistol,thebirdsflitaround

inthefield.Thatishowthingshappenedhere.Youcannotgettogetheranymore.InOdorico,therewas

asoccerfield.Sopeoplehadsoccertournamentsrightthere,wheretheylived.Goingdowntowardsthe

ParatizãoRiver,therewasalsoasoccerfieldontheso-calledZéMariaPreto’sIsland.Weplayedsoccer

andheldpartiesontheisland.Weusedtogettogetherallthetime,butthesepeopledisappeared.They

disappeared from our family. Even their neighbors don’t know their surroundings. We never got in

touch again. It is nowdifferent,when youbump intooneof them…Laurindo, for instance,whowas

fromArrozCruz,aplaceclosetotheareawheretheybuilt thedam, iscurrently inVitória [Vitóriado

Xingu]andsoon.ThereareotherswhonowlivenearthebanksoftheIririRiver,uptoRESEX[Reserva

Extrativista–Extractive Reserve], far, far away. That reflects the way we are now: distant from each

other.Since2011,whentheystartedinstallingthedam,everybodyhasgottendifferent,moreworried,

knowingaboutwhatmighthappen.TherewasalreadytheTucuruídam,sowecouldexamthesituation.

Back in 2012 Iwent to visit the [Tucuruí] dam. I looked at it. Iwalked around there, talked to some

families, faced the locals’ situationand I knew from thatpoint thatour storywouldnotbedifferent.

Howeverwedidn’tthinkoursituationwouldbethiscritical,didwe?BecausetheNorteEnergiausedto

tellusonething:‘now,thisisdifferent’.Theyusedtosaythattheribeirinhos[peoplewholivenearthe

riverbanks]wouldstillbeclosetotheriver.Wewouldbeentitledtobringourrelativestolivenearby,to

choose the neighborwewanted to live next to us. Thiswas just a story told by them… You see the

situationwearein:mymother-in-lawlivesuptoBelaVista,almost4kilometersfromRUCJatobá.My

sonisinBeloMonte.Howaboutus?Wherearewe?Wearealmost4kilometersawayfromtheriver!

Weweretoldwewould liveclosetothebanks,becauseweareribeirinhos,weare fishermen.At the

endof theday,weendeduphere…Weknewthatnothinggoodwouldbeexpectingus,nooneever

expected something good from this dam. Farmers and tradesmenplaced valueon this dam,because

theywouldmakelargesumsofmoney.CurrentlyIseealotoftradesmenfailingandfarmerslamenting.

Iusedtotellthem‘IfeelpityforyoubecauseImaysufferalongwithyou,butyoustilldon’tknowthis’.

Nowtheyarefacingtheconsequences!

MR–Didyouactuallyseetheislandsbeingclearedordrowning?

LB–Irememberthefirstofthem,theTabocaIsland;thenMaravilhaIsland,FornoIsland,JoãodeBarro

Island.Thesearefardown.Goinguptothisarea,whereParatizinhoandParatizão[areas]meet,there

areLei Island,my friend Iran’s island, theonewheremygrandma lived–namedNegona Island,Alaíde

island,Ramiroisland–whichisMaçarandubaIsland–alsoknownbyothersasCinésio’sIsland,theother

islandwheremyauntMiúdalived,andHaroldoIsland,OrlandoIsland,MangueiraIslandandCapacete

Island–whichis, infact,theArapujáIsland.TheseareintheareanearParatizinhoandParatizão,and

theotherfourgoingdownfromhereintheareanearbythedam:TabocaIsland,MaravilhaIsland,Forno

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Island,JoãoBarroIsland;andnineislandsupherestretchingfromParatizinhoandParatizãotoArapujá

[Island], in a total of thirteen islands.No! Fourteen islands, fourteen!Because there is an island very

close,where therewerecocoa fields. Itwasalsocleared.Fourteen islands.Fromallof them, there is

nothing.Everythingmadeofwoodwascutoff.Thereisnothingleft.Wesortofbelievedthatonlythe

islands thatwere nearest to the damwould be deforested. But they [Norte Energia] came here and

deforested the other nine islands, such as they did onArapujá Island [which is in front of Altamira’s

quay]. They didn’t deforest just everything in Arapujá Island, because it sits in front of the city

[Altamira].AsIsaid‘whentheygettoArapujá–knownbythelocalsastheHelmetIsland–wemightsee

howfartheygo’.Theycompletelyclearedonesideofthe island.Buttheydidn’t finish itoff,because

theywereundereveryone’snose.Sotheyleftthatside.However,whyleavingthatside?Theyshould’ve

deforestedeverything,becausethetreeswilleventuallydie[duetothedam].

MR–Howwerethoseislandscleared?

LB–Bymachinery,theyusedheavyequipmentsuchastractorsandexcavators.Thosemachinesdugin

andremovedanypieceofwood.Itwasabletocutanylengthoftimberandthendragit.Theyalsocut

somewithsawsandpiledupthetimberontheislandcoast.Thentheyloadeditontheferrythatthen

transportedittothedryland.Fromthispoint,theytookittosomewhereunknowntome.Theysetfire

to the discarded wood. They had it all: machinery, trucks, everything they needed was available on

thoseislands.Thatwasonethingweneversawcomingbefore,butunfortunatelywedid.Theyfaceno

hindrances.Itwastheeasiestthingintheworld.Now,tobuildaroadforus,oh,no,theycannotdoit!

Planting cassava or beans, anything indeed, requires a license from IBAMA [Brazil’s environment

regulationagency],otherwisewegetafine.

Inevertookapictureofthat[oftheislandsbeingcleared],becauseIdidn’thavethecamera.Thatthing

happenedbeforeour veryeyes. Theydeforested the islands.We saw it all. Itwasnota story, itwas

true.Whatdidtheydo?Whydidtheydoit?WhydidIBAMAlettheydoit?It’sacomplicatedstory.We

don’tfullyunderstandit…

MR–Youweretellingmetheycutthebiggest treeswithoutanyconstraintsandburnedthesmallest

ones?

LB–That’sright.Theypiledthetreesup,sortedthemoutandsetfiretothem.

MR–Doyourememberwhatkindoftreetherewasinthoseislands?

LB-Onthoseislandstherewerespecimensofsamaúma,rubbertrees,abiutrees,camurim,piranheira,

Brazilianfiretrees,pequiaranaamongothers.Theywereallfruittrees,andthefishfedonthem.Sodid

therubbertrees.Therubberwaspartofourlivesandpromotedthesustainabilityweneeded.Wetook

greatcareofthemandtheyareallgone.Allthoseislandshadallthosetypesofwood.

MR–Andthesetreetrunksareasthickasthissize?[Iprovideanideaofdiameterusingmyhands]

LB–Noway!Theyweremostlyhardwoods,reallythicktrunks.Therubbertreeisn’texactlythick,butit

canreachalengthofupto3,4meters[circumference].Imean,thosearethethinones,becausesome

getreallybroad.Themelancieira!!!Godforbid!Samaúnareachesawidthof12meters.Theyarelarge!

Ibiurana,faveira,golozeiragoonthesameway.Allofthemaremassive.Theycutthemastheywere

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mowingthelawn.Theywenttooneoftheseislandsandoperatedfive,six,sevenmachineslikethatone

[Aronor points out to an bulldozer parked up on the street]. It all happened within a month. They

devastatedtheseislands,fortheyhadplentyofmachines. Itwas likeaplague. Itoldmyboysandmy

wife, ‘my dear, there is a passage in the Bible, in the Apocalypse, which says that in the end

grasshoppers would come and would destroy everything. The grasshoppers are these machines.

Bastards!Theycameherewiththeirmachinestodestroyeverythingwehad.Thisallwesaw.

LB–Youknow,BeloMontecametoourcityandlikewiseNorteEnergia–whichisapubliccompany–it

said, ‘Go there and do it! Come what may, whoever dies, just go there and do it’. That’s what we

noticed, becausewhen you claim your rights,when you file a lawsuit, you get an ‘in progress’ as an

answer, because this process is really, really slow.Now, as far asNorte Energia, it’s not like that. So

thereyougo. In2011theystartedtobuildthedamandit’salreadyinoperationnow.Whatwerethe

conditions imposed? Are they fulfilled? No, they’re not. You know, that’s just the beginning. On

November24th,itwillbeoneyearsinceourriverwasdammed.Withinoneyear,theXinguRiverwillnot

be opened again.No. Itwill still be a dammed river.Whatwill it be like,within five, ten years?Our

situationisalreadydifficult.Itwillgetworseifwedon’ttakeaction.Igetseriouslyworriedaboutthis

situation, butwe see that the timewill come,when everyonewill be ready to fight.Wemust fight.

Becausewewon’tlettheminfringeourrightsthatway.Wearewellawareofourrights.Wedon’twant

tofight,butwehavetodoit.It’salackofrespect!Whenweclaimourrights,theycallthepolicetokick

usout there.Whatkindof justice is that?Tome, this isnot justice, it’s injustice,becauseweareout

thereonlytoclaimourrights,claimingwhatisours.Wearenotaskingthegovernmentforanything,we

onlywantwhatisours.

MR – When you think about all the things that you saw, the things that happened, what you

experiencedbecauseoftheBeloMontedam,howdoyoufeel?Whatgoesoninsideofyou?

LB –Whereverwe go,wehaveno rights at all. That’s howwe feel.Wehave some resentmentover

somethingweneverexpected,never.Whatwedofeelisthis:ourrightsweredenied;theyshowedusa

lackof respect. You know, this growing resentment gives us a feelingof despair. As you can see,we

mustcrytopouroutourhearts.It’sgoodwhenwefindsomeonewholistenstous,sothatwecanpour

thisthingout.Wearedesperate.Theresentment,theindignationisreallyhigh,ourrightsweredenied.

Somethingwastakenfromusand,tomakethingsworse,theykeeplaughingatus.

MR–Andhowdoyoufeelregardingtheenvironmentinwhichyouwereraised?

LB –Absolutely!Wehave strong feelings about nature being equally hurt! Sowe feel sorry about it.

Whenweenterthejungle,whenwegototheriver,whenweseethosethreesbeingcutdown[dueto

thedam],theyarealsosuffering,justlikeus.Iamsurenatureissufferingthesamewayweare.

MR–And,Aronor,ifyouhadtodefinenature,whatisittoyou?

LB–Thewordnature…Tome,natureis,Idon’tknowhowtoputit,becauseIam…well,peoplesay“an

illiterateperson”,butnaturealsomeansourlife.Ourlifeisnature.Tous,natureislivingtogether,itis

the love we have for the jungle, for the river, for the water, for the fishes, for the animals, for

everything,fortheland.That’snature:thelovewefeelforeverything.

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MR–WhatdoestheXinguRivermeantoyou?

LB–Itisamother.Tous,theXinguRiverhasalwaysbeenamotherweusedtohugandwherewecould

find an exit.Most times, I think, sometimes, I dreamabout havingourmother back. There’s nothing

difficulttoGod.Istilldreamaboutthis.OnceortwiceIdreamedaboutcontemplatingourmightyriver,

watchingourrelativeslookinghappy.Iwishitwerealltrue.Butwhoknows?Isitdifficult?No,it’snot.

ToGodnothingisimpossible,folks.

MR–Whatyourdreamwaslike?

Aronor – I have this dream where all the dams burst. I’m worried about my relatives who live

downstream, but nothing bad happens to them, nothing at all. Thewall of the dam breaks on both

sides,itcrumblestopiecesandcomescrashingdownintothewater,butwe’reshouting,happytosee

ourbeach,ourriver,everythingthewayitusedtobe.I’vehadthatsamedreamtwicenow.WhenIsee

andhearitbreaking–it’ssuchaloudnoise–Iseethewater[fromthereservoir]dryupsuddenly.Sowe

runovertoseeandit’sjustthenoiseofthecurrentflowingdown.Inthedream,weseeeverythingget

carrieddownriver:lorries,everything,itallgetswasheddownstream,destroyed,andthenIremember

my relatives. I say ‘my God, what about them?’ But then, suddenly – because in dreams everything

happens quickly, right? – we’re all together, happy, hugging each other, and we can see our

environmentaliveagain,ourriver,beach,fishandeverything.Andwhoknows,maybeonedaywe’llsee

itforreal?

Therearetimeswhenwegetdesperate,butweneedtothinkpositively.Wecannotfocusonthebad

stuff,becausebeingsurroundedbybadthingsisenough.WemustbreatheandaskGodforbetterdays,

forgoodthingstocome,givingthat,since2011,wehaveseenonlybadthingscomingourway.

MR–Iwanttothankyou,Aronor...

LB–You’rewelcome.

MR – Thank you for your words, for your memories, for the things that you have said. If there is

somethingthatIhaven’taskedyou,butitmatterstoyou,youcantalkaboutitnow.

LB–No, there isnot. I think I saidall Ineededtosay. Ialsosaythankyou,because,as I said, talking

about this brings some relief, it eases our pain… talking about it helps raise awareness about our

situation,about the sufferingwehavebeenenduring.Your coming righthere,beforeus,eyeing this,

allows you to believe in us. If you weren’t here, you may have said ‘Oh, no! I don’t believe this is

happening!’–seeingisbelieving.

Interviewee:MariaElieteFelixJuruna,37yearsold,teacher,Yudjá/Jurunaethnicgroup

Date:06.11.2016

Location:Paquiçambavillage(PaquiçambaIndigenousReserve)

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Wereyoubornhere,Eliete?

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MariaEiete–Yes,Iwasbornhere.

MR–Andwhoisyourfather?

ME–MyfatherisManuelPereiraJuruna.

MR–Whatishisroleinthecommunity?

ME–My father is the leaderof our village.He is theoldestperson inour village. Yet, nowadaysmy

brother,Marino,istakingthisrole,myfatherhaspassedthisroleonhim.

MR–Andwhat’syouroleinthevillage?

ME–I’mateacher.Iruntheelementaryschool–classesforthechildren.Ialsotakepartintheprojects

ofthecommunity.

MR–Wasyoufatheralsobornhere?

ME – Hewas born not exactly in this site, but in a place quite close to here, by Jeriquá, where the

villagesusedtobelocatedat,intheoldtimes.

MR–Then,you’vebeenalwaysinthisregion,bytheXinguriverside?

ME–Yes.Always.

MR–Howdidyougettoknowaboutthe[BeloMonte]dam?

ME–Ifirstheardaboutthisdamalongtimeago.Iwasstillachildwhentheprotestsbegan.Myfather

tookpart.PeoplesaidtheyweregoingtobuildadamcalledKararaô,thatthelandwouldbeflooded.

Butthenitseemeditwouldn’tbebuilt.About30yearswentbywithoutadecision.Around2010more

peoplestartedarrivinginthearea.TheFUNAI[NationalIndianFoundation]cameandtoldusitwould

bebringinginateamtoconductanassessmentbecausethedamwasgoingahead.Myfathersaidtous,

‘Itwon’thappen.They’vebeensayingitwillgoaheadforages,butitneverhappens.’‘Really?’,Ireplied,

Itlookstomelikealotofpeoplearecominghere...’Buthesaid:‘No.Itwon’thappen.’Thingscontinued

likethat,withpeopleappearingfromtimetotimetodoassessments,studythe[wild]animalsandthe

fish.Whenwerealized,itwasalreadyhappening.[…]FUNAIsaid,‘nowweneedtolistentoyou[tothe

indigenous groups that livedwithin the area to be affected by the BeloMonte project],we need to

knowthewayyouwantthistohappen’.So,thepoliticalthingstarted:NorteEnergia[theconsortiumin

chargeoftheBeloMontedamproject]affirmedthingswouldbecomebetterforuswiththedam;but

there were some groups who tried to warn us about what would come next, they said they had

experiencewiththisthingofdamsandwhatNorteEnergiawasofferingtouswouldnotlast.

‘Whatwillhappen?’,weasked.‘Willtheriverrundry?’ThenNorteEnergiareplied,‘iftheriverrunsdry,

we’ll build a road for you. You’ll be able to comeand goby car. Thingswill bemuchbetter.’ People

begantobelievethatthingsreallywouldimprove.[…]

It was all very easy for them. When Norte Energia officials arrived, only one or two, maybe three

familieshadmotorboats.Sotheystartedofferingusboats.We’dneverseenanythinglikethat.People

tookwhattheywereoffering.Itwasgreat!Thewaterlevelwashighenoughtousetheriver.Butnow,

thoughwestillhavetheboats,they’renotmuchusebecausethewaterlevelistoolow.Youneedsmall

boatsnow[tonavigatethestretchoftheriveroftheVoltaGrandedoXingu].Intheyearitallstarted,in

my opinion, they gave presents to the indigenous to keep them quiet: speedboats, community cars,

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roads,improvements,allkindsofthings.Theymadeitalleasy.Inthatfirstyear,everybodywashappy!

Butreallythecompanyjustwantedtogetonwiththeworkandkeeptheindigenouspeoplesquiet.[…]

Whenthemeetingwiththecompanyrepresentativeswasheldinthevillage,theentirecommunitytook

part.EvenifthemeetingwasinAltamira,wewouldgetorganisedandallheadedtotheCasadoÍndio

[the indigenous centre, located in Altamira city], where people from the different indigenous ethnic

groupsgatheredforthemeeting.Ifeachgrouptook10or15people,therewouldbeabigcrowdand

thecompanyrepresentativeswereunabletomaketheircase.Someonemightsay:‘theprojectisfine’,

butthensomeoneelsewouldalwaysgetupandarguetheotherway.Thediscussionwouldgoround

andround.ThisallstoppedbecauseNorteEnergiadecidedtostartnegotiatingwithpeopleindividually.

They said, ‘we’regoing tohearwhat so-and-sohas to say’or ‘we’regoing to listen toeach leader in

turn’or‘we’llgotoseesuch-and-suchaleader,intheirvillage.Thisway,wecaneachsaywhatwehave

to say. At themoment, we’re having trouble making you understand that the [BeloMonte] project

reallywill be a good thing.’ As far as I’m concerned,wewere screwed from that point. Because it’s

different:havingameetingwiththecommunityisonething,buttalkingtojustoneortwopeopleata

timeunderminesthegroup.Theirpeoplehavebeentrainedtotalktoyou,tomakeyouthinkhowthey

wantyouto.Andthat’sexactlywhathappened.Theystartedtomeeteachgroupseparatelyandthen

eachleaderinturn.That’showweendeduplosingcontrol.[…]

Our leaders, thecaciques,werealwaysolderpeople. Theydecidedeverything.My fatherwasoneof

them. They couldn’t read or write, they couldn’t understand the technical terms that Norte Energia

used. So, what happened? After being approached individually, they said that BeloMontewould be

goodforus.NorteEnergiarealizeditwasontosomethingandstartedtomanipulatethem.Theyeven

persuadedthemtosigndocuments.Theleaders,includingmyfather,toldthecommunity,‘thisisgoing

to benefit us’, and the community believed them: ‘if the leaders say it’s good, considering they’ve

lookedafterustheirwholelives,thenit’sgoingtobegreat!’.Itwaspeoplefromoutside[e.g.fromCIMI,

ISA, andMXVPS],whoweremore aware ofwhatwas going on,whowarned us about the dam.My

opinion,as justonememberof the community, a teacher,didn’t count formuch in comparisonwith

thatofanolderleader.[…]

Ourpeopleused to live together in justonevillage.Nowwehave three,becausepeoplewereupset

they weren’t being listened to, their opinion were not being taken into account. It used just to be

Paquiçamba. Now we have Mïratu, Paquiçamba and Furo Seco. The same thing happened to other

groups,liketheXikrin.Theirvillagehasalsosplitintomanyeversince.So,NorteEnergiawouldspeakto

thesenewvillages’leadersandgiveits‘presents’tothemtoo.Thatwasn’tsobadafterall,wasit?They

gotaboattogofishing,theycouldgetonwiththeirlives.Andwhataboutaroadintothevillage?They

couldlearntodrive.Theywouldhavetheirowncommunitycar,awagontogointotown.Thevillagers

couldn’t even ride a bicycle. Suddenly, they started driving trucks, or boats with a 90 or 120

[horsepower]motor![…]

Whathappenedaftertheybuilttheroad?Moreaccidents.Itbecameeasierforpeopletocomehere.It

was easier tobringdrink in [the IndigenousReserve]. Easier tobring anything in! Thingsmight seem

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attractive,buttheycanalsocomewithalotofproblems.Bythetimetheindigenouspeoplewokeup,it

wastoolate.[…]

MR – Dis your father mention what they [Norte Energia officials] spoke about in these one-to-one

meetings?

ME–Whentheystartedtalkingtopeople individually,myfatherdidn’ttakeanyfurtherpart.Hewas

involvedat thestart,but said, ‘I can’tdo it.’Hewasveryopenwithus, ‘Idon’tunderstand it. I can’t

read,there’ssomuchwehavetoread,but Ican’tread,mydaughter, it’snouse.’Then,heaskedmy

brothertoparticipateofthesemeetings.

MR–Anddidyourbrothermentionanythingaboutthesemeetings?

ME –He said that BeloMontewould improve the village’s situation.He said thatNorte Energia had

promisedahealth centreanda school. Therewouldbequalified staff, doctors,newhousing.Butwe

[thecommunity]asked,‘whatabouttheriver?Whatarewegoingtoliveon?’Hereplied,‘theywillsee

to it...we’llhaveplotsof landtoplantcacao, they’llhelpusset itup.We’llbe fine.’Weusedtohave

smallplots,whichprovidedenoughfoodforus.Itwasgreat!Theboysfishedintheriverandsoldthe

fish.Therewasnoneedtochopanytreesdown.Theplotsweresmallbutbigenoughtomakesurewe

didn’thavetodoanyshoppingintown.Notnow.

MR–Andhowarethingsgoingnow?

ME–Youcanseenowthatwehavea tractor in thecommunity,makingnewplots.Plantingcacao is

newtous.Nobodyhasanyexperienceofworkingwithcacaoorpoultry.Thingshavebeengoingbadly

forfouryearsbecausethecacaodies.Weplantmoreandthatdiesaswell.Wedon’tknowwhattodo.

Becausewe’venolongerbeenfishingbecausetheriverlevelistoolownow,thenwedon’thavemany

fishleft.Ifwecarryonfishingsoontherewillbenomorefish,notevenforustoeat.They[theofficials

responsibleforincomerestorationprojectsforindigenousgroupsaffectedbyBeloMonte]saythatthey

will provide technical support.Wenowhaveplantations and asked them toprovide a tractor.When

they come at the right time, it’s fine. But they sometimes get everythingwrong, send all thewrong

things,orsendthetractortoolate.Wesittherewaitingforitandendupcomplainingtothem.We’ve

had years whenwe haven’t grown anything. Because everything has its own precise timing when it

comestocrops,right?Andweknowthat.[…]

MR–Whatdoyoueatintheseyearsyoudon’tmanagetogrowanything?

ME–Cassavawe’restillabletoharvest,it’smoreresistant.Otherthings,likecorn,watermelon,other

things,wedidn’tmanagebecausesometimestheysendtheseedstousatthewrongtime,theyarrive

late.Cocoatreesarealwaysdying,wehaven’tmanagedtoseethemgrowingyet.

MR–Doesyourbrotherhaveanythoughtaboutthis?

ME–Henowunderstands that, although the roadmighthavebeena good thing, it alsodida lotof

harm.Iusedtofeelrelaxedbecausethecommunity’syoungpeopleusedtostayhere.Theyusedtotake

the boat to go into town accompanied by their mother or father. Not now. They buy their own

motorbike.Whenwethinkthey’reinthecommunity,athomeinbed,they’resomewhereintown,orin

alocalbar,drinkingwithotheryoungpeople.Ithappenedwithmynephewrecently.HismotherandI

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wenttoameetingwithNorteEnergia inAltamiraandhestayedhere–at leastwethoughthedid.But

actuallyhewasintownwithamotorbike–andhewasunderage.Someonerangustosayhewasatthe

policestation.Isaid,‘that’snotpossible!Hewasinthevillage.Howcomehe’stherenow?’Thatcould

neverhavehappenedbefore.Withtheroad,we’ve lostcontroloverouryoungpeople.Theroadalso

broughtpoachers.Theywaitfornightfallandthencometohunt.Ibumpedintoone.Itusedtobemore

difficultforpoacherstogetclosetothevillage.Theywouldhuntfurtheraway.It’snotpracticaltogoall

thewayintotheforest.Buttheroadhasmadetheirlifeeasier.Wealsohaveaproblemwithfishermen

who trespass on indigenous reserve to fish. The game is going tomove further away and even if it

doesn’tdisappear, I thinkthatthingswillsoonbedifficultnowthattheroadgoesthroughindigenous

land.Ifwehavenowayofmonitoring,nowayofcontrollingwhocomestohunt,thenovertime,itwill

becomedifficult.Wedependonhuntingandfishingforourfood.[…]

MR–Whatkindofanimalsdoyouusetoseeingaroundhere,inthiswoodland?

ME–Therearepecari,catitu [anotherspeciesofwildpig],paca, tapir,deer,therearemanyofthem.

There are monkeys –guariba, capuchin, soim monkey, the big monkey too, themão-de-ouro. Sloth,

tortoise.

MR–Andjaguar?Haveyouseenjaguars?

ME–Yes.Therearethemall,theblack,thered,andthespottedjaguar.Also,thewildcat,theblackone

andthemaracajá.

I’veexplained this tomybrother, ifwecarryongrowing cacao inbigplots,we’ll have to chopdown

moretreeseveryyear.Whatwillhappenthen?Therewillsoonbenoanimalstohuntandtheforestwill

bedestroyed.Wecan’tgoandfishintheriver.Therearenofishbecausetheriverisdammedandthe

water level is low. Cutting down more forest for plantations would mean we have completely lost

control.Welosttheriver,nowwe’relosingtheforest.Onethingleadstoanother.[…]

Imean, the landscapenow isalreadycompletelydifferentof thatone itusedtobe. I feelsadwhen I

startthinkingthatIwon'tseethislandscapeagain,thatmyyoungson,whoisthreeyearsold,willonly

be able to see what the landscape was like by looking at photos, videos and films. I feel hopeless,

desperatewhenIthinkaboutit.Itrynotto,butit'simpossible,becauseit'shappeningrightinfrontof

meeveryday.Therehavealreadybeenalotofchangesthisyear.Everyyear,wegotothebeach[onthe

river]. I don't know what has happened to the tracajás [yellow-spotted Amazon river turtles]. They

didn’t lay their eggs on the beach. Everybody said: ‘whatever happened to the turtles?’ Things have

changedincrediblyquickly.Thereareveryfeweggs.Thisisthefirstyearthatwe’veseenthathappen.

Myfatheris76andhesayshe’sneverseensofeweggsasthisyear.[…]

MR – You were speaking about the deforestation in your area and about how the [Xingu] river has

changed.Howwastheriverbefore[thedam]?

ME – The [Xingu] river, by this timeof the year, before [the dam]…Wow! Itwould be full ofwater.

November,December, itwouldbereallyfullofwater. If Iclosemyeyesandthinkbacktohowthings

wereinXingu...alotofwater;strongcurrents,atthistimeofyear.Itcouldbedangerous.I’veseenthe

riverreallyhigh.Wehadtobeverycarefulwhenwewentswimming.Notnow.It’sdriedup.There’sa

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bigdifference.Nowit’sthesameasitisinthesummer,June,July:lackinginwater.Yesterdaywegotin

therivertofish.Myfather-in-lawlookedatthefruitfallingonthesandbanks[insteadofintothewater]

andsaid,‘doyouremember?Itwasbythistimeoftheyearthatwewouldcatchthecouroseco[species

offish]’.Hecarriedon,‘inthemorningwewouldcatchthepacubranco.Bynoonwewouldcatchthe

pacu–which is the pacu preto. Below the same fruit tree… and, now… all these fruit falling on the

sandbank…fishwill…’Thefishweeatmosthereisthepacubranco.Ithinktherewillbenoneleftina

fewyearsbecauseitonlyfeedsonfruit.Theguavas,golosas,camucamusandalltheotherfruitfellon

drylandthisseason.Therewerenofloodwatersforthefishtoswimintoandthelastguavawillalsofall

ondryland.Thisyearthepacubrancohavealreadybeenverythin.They’rehardlyevenwortheating.

[…]Wepickedthefruitthathadn’tfallenintotheriver.Weusedtohavetogowiththeboattoplace

netsonthesesites,butthistimewewereonfoot.[…]

Nowwebarelyusetherivertogetintotown[Altamira].Ittakestoolongnow.Weusedtodoitinfour

hoursbutnowittakesnineorten.[…]

Theriver isgoingtostay low.Thingswouldbedifferent ifonlya fewpeoplewerefishing,butpeople

fromtownarecomingtofish,soatsomepointthey’llrunout.That'sthesituation.YoumightthinkI’d

behappiernow,Ihaveabetterschool.No.I’mnothappy,becausetheschooltheybuiltwon’treplace

thelivelihoodsthathavebeendestroyed.Nochance!Wemightbeabletoholdclassesthere,butbefore

weheldclassesallovertheplace,underneaththetreesandsoon.Itwasfine.[…]

Ifeltsadtheotherday.Myfatheralmostcried.Hehadgonefishingandbroughtinabigcatch.Hewas

happy,butthenIwentovertospeaktohim.‘Dad,’Isaid,‘youknowyoushouldn'tbesohappy,because

youcan’tcarryonfishinglikethat.’‘Why?’heasked.‘Thefishingisn’tasgoodasyouthink,’Isaid.‘It’s

onlybecausetheriverissolowandthefishhaveaccumulatedthere,inthatpool.’He’dcaughtovera

hundredfishinhisnet.‘Whenyougobackthere,therewillbefewerandfewerfishbecausethewater

levelwon’t be high enough for them to reproduce. For now, there are still fish, so it's logical that it

seemsliketherearelotsatthemoment!’Hesaid,‘youmeanIwon'tbeabletofishagain?Isaid,‘not

likethis.You’llhavetostop.’Helookeddowncast,almostcriedandsaid,‘WhatamIgoingtodoforthe

restofmylife?I’vefishedallmylife.IraisedyoubyfishingandsellingwhatIcaught.Nowyou’retelling

methatnextyearImightnotbeabletocatchsomanyfish?’Isaid,‘that'swhatIthink.Maybebefore

nextyear.Maybethisyear!Youwon’tbebringinginfishlikethis.’Helookedverysad.Myfatherfishes

every day. That's what he likes doing. He sets out in the earlymorning and brings back enough for

everyone[the25familiesofthevillage]andsellstherest.[…]

MR–I’mwonderinghereaboutthewaterlevelyouspokeabout.Whentheyreleasethewaterfromthe

dam,upstream,doesthewaterlevelrisequicklyorslowlydownhere?

ME–Itrisesabruptly.Onetime,thereservoirwasveryfullandtheyreleasedalotofwaterallatonce.

Someofourboatsweresweptaway.Myfatherwasfishingontheriverandhehadtogetbackquickly.I

don’tknowhowhemanagedit. Itwasdangerous.Myhusbandwaswithmyfather–theyfishatnight.

Theywerelayingtheirnetsandtheriversuddenlyrose.Theyhadbigtroublegettingbacktothevillage.

Whentheyarrived,severalboatsthatweremooredontheriverbankhadbeensweptaway.Welosta

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lotofthings.Whenmorningcame,Iwasintown,Ihadgonetoschoolattheweekend.Myhusbandrang

totellmewhathadhappened.HetoldmetogoandaskNorteEnergiawhatwasgoingon.WhenIgot

there,theysaidtheyhadalreadysentsomeonetothevillage.Becausetheyrealizedthedamagethey

haddone.Theycameheretoseewhathadbeenlostandsaidtheywouldreplaceeverything.However,

they didn’t buy quality things. Anyonewho lost anything thought thatwhatwe had lostwas better,

thoughNorteEnergiatriedtoconvinceusotherwise.TherewasthatfatalityatMïratu.Iknowthiskind

ofthingcanhappen,butIthinkNorteEnergiawastoblame.Thepeoplelosttheircompressor[froma

kindofbreathingdeviceusedbylocaldiverstodiveandcatchtheaquariumsoeciesofacari]whenthe

big wave came down the river. When Norte Energia replaced what had been lost, they bought the

wrong tube.Mybrotherneverused the tube theybought.The residents complainedas soonas they

receivedthethings.Theysaid, ‘this isthewrongtubeforfishing.’NorteEnergiasaid, ‘butthis iswhat

we'vebought.Thisisallwe’vegot.Theotheroneismoreexpensive.’Theyalwayswentforthecheapest

optionandwecouldn'tdoanythingaboutitbecausewe’repoor.Butweknowthatdivinginthatwayis

dangerous,andJarliel, [a fishermanfromMiratu]diedwhendivingwiththecompressor.WhenI rang

[people form Mïratu] and asked, ‘what happened?” They said, ‘the tube broke.’, ‘the one you

complainedabout?’,‘yes,theonewesaidwasnouse.’Theyknewallright.[…]

Theriver is likeastrangertousnow. Ithinkabouttheboyswhogodiving.Thecurrentsaredifferent

now.Onedaythewaterlevelislow.Thenextday,thedamreleaseswaterandthatchangeseverything.

People think they know the river. Not anymore. The currents have changed and it has become

dangerous.[…]

MR–Youspokeabouttheeventyouwentacoupleofweeksago.Whatwasitabout,Eliete?

ME–Yes.Itwasforustodiscussthedams.Fromhere,itwasme,Jarliel–theguywhodied,andother

people from other ethnic groups. Various groups went. We met in Palmas [capital of the state of

Tocantins]andweallgaveastatement.Everyonehadsomething tosay.Therewere thosewhowere

facingthebeginningoftheprocessofthedambuilding,therewerethosewhohadexperiencedthedam

inthepast,andtherewereus,whoareinthemiddleoftheprocess.Listeningtotheothers,itseemed

likewhatwashappeningatPaquiçambawashappeningelsewhere.Ihavevisitedverypoorcommunities

anditwassadtoseethembecausewherevertheyputupadam,thepeopleintheareaarepoor.There

were a series of statements. As I listened to those statements I thought, ‘it’s the same as the [Belo

Monte] project on the Xingu! The same thing is happening! There’s absolutely no difference at all!

Differentgroups,differentpeople,samestory.They[thoseinchargeoftheotherprojectsofdams]are

telling themthesamethings they toldus.’ It’s logical that theywilldo thesamething theydid tous.

Theywilllistenandthenspeaktoeachgroupseparately,eachleaderseparatelyuntiltheygetwhatthey

want.Our rolewas towarn people about this strategy. I don’t blameour leaders; their people have

beenverywell trainedtopersuadeyouthat this isagoodthing.Our leadersonlyhaveexperienceof

dealing with their own people. They’ve never dealt with anything like this before and so it’s very

difficult.[…]

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I remember, Iused togo to thecollectivemeetingswithNorteEnergia,at thebeginning [of theBelo

Monte project]. Norte Energia used to say, ‘what have these people ever given you?’–meaning the

peoplefromtheindigenousmovement,theCIMI[IndigenousMissionaryCouncil]andIdon’tknowwho

else [like people form the social movement Xingu Vivo para Sempre–MXVPS, and the Instituto

Socioambiental–ISA], ‘whathave theyeverdone foryou?Nothing!Theyonlywant tohold thingsup.

Havetheyevergivenyouanyboats?No?Idon’tthinkso!’True,theydidn’tgiveusanything.Butneither

didtheytakeanythingfromus.

Interviewee: JumaXipaia,24yearsold, leaderof theTukamãvillage (Xipaya IndigenousReserve)and

vice-presidentoftheDistrictCouncilofIndigenousHealth-CONDISI

Date:27.10.2016

Location:Altamiracity

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

JumaXipaia–I’mfromtheTukamãvillage,fromtheXipayapeople.NowIamchief,itwillbe10months

since I took over the position of the leader ofmy village. The village lies on the Iriri River, which is

tributaryoftheXinguRiver.ItistowardsMatoGrosso[state],goingup[stream].

Marilene Ribeiro (researcher) – And from the Pimental dam [themain dam of the BeloMonte dam

complex]toyourvillage,onthemotorboat,howlong,doyoureckon?

JX–Itdependsontheseasonoftheyear.Because,ifit'swinter,it'sgoingtotakeabouttwoandahalf

daysthatway.Ifit'ssummer,ifyouleaveAltamiradirectly,3,4daysormore.Itdependsontheload,

thepilotandtheunforeseenconditionsontheway,becauseatthattimeitisverydry,right?

MR–Soit’sreallyfar.

JX–It’sreallyfar.Itisoneofthemostdistantvillages.

MR–Andwhatsizeisit?Doesyourlandhaveboundaries?

JX–Itdoes.178thousandhectarsofland.

MR–Howmanyfamilieslivethere?

JX–21families.

MR–AndwhendidyouhearaboutBeloMonte?

JX–Well, I heardabout it fromayoungage,notBeloMonte,butKararaô, right?–thatwaswhatwe

heardabout.BeloMonte,moreprecisely,was in2007.IcameheretoAltamira in2005,attheendof

2005,inDecember,soIdidnothearofitbefore.Now,from2007onwards,that'swhenweheardabout

BeloMonte,wealreadyhadEletronortehere,whichtodayiscalledNorteEnergia;sothatwaswhatwe

heardaboutmoreintenselyandwebegantounderstandwhatitreallyis,whatBeloMontewas,right?–

thatitwasthedam.Untilthen,youonlyheardaboutitanddidnotknowwhatitwas.

MR–Andwhogaveyouthenews?

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JX –We learned about it from themovement, the Xingu Vivo [Xingu Vivo para SempreMovement–

MXVPS], which I approached. I began attending meetings as well, but before me, there were other

peoplealreadyparticipating,otherIndigenouspeople,ofcourse,whohadbeenfollowingthisfightsince

Iwasachild.BecauseweknowthatthisBeloMonte[dam]isveryold,butwantedtoknowmoreclearly,

to know the size of the venture, the impact that this would bring, participating in the Xingu Vivo

meetingsandtravelingtootherplaces,likeBrasília,RiodeJaneiro;andotherpeoplecomingherefrom

ISA, fromothermovements, fromotherorganizations,explaining,explainingwhatBeloMontewasto

us:alargehydroelectricplant,thethirdlargestintheworld,andexplainingitsimpacts.Thesizewasa

surprise,weneverimaginedthatitwouldbesobig.Soitwasfrom2007thatwebeganhearingthings

more intensely, and really think, ‘no,will this really happen?’ Because, before, I heard only talk and

thoughtitwassomethingthatwouldneverhappen.But,suddenly,itarrived.

MR–Andhowdidthosestoriesgettothe[Tukamã]village?

JX–Thestoriesarrivedbymeansofpeople,likepeddler,whentheycametoselltheirproducts,tobuy

Brazilnuts,itwasthroughthemthattheinformation,newsonKararaô[dam],arrived.Andsincethere

wasagarimpo[goldprospectionsite]insidetheIL[IndigenousReserve]Kuruaya,whichwasoperating

at thetime,therewerea lotofpeoplearound,sothat informationendeduparriving.Onlywedidn’t

know–asIsaidearlier.Itseemedlikeitwassomethingthatwasnevergoingtohappen,‘Ah,no,it'sonly

peopletalking’and,asIwassaying,from2007on,thetalkintensified,itwasnolongerKararaôbutBelo

Monte [dam].We even thought itwas another venture, butwe came to understand that itwas the

sameenterpriseonlythatithadjustchangeditsname,right,thatithadchangeditsnameandthatwe

cametoknowthewholestructureoftheenterprise,theimpactitwouldhaveontheregion,andwegot

involved in this discussion. I was 15 years old at the time, when I started to attend the Xingu Vivo

meetingsandtraveledandwenttoreallyseewhatahydroelectricpowerplantwas.Itwasmuchmore

thanwe'dheardof,especiallywhenitcametotheimpact.

MR–Today,almost10years later, thattheventure isalmostcompleted,whatdoyouperceiveas its

effectonyou,thereinIriri[attheTukamãvillage]?

JX–Theeffectwefeltfromthebeginning,evenbeforethedammingprocess,whentractorsplacedthe

landstriptodiverttheriver[theensecadeira],wealreadyfeltthis impact.Not indirectly,butdirectly.

When the process started, from 2007, thatwas already reaching people here, in the [Altamira] city,

right?So,everythingwaschangingovernight,andwiththat,therewasalreadyafirstimpact:thearrival

ofmanypeoplehereand,withthat,diseases.Becausewe[peoplefromthevillage]wouldcometothe

city, itturnedoutthatsomeviruseswewouldgethereweredifferent,wedidn’thavethemhere,we

werenotusedtothem,wedidn’thavetheantibodies[forthesenewviruses],weendedupacquiring

andtakingthemintothevillagesandthesewerediseases,influenzas.Yes.Itwasoneofthefirstimpacts

we suffered. So therewas this situation.Other than that, therewas another, even greater situation,

whichwasthedemobilizationoftheindigenousmovementthatwasbeingcreatedatthetime.Because

we heard about Kararaô–then BeloMonte, that it was being planned, an attempt of an indigenous

organizationstarted.Itwastofightfortherights,forthedefenceofourterritoriesandtothisprocess

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tobeparticipatorytoo, forustoknowwhatwashappening.Becauseweare livinghere inthisspace,

whichitisbeingoccupied,wherethisisbeingdiscussed,wherethethirdlargestenterpriseintheworld

isbeingbuiltandwearenotbeingheard,right?Sothatwasoneofthebiggestdirectimpacts,because

there was no free and prior consultation–as stated in the Brazilian Constitution–to the indigenous

peoples tobe affectedby this venture. So thatwasoneof the first impacts, thatwe felt right away,

because we were not heard at all and we wanted this right to be respected. So we started an

organization,amovement,tryingtobeheard,tryingtoparticipateinthisdiscussionand,ofcourse,that

wasdenied.Then,awholeprocessofleadershipcoercionbegan,andariftwithinthislittleindigenous

movementthatwasstartingtothrivehappened.Thatwasanotherimpact:thedivisionofthepeoples.

Todaywesee themre-approachingeachother,butat that time,moreprecisely in2007,2008,2009,

until 2010, there was a process of division, that is, dividing to conquer. And that's what they [the

consortium responsible for thehydroelectricproject] did.Becauseweknewandheard speeches like,

‘look,youhaveagreatpowerinyourhands,BeloMonte,willonlyhappenifthenativeswantto.’ I'm

tired of hearing this. And it does not depend on the indigenous natives either, because how arewe

goingtopreventaprocess,anenterprise,somethingsobig,soseriousandfullofimpactsifwedonot

knowabouttheentireprocess,ifwearenotapartofit?Soitwasdifficulttosayanything,becauseit

wastoomuchinformationinashorttime.Then,whathappened:immediatelyafterthatcamethecall,

theEmergencyPlan [PEPTI3],which thenmadethisprocessof riftevenworse,because it [thegoods]

wenttoeachvillageseparately,andeachvillagehadadifferentprocessoftreatment;so,manyvillage

leadersbegantofightforself-interestsandnotfortheonesoftheircommunities.Thentheprocessof

splitandconflict,especiallywithincommunities, intensified [with thePEPTI].Theseweresomeof the

mostdirect impactswithinthecommunities:disruptingmanyofthemandsettingaprecedentforthe

theopeningofnewvillages,whichwasanotherimpactthatwearestillsufferingfromnow.

MR–DidtheXipayasufferthisissueconcerningthesplit?

JX –No, no. In theXipayaReserveweonly have two villages: TukamãandTukayá. Tukamã,which is

older–which iswhere Iamapartof, Iamthe leader,andTukayá,which isnewer,butnotbecauseof

BeloMonte,itwasalreadythere[bythetimetheBeloMonteprojectstarted]–justitsacknowledgment

asavillagethatcamelater,butthat[split intotwovillageswithintheXipayaIndigenousReserve]was

prior toBeloMonte.But inother IndigenousReserves thereweresignificantvillagecreationsandwe

knowitwasbecauseoftheEmergencyPlan[PEPTI],wheremanyleaderswantedtoself-benefit.Ithink

notonlyself-benefit,Ithinkthat’sthewrongword,butthiswholeprocess,itwasnotexplained,there

wasno accompanimentwithus Indians, so it openedaprecedent for several things [tohappen]. So,

eachonewantedhisown–notgeneralizing,small isolatedgroupsandthat’s it…Andtherewereother

conflictsbecausepeople,manydidnotagree[thattheBdeloMonteprojectwouldhappen]–usuallythe

olderones,whereasothersagreed.Then,‘sinceyoudon’tagreewithme,let’ssplit[ourpeopleintotwo

villages].’Itwasnotonlyregardingmaterialgoods,asmanysay,withthisissueoftheEmergencyPlan,

therewereotherissues,includingthatofthemovement,tosaythatsomewantedtofightagainstthe

3SeeChapterFourfordetailsonthePEPTI.

387

venture,whereasotherswantedtoacceptthisprocess[theBeloMonteproject],andevenothersdid

not want to take part in this discussion, they just wanted to continue in their villages, leading life

peacefully. Then therewere these cracks. Yet,much today is confused,people say ‘ah,many villages

weredividedonlybytheissue[duetotheEmergencyPlan]’,butitwasnotonlythatreasonthatmade

communitiestosplit.ThisissueoftheEmergencyPlanwasoneoftheimpactsthatcausedthedivision

ofthevillage,buttherearesomanyotherissuesthatevenwedon’tknowabout.[…]

Todayweare51villagesaltogetherhereintheregion.Soit'salot.Andeachone,nomatterhowmany

of the same people are they, has different needs and conflicts that also generated this division, not

necessarily because of the Emergency Plan. Because of this, the criminalization of the indigenous

peoples–which is very serious and happened because of BeloMonte–still persists,mainly due to the

issue of the Emergency Plan, ‘ah! Indigenous people today, each one wants to his or her village a

motorboat,acar,tosell,becausenatives,today,don’twalkanymore…’Allthiscriminalization,andeven

threats,coercion–infact,somanythings–arepartofaviolationtoourrights.Sopeopleusedmuchof

theEmergencyPlantocriminalizeandgeneralizetheindigenouspeoples,unawareoftherealfactsthat

causedsuchsplits,which sometimeshad todowithother internal conflicts,often,notonaccountof

BeloMonte–althoughmostwere.So,wehavetolookatthesituationmorecarefully.Today,Icansee

thisclearer.Atthatmoment, Icouldn’t,because itwassomuchgoingonatthesametime, itwasso

much information and, especially, demonstrations to be conducted; sowe could not stop and think,

analyse,understand.And,on the topof this, Imyselfwas inavery tensemoment.Today I canmake

thatobservation,Icanseethisandunderstandthisprocessofthedivisionofthecommunities,while2,

3 years ago I could not. So, there is a lot more inside, which is part of what we are learning and

discoveringeveryday,andrealizingthatitwasnotonlybecauseoftheEmergencyPlan,thatitwasnot

onlybecauseofBeloMonte,butbecauseofthisprocessasawhole.

MR–YoutoldmethattheIndigenouspeopleswerealsothreatened.

JX–Yes.

MR–Bywhomandwhy?

JX–Well,thisisaverydelicatesubject,becauseweknowthatyoucannotaccuseanyonewithoutproof,

but you know that there were, and that there is still, this thing of the threats. […]We don’t know

directlywhat threats,butweknow that theyexistedandwere really serious.At that time, Iwas still

here [in Altamira] and I followed the case of Zé Carlos, from TerraWangã [village], from the [Arara

people]ofVoltaGrande,theAraradoMaia.Atthetime,hehadtowalkaroundwithabodyguard,even

if this was only for coming and going from his village. He started to no longer attendmeetings and

demonstrations.Hehadtogetawayfromeverything.Wedon’tknowtherealreason–alsobecauseof

securityreasons,weonlyknowthatheturnedawayfromeverything.Upuntilthen,heusedtobeone

ofthemostactiveleaders,strong,thaonethatreallyspokeup.Wenoticedthechange.Ofcourse,he

wouldnotwalkawaylikethat,outoftheblue,andwouldnotalsowalkaroundwithpeopledoinghis

security, bodyguards, if nothing was happening, such as threats, right? So we don’t know the real

reasons,butknowhemovedawayfromeverything.Now,recently,he'scomingbackalittlemore,but

388

verydifferentfromwhat[he]wasbefore.Thentherewereothercasesaswellthatotherindividualshad

tostop[togetinvolvedinthestruggle]alittle.So,therewasthisdemobilizationinsidethemovement

and,weknow,thisisadelicatesituation.Iseethisasaminefieldwhichwehavetoknowwheretostep,

and,especially,whowe’redealingwith,soit'sabittense,right?Butitwastheseandalsootherthings

thatIwouldnotliketotalkabout.

MR–Youwere tellingmeabout the flus fromthepeoplewhocameto [Altamira]city.Did these flus

existItheareabeforeBeloMonte?

JX–Therewerecasesoftheflu,butnothingcomparedtowhatwehavetoday.Now,recently,wehad

morethanahundredchildrenhospitalizedboth inthemunicipalhospitaland intheregionalhospital,

wherethemostseriouscasesgo,andthen,theH1N1influenzacametothevillages.Then,ontheIriri

route,therewasonedeath,threedeathsontheXinguroute,andontheBacajároute,14.Allchildren,

allwiththisstrongfluthatwedidnotknowabout.Ourdrugsusedtohaveaneffect.Forthistypeofflu

thatwehavetodayourmedicationsarealmostnothing,theyhavenomoreeffect.[Because]Theyare

othervirusesandwedonotknowhowtodealwiththem.So,ofcourse,itwasbecauseofthearrivalof

otherpeople.Becauseeventoday,withinthevillages,thereareaverylargenumberofworkers–inthe

schoolbuilding,theBHU[theBasicHealthUnit]andotherbuildingswithinthevillagesthatpeopleare

constructing,thereareworkerswhoarenot indigenous,right?Andsomeofthemarenotvaccinated,

despitetherecommendationandthefactthatitisstatedintheircontractthateveryemployeeshould

bevaccinated.Butweknowthattherearepeopleinside,whocometothevillages,whohavenottaken

anykindofvaccine.

MR – And these people who went to work in the villages, they went because of the BEP [Basic

EnvironmentalPlan4oftheBeloMonteproject],ornot?

JX–Yes,itisbecauseoftheBEP,whichstatedaspartofitsactionssubjectsconcerningtheindigenous

health program–which included the construction of the BHU [Basic Health Unit], right?–and the

indigenous education, which included the building of the school. This was one of the

[socioenvironemntal]conditionsoftheBEP:providinginfrastructurewithinthevillages.

MR–Sothesepeople[workers]gotintothevillagebymeansofthecompaniesthatwerenominatedby

NorteEnergiatoaccomplishthese[socioenvironemntal]conditions.

JX–Yes.Outsourcedcompanieswerecontracted tocarryout theactionsof theprogramswithin the

villages,constructionofschools,houses,canteen,aviaries,everythingregardingconstructionwithinthe

scopeof thatproject [theBEP}.Peoplearehired,outsourcedcontractorsarehiredtocarryout these

activities,thatisconstructioninsidethevillages,inhighamounts,right?Butthereisacontractthathas

severalrequirementstobefulfiled,oneofthemistheissueofvaccines,butinadditiontothesehired

people, in addition to the workers, there is the motorboat pilot, the boatmen, who usually do not

receivethevaccine.So,onethingaretheworkersthatthecompanyhirestobuildthefacilities,butthen

itwillhireanothertypeofservice,whichispartofthelogistics,whichwilltransportthatmaterial,soit

willhirealogisticsserviceandwillnotconsiderthosewhoworkforthat[transport]servicedobemade

4SeeAppendix1fordetails.

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ascompanyworkers,right?Sotheseworkers[whobuild]getvaccine.Thosewhodothelogistics,who

transport,whowilldotheunloadinginsidethevillages,itisnotknowniftheyarevaccinated.

MR–Andcanyouremember ifthishealth issuewasveryclear:thechange,beforeandduring[these

works]?

JX–Veryclear!Itwasearly2011–thatwaswhenIhadtoleaveAltamira.Inthebeginningof2011,Iwas

writing a draft of the project that was going to go to the [Tukamã] village, which was about the

traditionalmedicinal plants of the Xipaya people, and in one of the texts that I waswriting, Iwrote

abouttheissueoffoodtoo,oftheeatingdisordersthatwouldhappen.Likeananticipation,aprediction

ofwhatwouldhappen.Becauseobservingthiswholeprocess,evenbeforetheEmergencyPlan–where

tons and tons of industrialized foodwent into the villages, I, knowing that this part of consumption

wouldbedonewithoutanykindofnutritionalmonitoring,manyofthesefoodswent intothevillages

alredywith their best before dates already expired, tons and tons, a lot of soda, canned and spiced

goods,Ialreadyknewthatthiswouldhaveeffectsinthefuture,weweregoingtohaveareactionthat

wouldnotbegood. So, inmy text, Ihadalreadymade this clear: thatwewouldhavemanycasesof

influenza, low immunity,obesity, cholesterol,diabetesandevencancer.And this Ihaveaccompanied

directlywithinmyvillage,Idonotneedtogivereferencesorexamplesofotherpeople,Ialreadyseethe

differenceinmyvillage.MymotherisanursingtechnicianandI,sinceIwasachild,havefollowedher

work,evenbeforeshewasanursingtechnician.So Iknowof thedrasticchangethathas takenplace

andwhat ishappening inside thevillagesand I see thismainlywithinmyvillage…stomachproblems,

even cancer problems, cancer casesmuchmore than 2, evenmore than that already insidemyown

villageandotherthings,fluandmalaria.Todaytherearesomanyotherdiseases,thatwedonoteven

knowtheirnames,ortheircause.Didn’tknowinfact.Theyareduetothiswrongdiet,thisconsumption

of industrializedfoods,evenexpireditems.Thesetypesofdiseasearealreadyemergingandmanywe

donotknowfromwhere,right?Weknowthatit isbecauseofthiswholeprocess,whichdidnothave

follow-ups. There are cases that I feel really sorry for theperson, cases I havenowwitnessedwithin

othervillages.Notonlybecauseofthefoodissue,buttheissueofgarbageinthevillages.Thecompany

[Norte Energia] brings into these packaged goods and this does not have an exit process, a specific

treatmentforthedestinationofthesewastes,whichalsocauseothertypesofdiseases.So,thechange

isclearandhasonlyprogressedmoretothebadside.Andthenumberofbedsinsidethehospitalsdid

notincrease,thenumberofvillagesincreased,diseasesbecamediversified,whatweoncehadasamild

flu,asamalaria,todaywearedealingwiththisflusyndrome–whichwerecentlyhadanoutbreak,Itold

youabouttheamountofdeathswehad–,cancer,hypertension,cholesterol,diabetes,gastritis,ulcers,

gallstone, a variety of diseases that we had never even heard of, right? And the health system, the

healthpolicyaimedattheindigenouspeoplesremainedthesameasbefore,resourcesdidnotincrease,

thenumberofbeds inhospitals alsodidnot increaseaccording to the increaseof thepopulation [of

Altamira],notonlyindigenous,butofthecityitself,thenthedemandincreasedandtheresources,even

theassistancewehadatthetime, in2010, fromabout5,6yearsago,continuedthesame, itdidnot

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follow this process of building up diseases, the emergence of new viruses. So, today we have this

difficultyinmeetingallthedemands,alltheneedsofthevillages.

MR – Just forme to understand: these canned foods, this change in diet happened because of Belo

Monte?

JX – Not only because of BeloMonte. I think it's important to report that not only because of Belo

Monte.Thesefoodswereconsumedbefore,notall,butmostwerealreadyconsumed.However,with

thearrivalofBeloMonteandthe‘EmergencyPlanera’–whichishowwecallit,therewasamoredirect

andeasyaccesstothistypeoffood,thesefoodsarrivedintothevillage,understand?Weconsumed1,

2,3cansofoil,milk,orsomethingelse;suddenly,everythingstartedtocomenotinunitsbutintons,in

bales,inboxes,in...

MR–Why?

JX–ItwastheEmergencyPlan.Therewererequisitions,they[NorteEnergia]said, ‘ah,whatdoesthe

villagewant?’,[andthevillageleaderreplied]‘that’swhatitwants’.they[theleaders]madethelistand

theysentittoNorteEnergia,thenNorteEnergiawouldmakethepurchaseanddeliverallthisfoodto

thevillages.Soitwasnottheindigenouspeopleswhoboughtthingsinthesupermarket,butratherthe

foodcametotheminsidethevillagesandinverylargeamountsand,asItoldyou,withoutanykindof

monitoring and inspection and with expired foods–what was consumed in the same way, and not

everyonesawthat.

MR–Andwhydidindigenousleadersmaketheselistswiththesethings?

JX–Becauseitwaswhatwasoffered.Thisprocess,whichalsoincludescooptation,inmypointofview…

itbecomepartoftheEmergencyPlan,whichwas…akindof,like,howdoyousay?...notof...Ithinkthe

clearestwordwouldbethis:cooptation,buyinginterests,‘let’sgivethecommunitywhateveritasksfor

toask,[because]wegetwhatwewantthere[i.e.makethehydroelectricprojecthappen]’.So,Iseethe

Emergency Plan like this, from the food, from the sugar to the motorboat engine. So, this aroused

interest in theopeningofnewvillagesandeventhiswasusedtosay ‘look,BeloMontewillbegood.

Whatwedidn’thavebefore,wehavenow.’So,everythingwasveryeasy.Weknowthatthisregionhere

iscomplex,itisaregionofdifficultaccess.Then,inaneyeblink,tonsoffoodarrive…Iflargeamountsof

motorboats,boatenginesarrive,whowouln’twantthat?Nowyouhavetopayattentiontohowthat

comes and what impact this will cause, and, especially, what interest is there in supplying all these

products,thesematerials,theseobjects,whatdoesthatleadtointhevillages,right?So,therewasthis

processoftheEmergencyPlan.Iseethis‘lead’giventothecommunitiesasveryintentional,whichdid

notonlygeneratetheimpacts,theprocessofdivision,conflict,butthatwillalsogeneratemainlylong-

termproblemsthatwearegoingtoseeevenmoreofinthefuture.Ithinkwhatwearegoingthrough

todayisstillverylittleofwhatwillhappen,ofwhatisyettocome,althoughitwillsimplybethereaction

ofthiswholeprocessthatwasconductedinadequately,absurdly,disrespectfully,coercivelyandwithout

anykindoffollow-uptotheindigenouscommunities.[…]

Todaywe can see the impacts that thispartof theEmergencyPlanhashad, especially regarding the

intentionalwaythiswasdone.

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MR–So,youwerespeakingabouttheEmergencyPlan,thatitwouldbeawaytomeettheimmediate

needs,butthat,intheend,itwassimplyanotherwaytobreakupandcauseproblemsthatwilldragon

longer.

JX–Yes.

MR – You said that, before the Emergency Plan, you consumed industrialized products, but in small

amounts.

JX–Yes.

MR–-Whatwasthebasisofyourdietbefore?

JX– Itwasnot thatamount, andaccesswasnotaseasyas it is today.Becauseour foodwasalways

based on hunting, fishing, what the forest provided us with; nuts, cacao, cassava, and corn… it was

based largelyonthistraditionalfood.[…]Rightnow, I justremembered,wewereontheXinguroute,

whereall thevillages–notonlyontheXinguroute–havesomuchtoothproblems.Manyare losingall

their teeth.This is seriousandwedonothaveadentist,wehavebeenwithoutdentalassistance for

morethanayear,evenwithinthevillagesthemselves.

MR–Hadhiseverhappenedbeforethisaccessto...?

JX–Notthatmuch.Weknowthatthisisbecauseoffood,especiallysoda,sugars,thatthishappens.As

therewasthisincrease[intheintakeofsugar],ofcourse,ifyoudonothaveacontrol,ifyoudonothave

prevention,therewillbeanincreaseinothertypesofdiseaseandespeciallytheteethsituation,right?

MR–Andyourvillage,whichissituated2daysaway...

JX–Ormore.

MR–Ormore,fromthedam,doyouthinkthishasalsohappened...?

JX–Yes.BecausetheEmergencyPlandidn’tcoveracertainvillageorroute,thisindustrializedfoodand

otherproductswespokeabout,theywenttoallvillages.Theproblemwehaveindifferentvillages,we

canseethatitispracticallythesame.Irealizednow,onthislastworktripIdid,andnotethatI'veonly

beenontheIririroute,ontheXinguroutesofar–IalreadyknowabouttheIririroutebecauseit isthe

routeofmyvillage.Therearestilltwootherroutes:BacajáandVoltaGrande;butbythereports,bythe

demandsthatwereceivefromthevillages,wealsoseethatthisproblemisalsohappeningontheother

routes, this situation of oral health. What changes is the severity of each case, but this problem is

happeninginallvillagesandwehavewitnessedcasesoftotalteethloss,fromchildrentotheelderly!

Thiswasalreadypresent,ofcourse,wehadproblemsbefore,I'mnotsayingthatitwasonlybecauseof

BeloMonte; but BeloMonte contributed to this increase, and if this is not prevented, if there is no

control,thesituationgetsmoreandmoresevere,whichisnowthesituationthatwearedealingwith.

It’sbeenonemonththatI'vebeenvicepresidentofCONDISI,thenewcoordinatorhasbeenonthejob

forthreemonthsnow,sowe'rerunningthisprocessofassessmentandcareinallthevillages.SoImight

find out a lot more until the end of the year, the beginning of next year… if you ask me the same

questioninayeartime,ornextmonth,Imighthavealotmoretotellyou,right?BecauseIhaveeven

not been on all the routes, or all the villages, and I've already seen this need, this urgency. I payed

attentiontothisandtalkedtothevillagers.Thatwas1,2yearsago,5yearsago,right?Theyresponded,

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‘no,we did not use to suffer somuch,we had our home-mademedicines. But now, no home-made

remedyisworking,it'snotenoughtomakethepaingoaway.’[…]So,thisissueoforalhealth,thisissue

of invasionwithintheterritories,coercion,cooptationof leaders,unfortunatelywewillstillhavea lot

more problems in the long run. Unfortunately, I see that everything is a process, it is not easy, it is

delicate,itisdifficult.EverytimeIwouldgobacktoAltamira–[because]therewasatimewhenIhadto

leavemyvillage–Ihadaverybadfeeling,becauseIcouldseeachangethatwasbeingimposed,thatwas

disrespectful, thatviolated,thattookawayallhopeandthatcouldchangethe lifeofapeople,ofthe

peopleingeneral.SoeverytimeIwouldgobackfromAltamiratomyvillage,Isawonething,ortwo,

three things,adifferent impact fromtheone I alreadyknew thatwasgoingonby the time I left the

villagetowardsAltamira.SoeverytimeIwoulscomebacktothevillage,Isawsomethingnewanditwas

neveragoodthing, itwasbadand itmademethinkmoreandmore, ‘Howfarwill thiscontinueand

whatwillbecomeofourfuture?’

MR–Andinvasions?

JX – Yes, invasions intensified a lot! Not only territorial invasions, butmainly fluvial, because, as the

demand,thepopulationincreased,consumptionalsoincreased,consumptionoffish.Sincetheamount

offishisnotthesameasinthepast,themortalityrateisveryhighnow,andthatisstillthecasehere

todayatXingu’sBigBend,becauseofallthischemistry,thesethingsthatareused,theseexplosivesthat

areused,sothey[thefishermen]goup[stream]theXingu,goup[towards]theIriri[River],insearchof

fish. And where is the largest amount of fish? Inside the Indigenous Reserves, inside indigenous

territories.TaketheXipayaIndigenousReserveasanexample:today,wehaveanimpressiveinvasionof

fishermenbothbydayandbynight.WearenowbuildingourterritorymanagementplanfortheXipaya

IndigenousReserve andwe arehaving a difficult dialoguewith theneighbors, because they insist on

fishingtobeabletosupplythemarkethere[inAltamiracity],tosupplytheconsumptionhere.Sowe’re

tryingtocare forandpreserveeverythingforourselves, for futuregenerationsandthere's thiswhole

situationthatgoesintothatpartoftheinvasion.Sotheinvasionisnotonlyterritorial, it isalsofluvial

andithasbeenremarkably intensifiedlately.Sothis isoneofthemainconcerns,becausehereinthe

surroundings [of Altamira] we have fish, but it has become scarce. And where is the cradle [fish

nursery],whereistheabundance?Inindigenousterritories.Manyresourcesarealreadyscarce,sothey

gototheotherlands,wherethefishare.Thereareindigenousterritories,indigenousreservesthatare

sufferingevenmorethanus,regardingthishuntingandfishingsituation.

MR–Youmean,worsethantheXipaya?

JX–ThantheXipayaandsitesnearAltamiraareatoo.So,theygolookingwherethereisalotoffish.

MR–Theywho?

JX–Thefishermen,thecompanies,thelocalbusiness,tosupplythemarkethere[inAltamira].Theyare

searchingforwherethefishare,right?

MR–BeforeBeloMonte,didtheyusetogoupthere?

JX–Yes,butnotthatoften.Wewouldinspectour[area]...talkedtothemanddialogueusuallyleadto

agreements that sorted the problem. This no longer works today. Today they come in, especially at

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night,whichiswhenwedon’thavethissurveillanceprocess.So,thetrendisthatthisproblemwillonly

intensify,unfortunately.But ithasdecreased, justa little,becausemanyworkers left[theBeloMonte

worksite], the Belo Monte peak passed, so, of course, it is pertinent to say that there has been a

decrease in this demand. However, we know that now,with this issue of Belo Sun [the goldmining

megaprojectproposedbytheCanadiancompanyBeloSuntotakeplaceintheXingu’sBigBendarea],

thisiscomingbackagain.Therearepeoplecominginandtheyhavealreadyenteredourterritory,they

knowwheretheyare,theywillnotstopgoingthere,thefishermenandallthesepeople,[because], in

additiontofishermen,therearealsomiddlemen,withinterestsbehindtheiractions.

MR–Andwhydoesn’tdialoguesolvetheproblemanymore?

JX–Because the interest,mainlyeconomic, ismuchgreaternow, it speaks louder.So, the interest in

meeting theneeds here [inAltamira] and, especially, inmeeting their own interests,makes themgo

anywhere, theyenter territories theyarenotallowed into.They fishbecausepeoplearepayinga lot

more[forthefish],thenit isworthtakingthechancetogetwhatyouwant,right?1kgoffishhereis

absurdlycostly,sotheygoandgetthefishwhere it isabundant,theydon’tcare,theydon’tmeasure

effortstodoso.

MR–Andyouthinkthatthishastodowiththedecreaseintheamountoffishhere,ornot?

JX–Ofcourse!Ithaseverythingtodowiththis.Thefishinghasincreasedbecauseofthefishmortality

events that are happening. Because we know that down there [close to the dam], it was in 2012,

September 2012, we saw the immense amount of fish, snakes, caimans, rays, all dead. All of them!

Up[stream],too,attheIriri[River].Nowwe'reseeingitheretoo.Thereissomuch!Weseefishdying...

One of these days, I was talking to a Xikrin relative who lives in [the Trincheira] Barajá [Indigenous

Reeserve].Hesaid,‘oh,Juma,Youmighthaveloadsofeggsuptherenow!Nowthetracajásmightbe

layinglotsofeggsthere,atyourland,right?There'salotoftracajáthereforyou,theymustallbefat.’

AndIsaid,‘no,onthecontrary:therewasthefirstrainofAugustandIwasthereinthevillage.Onthe

dayafterwewenttothebeach[and]notracajátrailonthebeachwasseen’.Fouryearsago,itwasall

trampled,wecouldnoteventrackwheretheywerecomingorgoingfrombecausethereweresomany

trails.TodayIdidnotseeasingletracajátrailonthebeach.Anditrained!Andthen,theboyswereable

tocatch40tracajá,andweletthemgo,becausewhentheykilled3ofthem,whenweputthemonthe

firetoroast,theytasted likemud,theyweresothinthatwepitiedthem.Manyoftheeggswerestill

very small, did not grow and were different. So what did we do?We took pictures of them, I took

photosandweplacedthemagainbytheriver,becausewecouldnoteatthem.Thatwasverystrange

and it was something that we had never seen before. He said, ‘Juma, it's the same thing that's

happeningontheXinguroute;soIthoughtitwasbecauseofthelandstripplacedbytractorstodivert

theriver,Ithoughtitwasjusthereatthe[Xingu’s]BigBend’.Isaid,‘No.’So,youseethesameimpact

peoplefromtheBigBendisseeing,theysaytheimpactisdifferent,butweseethatitisnot!Thetracajá

lefthere togo there [to the IririRiver]? It couldhavedone that,but that’salmost impossible, if they

wouldall immigrate thatdistance in sucha shortperiod.Then the impactalso reached there [Juma’s

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village, on the Iriri River] and there are somany other impacts that in the short termwe can’t see,

observe,but...

MR–Andyousaidyouhaveneverseenthis.

JX–Wehaveneverseenthis.

MR–Doyouthinkhydropoweriscleanenergy?

JX–Definitelynot!Energythatkills,endeavourthatkills,thatviolatesrights,thatdoesnotrespectboth

life,historyandthepeoplethat liveinthearea: itwillneverbeclean!Hydropowerisenergymadeof

blood,sorrow,rage,itisenergybuiltagainstpeople’swill,itiscorruptenergy.Itcanneverbeclean!Itis

obtained over needs, over our history... against ourwill, it is done in an imposedway, so it is never

clean,right?Becausethereareotherprocessesofobtainingenergy,weknowthatBrazilisveryrichin

everything, then thereareother formsofenergywithoutdoingso in thisdevastating, inhumaneway

that the government keeps insisting on doing. Disrespectful and wanting mainly to decimate the

indigenouspeoplewholivehere,soitwillneverbeclean.[Because]itisbuiltwithourblood,itisbuilt

onourterritoryandwithoutoursupport,withoutourparticipationandwewillneverbeanaccessoryto

thisand,especially,wewouldneverwanttoparticipateinaprocesslikethis,thattakeslife,thatwants

todestroythefuture,especiallythatofourfuturegeneration...cuttingourvein.Theriverisourlife,itis

the vein of our body, the forest is our mother. S,o how can we agree to something that kills us,

something that takes away our comfort, something that directly attacks our land, ourmother–which

gives us food, sustenance, that guarantees us a clean and healthy future. So we cannot accept and

cannotbelievethatthisisclean.It’smanythings,exceptcleanenergy!

MR–DoyouthinkthehydroelectricpowerplanthasanyeffectonnatureforyouXipaya?

JX–Likewhat?

MR–Theeffectyouthinkitcanhave.If,theBeloMontedamhadanyeffectontheXipaya,onnature?

JX – It had a lot of effects, still has and stillwill.Negativeones!Becausewe know thatwe canhave

development,wecanhavehealth,wecanhaveeducation,wecanhaveaccess to themedia,wecan

haveaccesstoeverythingwithoutdestroyingwhatisours.WedidnotneedBeloMontetohavewhat

wehave today,becausemanyof the things thatarebeingdonewithin theBEP [BasicEnvironmental

Plan] are called public policies, which is the government's obligation, there is no need to build a

hydroelectricplantforthegovernmenttocomplywithitsobligation,fortheStatetodoitsduties;there

isnoreasonforthis,BeloMontedoesnotjustifyhowtobringdevelopmenttotheregion,toimprove

life and bring energy—that they call ‘clean’. There is no reason for this. We have other sources of

energy,wehaveothersourcesofdevelopmentandIseeBeloMontenotonlyasenergy,butmainlyas

anenterprisethatsucksourwealth,thatsucksourwholelifeandthatdestroyseverythingthatpeople

foughtforsomanyyearstopreserveandthatBrazilandthegovernmentforgotabout.Itfact,itdidn’t

forget,itlefttheAmazon,theNorth,quiet,forawhile,whileitdestroyedtherestofBrazilandtodayit

comeshere,aftersomanyyears,destroyingeverything,relocatingthepeople,disrespectingthepeople

thathave livedhereforso long,thathavefoughtandpreservedthisterritory,all forthe interestofa

few,mainly for capitalism. So I saw,when Ibegan tounderstand, toparticipate inall this, I saw: the

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Amazon,itwasnot‘forgotten’purposely,itisbeingstoredforfutureuses!Anditisnotgoingtobeused

forourinterestbutfortheinterestofasmallgroup,theinterestofagovernmentthatdoesnotrespect

andthathasneverrespectedthetrueownersandinhabitantsofthisland,us,theindigenouspeoples.

And today, we are not just on the front line, we want to participate, we are participating in the

discussions,wewanttomakeproposalsaswell,becausewe,asmanythink,likesomeoftheministers,

like the government, think that we hamper the government, that we hinder development, on the

contrary, we do not have to destroy our nature to consume, we do not have to kill our mother to

continueliving,weliveinharmonywithher,weliveaccordingtowhatshegivesusandwelivedsowell

thatwearealive to thisday.So,wework inharmonyand respectingeachother’s space.There isno

needtodeforestorkillorrelocateorendpeople’sidentity,peopleslife,thehistoryofawholepeopleto

develop,andweunderstandthisverywell.Wedonotacceptthisinhumanprocessthatthegovernment

hasconducteduntilnow,webelieve,anddo,andworkinawaythatrespectseachother’sspaceand,

especially,nature.So,wearenowparticipatingmoreandmoreinthissituationoftheBeloMonte,we

donot conduct anymoredemonstrations, butweare strengtheningour association,we areworking

withourprojects,wantingtobepartofthisdiscussionandtoreallywork,understandthisprocessand

notonlybeusedlikewehavebeenusedforsolong.

MR–Speakingofnature,youspokeofthemotherandtheriver,ofthevein.DoyouthinkBeloMonte

affectedthat?

JX–Everything!TheXingu[River]nolongerrunslikebefore, itwascut inhalf. It'sas ifyouhaveyour

arm and one cuts it. That's what happened to the Xingu! And the amount of trees that I saw being

buried in theBeloMonteconstruction sites!Theyhaveagraveyardof trees inside thoseBeloMonte

plantbeds. This reflectsnotonly in theview, likewehavehere, that therewasan island in thepast

which they knocked down for nothing and that it’s now is being born again. These other trees, how

manyother assaults theyhavedoneonnature!Manyof all these atrocities that theyhavedoneare

irreversible and there is a lot of damage. And that impact, it not only will come to us, who are

indigenous, it will come to humanity in general. So when we fight for the defence of territory, for

nature,forourstandingtrees,sothattherivercanrunfreeas ithasalwaysrun, it isnotonlyforour

interest,itisnotonlyforourexistence,butforthecommongood,foreveryone.Andthisiswhatsociety

needstounderstand.Weindigenouspeoplesdonotonlydefendourterritories,wedonotonlyfightfor

land,wefight forthecontinuityofourfuturegenerationsandforourveryexistenceandnotonlyfor

theveryexistenceofindigenouspeoples,butforourhumanexistence.Thatiswhattheothersneedto

understand,thatourstruggleisnotonlyforus, indigenouspeoples,thelandsthatwehavepreserved

untiltoday,it isnotonlytosaythatwehaveapieceoflandandthatit isours,it isbecauseweknow

that we need it to preserve it, [because] we know that it is necessary to maintain life, health and

tranquilitytohaveourfoodforthefuture.[…]

A long time in this process, when I started to follow this discussion, this fight over the BeloMonte,

against theBeloMonte especially, Iwas very young, Iwas 15 years old, so Iwas learning about this

world.So,forme,thiswasalotofsuffering,becauseIwasnotonlytalkingabouttheXingu,Iwasnot

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talkingaboutaforest,Iwastalkingaboutmyself,IwastalkingaboutwhoIam,Iwastalkingaboutmy

people,Iwastalkingaboutmyfuture.Sothiswasalwaysverystrongforme,becauseitwasmylife,it

wasallIhadandallIhaveuntiltodayandwhatIneed,Iwastalkingaboutmyhome.Soitwasavery

painfulprocessthroughouttheseyears,towitnessallthesecrimes,alltheseviolationsofthisstruggle

thatmanytimeswethought–and I thought–thatunfortunatelythis fightwouldnotresult inanything.

Nottoday.IhadamomentthatIhadtoleavebecauseIcouldnotcopewithit,Ipracticallyfeltmyself

handcuffedinseeingeverythingthatwashappeninginthisabsurdwayand,thelittlethatyouwoulddo,

sometimes, did not have the effect you expected it to have. So itmademe very frustrated, I had to

leave because of security too, and assuring that I had donemy best, butmy community,my people

wanteditinanotherway,soIpreferredtoleave.SoItoldmycommunitythatifandwhentheywanted

myhelp–thateverythingIdidandthatIdoisformypeople–Iwouldcomeback.Andnow,I'mhere,Ileft

thevillagein2005,December2005. IstayedhereinAltamirastudying,untilthebeginningof2011. In

2011,IhadtogotoManaus,[becauseof]thiswholesituationwithBeloMonte:theconflicts,everything

becameanunsustainablethingandIleft,wenttoManaus,wenttoworkatCOIAB,attheCoordenation

oftheIndigenousOrganizationsoftheBrazilianAmazon.Istayedthereuntil2012.ThenIreturnedhere

[to Altamira]. And I could not stay here because I felt bad, every time I talked about going back to

Altamira,IthoughtaboutthissubjectofBeloMonteandjustbythinkingaboutBeloMonteIfeltapain

inmystomach,Ifeltsomething,ananguishsobigthatIdidnotknowhowtolivewithit.Soitwaswiser

to get out of here than to live and not be able to do anything, towitness all this disaster, all these

absurdthingsthatwerehappeningatthetimeandthatIdidnotknowhowtocopeandlivewith.SoI

decided to livemy lifeanddecided to study.Then I left forBelém [the capitalof thePará state] and

stayedthereuntil2015.ThenIleftforItaly,aspartofaprogrammeofexchangesbetweenuniversities.I

stayedtherefromJulytoDecember–thatwaswhenmypeoplecalledme,whenIgotthenews.SoIwas

totallyanon-believer,Ididnotwanttocomeback,becauseIcouldnotlivewithit,Iwasveryfrustrated

withallthissituation,witheverythingIhadwitnessedandknewthatweIndianshadtomanifest,Ihad

todosomething.So,itwasdifficultformetodothat,whichiswhyIdecidedtomoveaway,andwhen

mypeoplecalledme,Ididnotthinktwice,Icameback[backtothevillage].Icamebackbecauseit'smy

life,it'swhatIlove.AndthatmomentthatIleftwaseventuallygood,[because]Ilearnedalot,Icould

lookoutthereandunderstandthat itwasnotthattherelativesacceptedthesituation, itwasthatno

optionwasgiventothemtounderstandwhatthatwas.Wewerenotconsulted,right?Soallthismade

methink,andIhadtocomebackhere.Back,nowandseeall this, Ino longerseethe lookofJumaa

yearago,whichtomewassadness,Iwassorry.Today,no.TodayIfeelthestrength,todayIknowhow

important it ishere,howimportantIam,andallofus,thepeoplehere,areimportantinthisstruggle

andthatweneedtounite,thatwecannotstopbelieving.Regardlessofallthisdifficulty,regardlessof

alltheseviolations,regardlessofwhatwearestillgoingtolivethrough,wehavetobelieve,wecannot

giveupwhatisours,wedonothavetoacceptthisprocess,thisventure,justbecausethegovernment

wantsusto.SonowI'mtoohappyjusttolookatXingu,toknowthatitdidnotdie,thatregardlessof

havingimpoundedit,theydidnotkillit,it’sstillalive,becauseit’saliveinsideme,itrunsinsidemeand

397

thatmakesmewakeupeverydayandgoandfightandwin,andfightandfight,toguaranteethefuture

ofourchildren.Thereisnothingintheworldthatpays,thereisnobetterplaceintheworldformethan

here.So today I feel invigorated, thatperiodwasgood to learn.Nowweare inanewmomentand I

believethatwewilldomanythings,thatBeloMontedidnotendourdreams,BeloMonteisoneofthe

barriersthatwehaveencounteredovertheyearsofourexistence,but itwillbeagreat lessonforus

andwestillhavetodomuchmoreanditisnotBeloMontethatwillkeepussilent.

MR-AndwhenyouthinkoftheXinguandBeloMonte,whatdoyoufeel?

JX-Ifeelalive,Ifeellikecontinuingtostruggleeveryday,Ifeelcompelledtodosomething,Ifeelitis

myduty.

MR-AndwhenyouthinkaboutwhatBeloMontedidtotheXingu,whatdoyoufeel?

JX-Ifeelrevolt,Ifeelanger,Ifeelrage,Ifeeltheworstfeelingsthatapersoncanfeel.Becauseforafew

moments inmylife Ialmoststoppedbelieving, Ialmostgaveupthisfight,becausetheywantedusto

understand and do that, right? But every time I look at the Xingu and see that beauty, and even

dammed it remains alive, beautiful, green and that this island in front of us, the Arapujá [Island], is

fighting for its existence, nomatter howmany trees have been cut, they are [re]sprouting, re-born,

thereishope,right?Thisislikesaying,‘Hey,fight!Thefightisnotoveryet,weareonlyinthemiddleof

it’,gotit?So,lookingattheXinguisbeingbornagaineveryday,Ihavethisprivilegeofbeingbornagain

everydaywhenI lookandespeciallywhenIbatheintheXingu,thenthefightdoesnotend,right?So

mydreams,mystrength,theyarenotover.[…]

And so itwill continue, I’ll come, otherswill come, somanyotherswill come, Juma, [Antônia]Melo,

Marcelo,ZéCarlos,somanyotherleadersthatwillcome,chiefsandmanyothersthatwillcontinuethis

fight,yearafteryear.AndtheXingu,regardlessofbeingdammed,itwillremainalive,especiallyinside

us,thatthisisthemostimportantthing.

MR–I’dliketothankyou,Juma.IfthereisanythingthatIhaven’taskedbutyouwanttospeakabout…

JX–No.Fornow,Idon’tthinkso.SometimespeoplethinkthatBeloMonteisafaitaccomplianditis

not.Itmayevenleave,butBeloMonteisnotalone.Ialwayssay,‘theworstisyettocomeandwehave

toprepareforit.’Iamnotbeingpessimistic,butrealistic,duetoalltheseproblemsthatarehappening,

atimewillcomethatareactionwillhappenandwehavetobeprepared,thefightagainstBeloMonteis

notover.[…]

AndtodayIlivethis:that,after5yearsofBEP[BasicEnvironmentalPlan],youenterthevillagesandyou

ask, ‘what has beendonehere?’. Little has beendone considering the amount of resources that has

alreadybeenspent. It isnothingcompared towhatwehave today inourvillages.Today, the leaders

andthechiefshave tostayhere in the [Altamira]city, fightingat thecompanydoors.Going toNorte

Enegria’soffice,goingoneway,goinganotherandnobodytheredoesanything.Thecompaniesdothe

projects, everything by defaultwithin the villages. Sowe stopped the PAPRI,which is the Productive

ActivitiesProgram,whichisoneofthemostimportantprogramswithintheBEP.Thatiswhyitisoneof

theindigenousconditions,thateverythingisbeingdoneinawaythatdoesnotrespecttheneedsand

specificitiesofeachpeople,generalizingtheprojectsand,especially,thattheywerenotbuiltwiththe

398

communities, which is evenmore outrageous, in other words, communities today have to open the

doorsoftheirvillagesforcompaniestocomeinanddowhattheywant.Thatisinadmissible!SoIamin

thisprocessnow,of5yearsofBEP,thatnothinghasbeendone,andthishastobequotedinmeeting

withNorteEnergia,withFUNAI,resortingtothePublicMinistry,fighting.AndI'mnotgoingtodothat,

I'mnotgoingtostayinthisdogandcatgameandI'mthemouseinthemiddle,thatatonemomentitis

NorteEnergia,andatanothermoment it isthecompany. Instead,westoppedouractivities.Wesaid,

‘no.Wewanttodetailtheprojectdoneinourcommunityaccordingtoourneeds.’So,nowI'minthis

stage. So it is now said: ‘stop what was done wrong here and, from here onwards, we will discuss

everything,let'sworktogether,wewanttoparticipate.’Uptonow,wehavenotbeenheard.Fromnow

on,wewillno longerbediscussingthepast,becausewealreadyknow,wehavealready learneda lot

andare learningmoreandmore–howmanywrongthingshappened.Now, let’sdiscuss fromnowon,

takingallthathashappenedwrongfullyinthepast,nowwewillbuildandplanourfuture.SoIamatthis

stageofplanning,thatis,tostop,nottodothingsunderpressurebutratheraccordingtotheneedsof

mypeople.

Interviewee:CláudioCuruaia,43yearsold,presidentoftheNativeKuruayaIndigenousAssociation(AssociaçãoIndígenaNativaKuruaya–Inkuri)Date:26.10.2016

Location:Altamiracity

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

CláudioCuruaia–Iwantyoutosaythatweaskthatothercountriesprotecttheindigenouspeople,the

riverside dwellers, who do not support this kind of enterprise: the hydroelectric dams that come to

destroytheriverandthenaturallandscape,theforest.Becauseeveryonewillsuffertheconsequences.

Wearealreadysuffering.Thatcountriesshouldtrytogenerateanothertypeofenergy,nottheenergy

thatdestroysboththeenvironmentandpeople,whichiswhatwearelivinginAltamira[city]today.[…]

[I’mchoosingmoneynotesinmyportrait]Torepresentthecorruptionthatexistswithintheseventures,

because the State deflects money and politicians corrupt themselves and accept bribes for these

venturestohappenorusethemoneyfromthoseworksfortheirownbenefit. Inaddition,theselarge

enterprisesonlydestroytheriver,nature,andfamilies.Thedevelopmentofaplaceisnotsomethingfor

just 2, 3 years—and then leaving Altamira the way it is today, worse than it was before the work

started—it’s supposed to be long-lasting. Here in Altamira, the only long-lasting effects are crime,

robberies,andmanyunfulfilledconditions5,becauseNorteEnergiaclaimsitdoesn’thavemoneytofulfil

theconditions.So,whereisallthemoneytheyhadfortheproject?

5Thesocio-environmentalconditionsrequired tobeaccomplishedfor thehydropowerproject tobeapprovedaswellasfortheplanttobeallowedtooperate—seeChapterFourandAppendix1.

399

Interviewee:ValdemarWociekoskiGregório,65yearsold,fishermanandtown’spublicofficer

Date:20.02.2016

Location:Garruchostown

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

Marilene Ribeiro (researcher) - Would the water [of the reservoir of Garabi dam] rise up to here

[Valdemar’splace],Valdemar?

ValdemarWociekoski-Yes,itwould.Myplacewouldvanish[iftheGarabidamisbuilt].

MR–Wouldyouneedtomovethen?

VW–Yes. Iwouldhaveto leave. It’sashame. I livequiteclosetotheriverbank.ThisnaturalbeautyI

overlook fromhere everydaywhen Iwake up: thiswill be over. Iwill seewater, but it’s gonna be a

differentwater,notthisrunningwater,thiscleanwater.Itwillbeanotherkindofwater.

MR–Howdoyouimaginethisotherkindofwaterwouldbelike?

VW–TheUruguayRiver,itcarriesdownstreamthelitterthatreachesitalongitsway.Iftheybuildthe

[Garabi]dam,allthislitterwouldbeaccumulatedwithinitsreservoir,therewon’tbeanyflowforthis

littertodiluteandmoveon.Then,thislake[thereservoiroftheGarabidam]willbeturnedintoabig

storage of rubbish. Apart from this, as thewater will become stagnant, I mean, it will no longer be

runningwater,itmightbeinfestedbyalgaeandmosquitostoo.[…]

And, thinking about fish, and animals:wherewill all these animals that are used to livingwithin this

stretchoftherivergo?[…]Onceonespeciesisgone,it’sgone!‘Ah,we’regonnadeliverjuvenilestages

of these species into the river.We’re gonna bring fish back.’ Fish like thedourado [endangered and

rheophilicspeciesoffish]needrapidstoliveandbreed.Willtheysurviveintothatstagnantwater?No!

Theybelongtootherkindofwater.Andwhatabouttheinsects?Whowillsavethegrasshoppers?‘Ah,

butgrasshoppershavenovalue.’Theydo!Ifgrasshopperispartofnature,it’sbecauseithasitsvalue.

‘Ah, but this little tree is just a climber.’ But this climber is part of nature, if it wasn’t part of it, it

wouldn’t be ‘standing’ there. If it arose there, it’s part of it. And it’s pointless trying to re-plant this

climberanywhereelsebutattheriverside,because,asonemovesfromtheriverbank,thesoilbecomes

different,thereistheriverbanksoilandthereistheothersoil.Theyarenotthesame,thenthisplant

won’t grow in this new site far from the original riverside. And there is also that thing of the

Environmental Impact Assessment: this exists for the developer to present a beautiful report only!

Whensomeonedecidestosignthe licenseout, ‘Theconstructionofthedamisauthorized.’, it’sover!

Letmonkeys, snakes, fishdie! ‘Ah, youdon’twant to leave yourplace?Ok. You can insiston staying

untilthedaythedamsluicesgatesgetshut.’,‘Youdidn’twanttomove,didn’tacceptedtheproposal?

You’restubborn?Tomorrowthewaterwillknockonyourdoor.’[…]

‘Wefoundblue-skintoadsintheregion.Wereported15individualsaltogether.’Whenthewaterrises,

what does happen with these 15 toads?Where are theses 15 toads? ‘Wemanaged to catch 5.We

missed theother10.’Will this impede thedamtobebuilt?No.They [the toads]vanished.They [the

toads]didn’tstopthedamtohappen.Theyvanishedbuttheprojectcarrieson.[…]

400

We haven’t got many things. Our town is small. However, this is all we have, this is what we have

managedtomake,andwe lovethisplace.We likeourGarruchos,even if it’s tiny.Weappreciateour

land,ourcustoms,ourlivelihood.‘Ah,butGarruchosissotiny,SãoPaulocityismuchbigger!’Itdoesn’t

matter.Forusthisplacehereistheworld.[…]

Andwhatwilltheydowithfishermenandriversidedwellers?Willwehavefreeaccesstothiswateror

will it ratherbesurveilledandwewon’tbeabletoaccesstheriver? I’mconcernedaboutthisandno

one informs us anything about this. ‘Fishermen will get a compensation.’ What compensation?

FishermanneedsfishandfishneedtheUruguayRiver’srunningwater.Blockingthiswaterfromrunning

free, it’schangingcompletely theecosystem! ‘We’regonnacompensate fishermen.’This isa lie!How

canonecompensatetheseizingoftherunningwater?Fishermenhavelearnthowtogofishing,nothing

else.Whatwilltheydo?

MR–Canyouimaginehowyourlivewouldbe,whetheryouhadtomovefromhere?

VW–IwouldmisstheUruguayRiver,goingfishing,mymates,thesunrise…Itwon’tbethesame.This

beautifulsunsetframedbythisriverinevegetationwilldisappear.Bytheway, I’vegotanicepicture I

took when thinking exactly about this. I was talking to another fisherman – at the time, we were

canoeingupstreamandthesunwasrising–‘Let’stakeapictureforustosavethisimage,becausesoon

wewon’tbeabletoseethisimageanymore.Thedamwillseizeeverything’.[sigh]Forthosewhoknow

theplace,appreciate it, like it,andloveit, it’sreallysad…it’sreallysad.Thisnaturalbeauty:theriver

bends,rapids,shadows,trees,rocks,thatveryguabirobatreewherewe’reusetowaitingby,because

itsfruitsattractthepintado-amarelo[fishspecies].Thisallwillbeover,inthenameofthed-e-v-e-l-o-p-

m-e-n-t, in thenameof theprogress. That’s how itworks. That’s howhappened in other places and

that’showit’sgonnahappenwithGarruchos.It’srealysad…Imaginingthatthisallwillbeover.[…]

Beautifulisthisthisnatural[water]:thisonethat,asyoucanoe,youneedtoworkouthowtostayinthe

boat,thereisafloatinglogcoming,thenawhirl,thenabend,thenarock…This isbeautiful!Butthat

flat,steadywater…nothingishappening…Thatisa‘no’.Idon’tknowifwewillgetusedtoit…[sigh]I’m

notapersonwhobuildsfortunes,pilesmoney.Nomoneywillbringmebackthis image.This longing,

regardingwhatIusedtodo,andthatwillnolongerexist,thisisgonnakillme.

Willitbepainfulwhenitstarts[thedamworks],ifitstarts.Thiswillbepainful.Iwillhavetosaytomy

neighbour‘I’mleaving.’[sigh]And,anothermate,inaglimpseofhappiness,‘Icantakethewindowsof

myplacewithme!TheytoldmeIcantakethemoffandtakethemwithme!’Yes,Ican.ButIcan’ttake

thewalls.WhenItakethewindowsoff,puttheminthelorry,andstartthemovewiththewindows,I

willrealize,‘whatdidItakeoffthesewindowsfor?WhereI’mgonnaputthesewindows?Whatabout

thewalls?Whatabouttherest?TherestIleftthere.’[…]

Allofuswillbeaffected.Thericher,thepoorer,theliterate,theilliterate.Allwillsuffer.Andwearein

thehandsofagroupthatwillmanipulateus,theywillsettherulesofthisgame,notus.Wewillhaveto

obeythem.[…]

Ihopeyoucomebacktosaytome‘thedamwon’tbebuilt!’or ‘thedamwaspostponed, itwon’tbe

needed.’Ihopeyoumakethesamerouteandsay‘Listen,whatweaskedforwasheard.’

401

Interviewee:AiltonCarvalho(akaMito),47yearsold,smallfarmer

Date:04.02.2016

Location:LajeadoMarrocas,NovoMachado

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

AiltonCarvalho–Talkingabout losses,beyondmaterialthings,we’vealsogottheimmaterialmatters.

Forinstance,here,whereIlive,I’vegotaspecialspotwhereIappreciatetakingarestfromlabour,from

whereIoverlookthesitewheretheUruguay[River]bends:astunningscenery.Iconsideritapainting–

therearepaintingsthatworthmillions[ofpounds],don’tthey?–I’vegotapaintingofthissortforfree

tolookateveryday!Then,Iaskyou:‘willtheEletrobras[thegovernmentalenergyagencythatproposes

thePanambidam]compensatemethis?WhataboutthevalueofthisthatIcontemplate?Whatabout

thesentimentalvalue,themoralvalueofthis?

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)-Whatdoyoufeelwhenyouareatthisspecialspot?

AC– I feel I’m inpeace, I feelgood– thesamethingyoumight feelwhenyouwatchagood film,or

whenyougotoaconcertthatyouappreciate.Theverysamethingyoumightfeelwhenyouperceive

somethingthatfulfilsyou.And,Ithinkthatseizingthisisnotfair.

MR–Whydidyouchoosethatspot?

AC–Becauseofitsbeauty.Whenthewaterisnotthathigh,itrevealstherocks,thesarandis[speciesof

bushthatlivesinthewater,bytheriverbank],andthisconveysapersonalbeautytome,it’ssomething

thatImyselfperceive–itmightbelikewhenyoucontemplatetheseaside.Andthisviewwillbeover[if

the dam is built]. The riverwill get changed. Theywillmodify nature. And,when one changeswhat

naturehasconceived,onemodifieseverythingelse.

MR–Whatdoyouthinktheriverwillbelike?

AC–Ipictureitasalargelake,stagnantwater,deadwater.ThisiswhatIvisualize.Andthisishowitis

likeinotherplaces, likewheretheybuilttheItaipu.This iswhattheriverwasturnedinto, intheend.

[…]Ithinkmanyfishspecieswouldn’tsurvive,becausetheycan’tliveinstagnantwater.Aswouldn’tdo

many species of trees, because treeswe see here, by the riverside, they belong to here, they don’t

belongtootherareas.Ifsomeonecoversthisareawithwaterandtriestore-planttheseplantswefind

here –by the riverside –by thehills, hewon’t succeedbecause theseplants can’t live there [by the

hills]. […] I’dsummarizedamasstill life.Dam isastill life! […] I thinkdamdoesn’tcover inwater the

earthandwhatstandsover itonly. Italsosubmergesouremotions,ouraffection, itsubmergesmore

thanasimplepatchofland.[…]

MR–IncasethePanambidamisbuilt,whatyoudonotwanttolose,Ailton?

AC–Iwouldn’tliketolosemyoccupation[asasmallfarmer].Iwouldn’tliketolosethethinginwhich

I’ve got proficiency,which I’vemastered. This iswhat I’ve learnt how todo, this iswhat I’ve got the

expertisein.ThisiswhatIliketobe.[…]

402

Then, there aremany things onemight take into consideration. I can’t see anything good regarding

dams. I think the only ones who will take advantage from them are developers and big companies.

Besides this, honestly, it’s aboutmoney into politician’s pockets. […] I don’t know, it seems the law

existstoservethe interestsofbigcompanies, transnationalcorporationsonly. Theydon’tcareabout

us.Forthemwearenothumanbeings,we’renumbersonly![…]

MR–Whenyouthinkofthissituation,becauseofthe[Panambi]dam,whatdoesriseinsideyou?

AC–Afeelingofpowerlessness,afeelingofbeingdominated…Becausenowadayswe’relivinganother

moment, it’stoldwe’re living inademocraticregimen.But, Iaskyou‘whereisthisdemocracy?What

democracy is this, if our opinion doesn’t have any value?’ The Eletrobras [governmental agency in

chargeofnationalenergyaffairs]hassentitsstaffdownhere.Inthemeetings,theyhavesaid,‘wewan

toknowpeople’sopinion,ifpeopleisagainstorinfavourofthedam.’Then,anotherthingcomestomy

mind:whydotheywanttoknowmyopinion, if they’renotgonnnarespect it, ifwhat I’msayingnow

won’tbetakenintoconsideration?WhatfordoestheEletrobraswantmyopinion?[…]

MR–I’dliketothankyou,Ailton,foryourparticipation,foryourtime,andforyourbeautifulwords.

AC–Ithankyoufortheopportunityofbeingabletoexpress,forbeingabletospeak.BecauseIthinkit’s

important that everyone gets to know about our opinion, the rest of theworld gets to know it. It’s

importantthattheyknowthatwearenotordinarynumbers,wearehumanbeings.

Interviewee:CamilaGrzeca,23yearsold,biologist

Date:24.02.2016

Location:PortoMauátown

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

CamilaGrzeca-Peopleputcutsometreesdowninourarea,Idon’tdenyit,butnothingcomparedto

whatwillhappenwhetherthe[Panambi]damtakesplace:itwillbeadisaster!Pictureit!Thefaunaand

flora… What will remain?! What will happen to them?! Nature… Will what God has given us be

destroyed? ‘To g-e-n-e-r-a-t-e energy!’ But there’s other ways of generating energy.Why don’t they

workonthoseinstead?Theywanteverythingtheeasiest,mostpracticalwayforthem.Theydon’tgivea

thoughttotheenvironmentorthelocalpopulation.That’swhatIthink,youknow?That’sit.

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Doyouthinkthereisavalueforthisyou’vejustdescribed?

CG–Youmeanasentimentalvalue?

MR–Anykindofvalueyoucanthinkabout.

CG–Notmoney,Idon’tthinkso,butaffectionate-ish!Weweregiventheenvironment,theforest,allof

it for free! God didn’t charge us anything for it.Why doesman then go and destroy it? Because of

interest.Ah,theysay:‘we’regoingtoreplant,it’sallgoingtobefine.’Buthowlongwillittakeforthe

treetogrowtothesamesizeitwaswhentheycutitdowntobuildthe[Panambihydroelectricpower]

plant?Theydon’ttalkaboutthatvalue,theydon’tevenmention it.That’showitstarts!Theanimals’

403

habitatwillbeaffected;howlongwillittakethemtoadapttoanewone?Butmanywon’tevenmakeit

thatfar,they’llstaywheretheyareanddiethere.There’sallofthattothinkabout![…]

MR–Doyouthinkthereisawaytocompensatetheselosses,concerningtheanimals,asyousaid?

CG–Nothingcancompensatethelossofalife,can’tit?Andtheseanimalshavegottheirlives.Andthey

maypay[theconstructionofthePanambidam]withtheirlives.Nomoneycompensatesthis.[…]

Interviewee:CláudiaMariaGonçalvesdaSilva,44yearsold,smallfarmer

Date:13.10.2016

Location:SítioTerraBacabal,VitóriadoXingu

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Isthereanythingelseyouwouldliketosay,somethingyouhaven’tsaid

yet?

CláudiaGonçalves–Yes,Iwanttospeakabouttheanimals.Oneday,myhusbandandIwerecanoeing

towards Altamira city and, upstream the dam, we spotted one of those islands damaged by the

companyinchargeofthe[dam]project–theyhadrippedoffthisisland’strees,howeverthreemassive

trees still remained there. Itwasbecausewedidn’thaveanymobilephoneorcamerawithusat the

time, otherwise we would have videoed this: you should have seen howmany guaribas [species of

capuchinmonkey]wereononesingletree,askingforhelp.Theytoldustherewouldbestaffrescuing

animals fromtheseto-be-cleared islands,butcertainly thisstaffdidn’t rescueallof thembecausemy

husbandandIsawmarmosetandslothcorpsesfloatingdownstream,andalsosomedrowingintothat

lake[reservoir].MyhusbandandIevenmanagedtocatchoneandputitbythelakeside.Youtellme,

howwould theyrescuethoseanimalson these islands’ trees?Theycouldn’tcatch them,because the

trees were massive. I think they probably cut the trees down and, as these trees fell, animals that

survivedthismightbecaught.Ispenthoursjustlookingatthoseguaribasonthattree.Howcouldthey

getfruit,astherewasn’tanyforthemthere?Wasthereanyonebringingfruitsforthem?Wouldthey

[theguaribas]workout to comedown todrinkwater?This all shakes inourmind.This [BeloMonte

dam]wasan impactthathiteverything.Alsothisyear [2016],whenthetimefor fishtomateand lay

eggsbegan,they[fish]crowdedbythedamwall.Astheybangedagainstthedamwall,theygotinjured

andmanydied.They[theNorteEnergia’sstaff]collectedtonsofrottenfishalongtheXingu[river]and

buriedthemintheislands.Thesesiteswereturnedintoacemeteryoffish.[…]

Because, the Xingu River, in the same way it is life, it also provides life. For me, it is my life, this

riverbank,thisnature,thisriverismyownlife.[…]I’mpartofthisnature.[…]

Interviewee:RaimundaGomesdaSilva,57yearsold,smallfarmerandfisherwoman

Date:08.10.2016

404

Location:Altamiracity

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

RaimundaGomes–Animalsweretheonesthatsufferedmoreinthisstory.For instance,animalsthat

inhabited the islands, those ones they [Norte Energia’s staff] didn’t rescue. Because they tell they

rescuedthembuttheydidn’t.Weknowthisisalie.Hoatzintheydidn’trescue,theyleftthesehoatzin

intheirhomeislands,wheretherewasnofoodavailableanymore–becausehoatzins,theydonotmove

fromone islandtotheother,theyspendtheir lifetime intheveryplacetheyareborn;then,theyare

dying in thosedrowned islands.Caris [common local speciesof fish]either.Carisareall ill,dying too.

Theirmouthsareseverelyinjured,becausecariseatmossthatbuildsupontheriverrocks[itscratches

themossfromtherockusingitsmouthandteeth].Sincethewaterwasnolongercrystallineasitused

tobe–itstartedtolookmuddy,mosshasbeenreplacedbythemudandcarishavehadnothingleftto

eatbut thismud.Usuallyonecan’t catchcariwithhis/herbarehands,because this fish is cleverand

fast.Nowadayseveryonemanagestodothis,because,onthetopofthis,carishavealsogottenblind.

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Whyhavetheygottenblind?

RG–Becauseoftheturbidwater.XinguRiverusedtohaveacompletelytransparentwater.Asitswater

becamecloudy,allthatparticlessuspendedintothewaterdamagedfisheyes,whichwerenotadapted

tothis.

MR–Whendidfishstarttobelikethis?

RG–Sincetheyheldtheriverback.Andtheykilledtonsoffish.TheyinfestedtheislandsoftheXingu

Riverwithdeadfish,buried.[…]

If you askme about a dream, [Iwould reply] ‘destroying the statue of Lady Justice’–that one that is

blindfolded.ImeanJusticeneedstohaveglass-madeeyes,ithastokeepitseyeswideopeninorderto

SEE!ThisstandsinfrontoftheBrazilianSupremeCourt,doesn’tit?

Interviewee:MariaRosaPessoaPiedade,48yearsold,smallfarmer

Date:02.11.2016

Location:Altamiracity

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

MariaRosa–IusedtoliveinPalhau,ontherightbankoftheXinguRiver.Iwasborninthesamearea,

onan island.We’re tenbrothersand sistersandwewereallbornand raised there.Ourmother too,

she’s 79 now.Weworked the land and fished, andmy father tapped rubber from the trees on the

island.Weprotectedtheislandssothatnobodywouldcutdowntheforestorstartfirestoclearspace

forfishingcamps,myfatherdidallhecouldtostopthat.Therewereafewislands–Palhau,Inocêncio,

IlhaGrande–whichhadrubbertrees.Myfathertookcareofthemall.Butitwasn’tjusttherubbertrees

thatwereimportantforus,everythingwas.

405

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Doyourememberhowwasthelandscapewhereyouusedtolive?

MaRo–It’slike…It’sallhereinmymindbut...describingit…AllIcansayis:everythingwasaswildas

naturehas left ittous. […]Therewere lotsofbeachesandrapids.That’swherewedidallourfishing

andrelaxed.Itwasallprecioustousandnowit’sgone.

Wehadto leave in2013,butwestillmiss it. Itwaswherewegrewup;we lovedthatplaceandthey

madeusleave.Wedidn’twanttogo.WeleftthewayNorteEnergiawanted.If itwereuptous,we’d

stillbethere.[…]

Weplantedcacaoandhadpastureforcattle.Therewerecassavaandcorn.Allthisweplantedandlived

off,withfishingasthemainthing.[…]

It’snotthatwecan’tsurvive,it’sthatwemisswhatwehadbefore.Wefeelitalotbecausewecan’tjust

godowntotherivertobatheanymore,it’stoofaraway.Fishingtooisdifficultnow.Fishisexpensiveto

buyand,before,wejustfishedwhenweneededto.Therewasnoneedtobuy.Everythinghasbecome

moredifficult.[…]

Theysaiditwouldbeverygood,thatthecompensationwouldbegenerous.Theylistedeverythingwe

had in their logbook. But they logged everything three times, and each time they logged less, taking

thingsoutwhichtheysaidwerenolongerincluded.[…]

Thefirstvaluationofourpropertywasamillionreais[around£250,000],whichiswhatwehadthought.

Intheend,wereceivedjustR$200,000[around£50,000].Whatcouldwedo?Wehadtoacceptit.We

lostourland,ourthings,ourcattleandeverything,andthemoneytheygaveuswasn’tevenenoughfor

ustobuyanewplot.Thensomeonelentussomeland,whichiswhatwesurviveontoday.Intheplace

wherewewantedto live, the landwasbeingsoldforR$400,000,R$500,000,andevenmore.Uptoa

million.Howcouldwebuylandtherewiththemoneyfromthecompensation?Wecouldn’t.Then,our

compensationwentdownanddown.That’swhyIsaythattheychangedalot.Theystartedoutpaying

R$26foreachcacaotree,butitwentdown.Tomymother,wholivednearby,theypaidR$53,buttous

[MariaRosaandherhusband]theyendeduppayingusjustR$12atree!Itvariedalotfromoneperson

toanother.

MR–Wereyourcacaotreesyoungerordidtheyproducelessfruitpretreethanyoumother’sones?

MaRo–No.Theywereallthesameageasmymother’sonesandproducedbasicallythesametoo.

And theworst thing is that they threatenedus! They said, ‘either youdo it ourway, orwe’ll let the

courtsdecide,inwhichcaseyou’llhavetowait10or20years,ifyouevengetanythingatall.Acceptour

offerortakeustocourt,butyou’llneedalawyertohelpyoupursueanycompensationyourselvesas

we’llhavenothingmoretodowithit.’[…]

Wewaitedfouryears,waiting,takingdocumentstocopyandverifyatthenotary’soffice.Eachtime,an

[NorteEnergia’s]officialwouldsay, ‘no,thesedocumentsareoutofdate.Youhavetodoitallagain.’

Then,wewouldhavetodothewholeprocesswiththedocumentsagain.[…]

Theysaidwecouldn’tworkourlandanylonger.Ifwedid,thenNorteEnergiamightnotregisteritfor

compensation. Later, they said, ‘you didn’twork the land because you didn’twant to,who said you

couldn’t?’Whenwesaid,‘itwasso-and-so’,theysaid,‘So-and-sonolongerworksinthecompanyand

406

wedon’tknowifthat’strue.Youshouldbeworkingtheland.Youdidn’tworkbecauseyoudidn’twant

to. That’s it. Endof discussion.’ They saidwe couldn’t plant or buymore animals [livestock], but nor

couldwe leave towork somewhere else. Ifwe did,we’d bemarked down as having abandoned our

land.Spendingtimeawayfromourlandmeantwedidn’tneeditforalivingandsowewouldn’tgetany

compensation.Sowehadtostay,sellingwhatwehadtoeatandsurvive,astheywouldn’tletuswork

theland.

At first,whenNorteEnergiastartedcompensatingpeople, theytookthehousesapart,separatingthe

timberandeverythingelse,andtook itallaway.Theyput itall intrucksandtook ittothesepeople’s

new homes. But by the end [of the process of compensation], we were the ones who had to pay

someone else to dismantle our house and organise things. We had to pay for everything. It wasn’t

possible to takeeverythingatonce,becausewehad toarrange thingsatournewhomeand thengo

back.Butwhenwegotback,inthemeantimeNorteEnergiahaddugaholeandburiedeverythingwe’d

leftbehind!Therewasnothingleft,itwasallburied.Theyhelpedthefirstpeoplemove,butnottherest

ofus.We losteverythingwehadreturnedtocollect!Theytoldustheywere justobeyingorders,but

theynevergaveusadefinite timeto leave.They toldus to takewhatwecould.Before, they’dgiven

peopleadeadlineandwouldmovetheirbelongingsintime.Inourcase,theydidn’tgiveusadeadline

anddidn’thelpwiththemove.Wehadtodoeverythingourselves,that’swhyittooksuchalongtime

[forMariaRosa’sfamilytopackandtakeeverythingoutfromtheirplace].[…]

I’mstillverybitterbecauseofwhathappenedtomyfather,whohadaheartcondition,amongstother

healthproblems.Onceheheardabout thedam,hewouldn’t stop talkingabout it.Hedidn’twant to

leavehishomeandabandonhisthings.Hewasveryworried.Hishealthdeterioratedandeventuallyhe

died.ItstillshocksmebecauseIthink, ifallthishadn’thappened,ifthedamhadn’tgoneahead,he’d

stillbewithus.Iusedtospendthedaywithhim,talking,tryingtotakehismindoffthings,buthedidn’t

stoptalkingaboutit,hedidn’twanttoleave.Hesaidhe’ddoanythingtostay.Hedidn’twantpeopleto

destroywhathe’dworkedsohardtopreserve.Hehadagreatlovefortherubbertreesbecausetapping

rubberwashowhehadsupportedhischildren,alltenofthem.[…]

I have six brothers whowere river pilots, travelling on the river, carrying local people from Ressaca

[village,situatedattheVoltaGrandedoXingu–Xingu’sBigBend]tohereinAltamira[city].Itwastheir

work. Nowadays, none of them work anymore. It’s all finished. We didn’t study. We worked for

ourselves.Whatcouldtheydo?Theyhadtoleaveeverythingtoworksomewhereelse.Somehavebeen

evenworkingprospectingforgoldillegally,riskingtheirlives,becausetheiroldjobhasgone.Theynever

received anything for this.Norte Energia said they’d be compensated for theirwork, but up to now,

they’vereceivednothing.[…]

In the areaof theVoltaGrande [downstream thedam,where the riverdischargewas impounded to

20%of itsoriginalwater flowasa resultof thedammingupstream],NorteEnergiapromisedtodiga

well,pipethewaterandall,buttheydidn’tdoit.Peoplearedrinkingthewaterthatcomesdownriver

fromthe reservoirbecause theyhavenochoice,even though theymightget ill atany time,asmany

alreadyhave.[…]

407

Mymother livedpeacefully intheruralarea,raisingheranimals,bathing intheriver,goinganywhere

sheliked.Nowadaysshelivesinahousewiththedoorlocked,behindbarredwindows.Shecan’tgoout

becausecrimehasreallybeenincreasingintheAltamiraarea.Lockedup,stifled,inaplacelikethis![…]

Andalso,manypeopleNorteEnergia saidwouldn’tbeaffectedwere in theend,but they’ve ignored

them,denyingit’shappened.[…]

Theynevertellthetruth!We’reatthecentreofit,weseewhat’sreallygoingon,butitnevergetsout.

They cover it up! It’s only the good stuff that gets reported.We see itwhenever it’s on [popular TV

currentaffairsprogramme]Fantástico–theyonlyshowthehousingtheybuilt,justthegoodstuff!

MR–Fromyourpointofview,whatisthetruth?Foryou.

MaRo–Thetruthwouldbetoshoweverythingthatpeoplearegoingthroughhere:hunger,suffering.

What they showdoesn’texist!Thearea theycleared,which they left just theway theywanted, they

don’tshow!…Weseethatnature…somanyislands…theboyjusttoldmethattheislandsaredying![…]

We’veseenthe[wild]animalssufferalot,includingthefishwholosttheirnaturalhabitat.Theyhadto

move on. They lived in clean, flowingwater.Now they’re in stagnantwater andmany of themhave

died.[…]

Theforestprovidedmanythings,likefoodforthefishthatswamneartheisland.Thefishwecatchnow

arethinnerbecausetheiroldsourceoffoodisn’tthereanymore.NorteEnergiastrippedthevegetation,

notjustfrommostoftheislandsnearby,butfromtheriverbankstoo,sonowthefishhavenothingto

eat.[…]

Whentheywereclearingtheislands,therewasnowherefor[wild]animalstoescapeto,astheislands

aresurroundedbywaterandtractorsthatweredoingthejobkeptmovingbackandforthalongthesite.

Asthoseanimalsattemptedtoflee,thosetractorsmovedandkilledthem.Otheronesendedupfalling

off into the water and drowned. We also spotted skinny capuchin monkeys and marmosets on the

branchesoftreesthathadn’tanythingforthemtoeat.Theyweresufferingthere.They[thecompanyin

charge of the damproject]wouldn’t showcase this. They simply don’t show. Agouti, armadillo, cutia

[small mammal], they hide themselves into the ground, into hollow trunks. As tractors dug, moved

around, theycrushedtheseanimals.Because it’snot justaboutknocking treesdown, theyalsomove

withtheearth.[…]Those[wildanimals]thatescapedandwererescuedwerebroughtintobetreated

andthenreleasedelsewhere,sotheysay.Exceptwedon’tknowiftheyreallydidthat,dowe?[…]

Theywereknocking thetreesdownandwewerealsoherewatchingthatall.Theyknockedthetrees

down, collected injuredanimalsandbrought them in– insideboxesandwewitnessed thatall.Allof

thatwaspainfulforus.

MR–Whatdidtheyusetoknockthetreesdown?

MaRo–Machines.Manyofthem.Tractorsandothermanymachines.Theytookthemtoourplaceand

usedthemtoknockthetreesdown,todigandburythings…andwewatchedthatall.[…]

Wefeelalotofanger,andresentment.Ifwecouldchangethings…It’sasmyhusbandalwayssays:ifwe

knewwhoNorte Energia is, thenwe could go there and strangle them [laughs]. Butwe don’t know

who’swho.Whenwegothere[toNorteEnergia’sofficeinAltamiracity],wemightfindalawyer,oran

408

official.Whenweask,theanswerisalways,‘Oh,they’reinBrasília.’Weneverknowwhoisinchargefor

ustospeakto.[…]

Idon’tunderstandwhyBeloMonte [hydroproject]wasapproved,asnobodywanted it –apart from

local business owners,who thought theywould become richwith all the crowd thatwould come to

Altamira [city]. Local traders thought they’ddogreatbusinessoutof thedam.But itwasn’t like that.

Theyreallylostoutbecausethedampeoplebroughteverythinginfromoutside.Whenpermissionwas

grantedtobuildthedam,thetraderswerehappy,thinkingthey’dsellalot.Buttodaythey’retryingto

sell it all on the cheap. So itwasn’t goodbusiness for thepeopleofAltamira; thepeoplewhomade

moneyoutofitarefromotherstates.Mostofthefood,andallthetoolscameinfromoutside.Onlya

littlewasboughthereintheAltamiraregion.Thelorriescamehere[toAltamiraregion]sealedandwent

directlytotheNorteEnergiacanteen.[…]

MR–DoyouthinkthattheBeloMontedamhasbeengoodforsomeone?

MaRo – I’m not sure… I think it’s been good just for them [thosewho conceived and have run and

fosteredtheBeloMonteproject].

Jaime[MariaRosa’shusband, inthebackground]–Forthosewhodon’tbelongtohereforsure!Only

forthem.ForthemandforthosetowhomtheywillselltheenergygeneratedbyBeloMonte,forthebig

onesbased inother countries–thosewhoare just looking forprofit–thesepeopleare livinggood life,

theyarenotenduringwhatwehavegonethroughhere–forthem,BeloMonteiswonderful!Butforus…

MR–DoyouthinktheenergyfromBeloMontehasbeenorcanbeagooddealfortheenvironmentor

thepeopleoftheXingu?

MaRo – I don’t think so. BeloMonte has not been andwon’t be good either for nature, animals, or

anyonebutforthem,theforeigners,forthosewhowillruleitsenergy.[…]

Ithinkthatthere’snopoint insaying‘I’vegotmoney, I’vegotacar, I’vegotthis, I’vegotthat.’ Ifyou

don’tfeelgood,ifyoudon’thavethelifeyouhadbefore,itdoesn’tmatterifyouhaveanicehouse.You

might be stuck inside,with nowhere to go, because if you go out, then a criminalmight kill you, or

somethingmight happen to you. If you have somemoney, you livewith threats. These kids [whose

familesmovedfromtheriversideduetothedam]gotintocrimeassoonastheycametothe[Altamira]

city,becausemostofthemhavehadnoeducation.Theykillbecausethey’reignorant,theydidn’tknow

whatcitylifewaslike.Manyolderpeoplewhocame[fromtheriversideto]here[toAltamira]havedied

aswell.Alot,really.SoItellyouthere’snomoneythat‘sworththelifewehadbefore.[…]

MR–I’dliketoreallythankyouforallyou’vesaidandalsoforyourandyourfamily’sengagementwith

thisproject,Rosa.

MaRo–Sometimeswewannaspitoutallthatisstuckinsidebutthereisn’tanybodytolistento.Then,

I’dliketothankyoutoo.Itwasverygoodtospeakandshow.

Interviewees:CirleiDawies,53yearsold,andNilsonDawies,62yearsold,bothsmallfarmers

Date:23.02.2016

409

Location:Itajubá,PortoMauá

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

CirleiDawies–It’shard…whenwegoforatrip,weleave,butweknowwe’recomingback.Whataholy

giftistocomeback.However,ifwehavetomoveduetoPanambi[dam],it’sgonnabeforgood.It’sno

return. Everythingwe now see herewill vanish! Only that stagnantwaterwill remain… […] Animals,

trees,plants,theseareallprecioustousotherwiseNilson[Cirlei’shusband]andIwouldn’thaveplanted

trees, you wouldn’t have seen so many animals around here. These have a high value to us.

Furthermore,ourhistoryliesinourland,inourcommunity,andthishistorywillbeerased.Nilsonwas

bornandraisedwherewearesteppingonrightnow.Iwasbornandraisedinthiscommunitytoo.No

moneywill compensate thisaltogether. Impossible!Nomoneywill replace the relationshipwe’vegot

withthispatchofland.Ifwekeepsilenthere,wehearthebirdssinging.Iftherearebirds,it’sbecause

therearealsotrees,thereisalsofood.Thiswillallvanish.Nottomentionthefishandtheriveritself.

My husband is not a professional fisherman, but he catches fish to feed us.We have started to get

preparedtoleavebecausewe’reawarethatwhenitcomestothegovernment,power,money,it’snot

our will that is at stake, it’s the government’s will, the government’s interests that rule decisions

instead.Wehaven’theardofanysingledamthathasbeenfullystoppeduptonow.Ittakestime,but

sooner or later they build it. Then, we’ve been trying to get prepared to not get ill by the time it

eventuallycomes…[weeping]…it’shard…sometimesit’shardtostandit…Weneedtobepreparedin

ordertonotgetill,becausegettingillwillmakethingsworse.Weneedtobepreparedtofaceit.But,as

Nique[herhusband’snickname]says,‘wethinkwearepreparedto…Whenthetimetopackwhatyou

canandleavecomes,itwon’tbeeasy…’becausethethingswelovehere,wecan’tpack:ourland,our

littlecorneroftheworld,ourplants,ouranimals.Even ifwetryhardtogetprepared,whenthetime

comes,wewon’tbepreparedatall. It’ssortofathiefbreakingthroughyourplace: ‘makeyourmove

otherwise I kill you’, in this case: ‘makeyourmoveotherwiseyoudrown’.WehopePanambidoesn’t

happen…[…]

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Whatyoudon’twanttolose,ifthePanambidamisbuilt?

NilsonDawies–Goingtobedandwakinguplisteningtotheriver,thatmelodyofitsrapids:we’dnever

wanttolosethis![…]SometimesI‘grow’treesinsteadofusingthatspacetoforacropjustbecausethis

fulfilsme. Idon’tmakeanymoneywiththattree,however Iappreciate lookingat it, Iconsider it the

mostbeautifulthing.[…]

ND–Youknow,ye’vegotabombinourhands.Uptonow,nobodycantellifitwillexplodeornot...But

thefactis:thisbombisconnectedtoourmindsandhearts.

Interviewee:NelciBárbaro,53yearsold,teacher(retired)

Date:11.02.2016

Location:LinhaUruguaiSul,PortoLucena

410

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Youweresayingthatpeopleheredon’tknowyetiftheGarabidamwill

becometrueornot.

NelciBárbaro–Exactly.

MR–Doyouthinkthe[Garabi]damishavinganyeffectonyourlife,Imean,evenbeforeitstartstobe

built,ornotyet?

NB–Absolutely!Ithasbeenaffectingmeforalongtime.Imean,everytimeIseeanairplaneflyingover

here,Igetapprehensive,becausethereweremanyairplanesflyingaroundhereinthepast.They[those

who were undertaking the studies for the dam] set microchips in the area, so they had a pre-

determineddirectionforthemtofly.Thiswasforstudies.Buttheyneverinformedpeopleaboutwhat

wasgoingon.Therewasn’taprojecttomakepeoplestartgettingpreparedtothis[tothedam].When

this[thenewsaboutthedam]comes,itisthrewatyouwithoutwarn.AtthetimeoftheChurchforthe

Youth [CatholicChurch’sactivities ledbyadolescents fromthecommunity], I tookpart in, Ihelpedto

destroythestakesofthedam.But[regardingthesestakes],thisisallpreliminary,theyneverinformyou

uptowherethewaterlevelwillraiseto.Todayisonenumber,tomorrowisanother.Ifyougoonlineto

lookuptheGarabidam,youwillsee.Everythingislike…cloudy,doyougetme?[…]

Ah, I forgot one detail! Theywere so unscrupulous that they paid awage to some locals inform the

waterlevel[oftheriver]tothem.Canyoubelievethis?

MR–Theowneroftheproperty,youmean?

NB–Notnecessarily.Notnecessarily. Imean,theycouldplaceastakeinmypropertyandIcouldnot

accepttheirproposal[toinformthemthewaterlevel].Inthiscase,theywouldfindsomeoneelsetodo

this.Theypaidthatpersonmonthlyforhim/hertoinformthelevelinadailybasis.

MR–Thishappenedinthe1970s?

NB–Aroundthat.Oneofourneighborswas inchargeof informingthemthe level,butnobodyknew

this.IfyougototheBanrisul’sstaff’scampsitenow,youwon;tfindanysinglestake:theyallwerepulled

off.

MR–Why?

NB–Duetorevolt,perhaps,becausenoonewantsthedam.Themajorityofthepeopledoesn’twant

it. Ibelievethat it’s theminority, thosemisinformed,thatwant it.Becausetheygetdeludedwiththe

indemnification.I’dliketheytolistentosomeonewhohadalreadybeenaffectedbyadam,nomatter

thesizeofthedam,theytogetinformedbytheseindividualsiftheywereinfactwellcompensated.Just

the first ones [tomake the agreement with the company in charge of the dam project] get a good

indemnification.[…]

MR–Andhowpeople’slivesareaffected?

NB–Theyareaffectedinallsenses.

MR–Now,Imean.

411

NB–Now?Psychologically!Wearepsychologicallyshaken.Becauseyoudon’tknowwhat’sgoingon,so

yourmindkeepsworkingonandon, itdoesn’tstop, itdoesn’t rest, itdoesn’tsleep.So,youwonder:

‘whatwillhappentome if thedamtakesplace?’Getme?Nowadaysweareaffectedpsychologically.

ThereweremanymeetinghereinthecommunitywiththeEletrosul[asubsidiaryoftheEletrobras,the

governmentagencythatdealswiththecountry’senergypolicies],buttheydon’texplainathing.They

comewiththosemaps,speakingbeautifullyandwantyoutosignouttheminutes.Imean,singingthe

minuteswithouttheminuteswrotedownonthatpaper!Thisishorrendous.Theydidthiswithus.Isn’t

this a psychological pressure? If I’m signing theminutes, I need to knowwhat iswritten there, even

because,inaminute,onecanwritewhatonefeelslike,intheend.[…]

MR–Iaskedifyoucouldimaginewhereyoumightbelivingifyoueventuallyhavetoleaveheredueto

theGarabidam.

NB–Ican’timaginemyselfinanotherplace.Formeit’sdeath!Becausewewereborn,wehavegrown

up,havestudiedhereinPortoLucena.We’vemadefriends,asociety,thechurch–anykindofsociety

you feel like naming this. So, taking us out from here is actually killing us. I can’t imaginemyself in

anotherplace.[…]

They[thoseinchargeoftheGarabidamproject]don’tunderstandthatit’snotaboutmonetarythings!

Whatisatstakeistheaffectivebondsofanentirecommunitywitheachotherandalsowiththissite.

[…]

Togiveyouanexample:Ihelpedtobuildthishouse.Ihandledthebricks,Iworkedonthecementmix,I

arrangedthebrickswithcementonthem.Canyou imaginewhat itwouldbe likewatchingthewater

cover this place [Nelci performs themovement of thewater raisingwith her hands]. It’s painful. It’s

quitecomplicated.Getme?[…]

MR–Whatelsedoyouforeseebeingcovered[bythewater]?

NB – The nature! [gaped] This is another point that worries me. It’s told we need to protect the

environment.Howmuchoftheenvironmentthis[thedam]willdestroy?It’snot justabouthumanor

materialthings,theenvironmentwillalsobedamaged.Iftreesareimportanttous:wherearemostof

them?It’sspokenabouttherelevanceoftheriparianwoodlands,oftheconservationareas.Whatfor,

then?Arejustriversidedwellersthosewhoneedtoprotectthem?Inthecities:no,no[headshake];it

seemsnooneneedsriparianvegetation,orconservationareas,orwhateverthere.Whydowehaveto

protecttheriverbanksiftheywillcomeandcleartheareawhenthedamisbeingconstructed?Because,

youknow,thisisalsopartofwhatwillaffected.Myfather’spropertyisbasicallyalltrees–andallthe

animalsthatroamwithinit.Theriverbankisfullofarmadillos.Theywillalldiewiththis.Surelythewill.

Whereelsewilltheyfindshelter?Somemightmanage.Inthelastfloodwehadheremanywildanimals

died–thefloodthathappenduetotheopeningofthesluicesgatesoftheItádam[whichissituated

upstream].[…]

TheItádamisalreadyaffectingus.Because,whentheydecidetoreleasethewateroftheitsreservoir,

theyjustdoit.Theydon’tcareaboutwhatisdownstream.Howdoyouimaginewefeltwhenthewater

412

wasreachingourpatioandwewereallhere,insidethehouse?Wejustwished:‘closeonesluicegate…’

Doyougetme?[…]

MR–Andisthisdam,theonewhichtheyopenedthesluicesgates,farfromher?

NB–Itis.It’sinSantaCatarina[over300kmupstreamPortoLucena].[…]

Thisthingofdamsdoesdestroylife!RegardingtheIBAMA[thegovernmentagencythatregulatesand

inspect issuesconcerning theenvironment inBrazil]:we [riversidedwellers]can’tcutonesingle tree.

Whataboutwhenthedamcomes?Whatwilltheydowithallthesetrees?Orwillthesetreesstayand

getrottenintothewater?Willtheymanagetorescueallthesewildanimalsthatlivebytheriverside?

Orwilltheseanimalsdie?Ifonecatchesasurubimcatfishoradouradofishtoday:thisgetsaR$5,000

[roughly £1,250] fine. If they build this dam,will thedourado still be able to breed?Dourados need

runningwatertolive.[…]

Forthosewhowilllistentothis‘reportage’,fortheGodsake,thisisourplea:donotdothis[theGarabi-

Panambidamcomplexproject]!Thiswilldestroyalot!Thiswilldestroylives,andlives,andlives!Those

whoreceivethismaterial,lookatitcarefully,analyseitwithcare.[…]

It’sagreatconcern,thisdam.Therearealsomanyothercommunitiesaroundhere.Ihavenoideaon

howourlifewillbelike.I’magainstitandwillfightsothatthisdoesn’thappen.Iwannadiehere.[…]

I’vesaidthisbefore:tome,leavingthisplaceit’saquestionofdeath!Getit?IthinkIwouldbethelast

person to leave.Because Idon’t imaginemyself inanywhereelse,youknow?This sounds tenebrous,

doesn’tit?Ican’teventhinkaboutthis,becausethisgetstome[weeping].[…]

Thisisasubjectthatwoundsus.It’saverycomplexmatter.It’squitetenebrous.Thisshakesdeepinside

us. Itdestabilizesus. I tellyou:thisdestabilizesourstructure. I’mnotsayingthisrandomly.Notatall.

Thisisallfeelings.[…]

MR–HowdoyoufeelaboutGarabidam,Nelci?

NB-Hardtotell…Reallyangry!Icouldn’timaginewhatIwouldbecapableofdoing.Iftheydecideto

runthedamworksclosetohere,Itellyou:theywon’tbuildthisdambecausewhattheyputuponthe

daylightIwouldputdownbythenight.

MR-Isthereanythingthatcouldrepresentthisanger?

NB-[staringatme]Fire![…]

Iwouldfillbarrelswithpetrol,setfiretothemandthrowthem.Notjoking!Iguessthisismywildside,

youknow?That’swhyIpromptlyreplied:‘fire’.Fillingbarrelswithpetrol,settingfire,throwingthem…

Explosion!…andeverymanforhimself.Iftheydonothaveanymercyonme,whyshouldIhaveiton

them?Angerdestroys,doesn’tit?[remainsreflective]

MR-Howwouldyouliketobeportrayedwiththisfiretotellyourstory?

[Nelcishowsmehowthroughherperformanceinthephotoshoot]

Interviewee:GeovanCarvalhoMartins,36yearsold,fisherman

Date:21.10.2016

413

Location:Altamira

Fieldwork:BELOMONTEDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

GeovanCarvalho–Ithappenedwhentheyopenedthecanalinordertomakethewaterflow[fromthe

river channel] towards theBeloMonte [hydropower]plant. Sowhen theyopened the canal gates, in

ordertoforcethewatertorunthroughit,theycausedfishtodie,theviewalongthiscanalwas…itwas

a seaofdead fish... Iwish youhad seen this. Theyworkedas threeboats together, sailing along the

canaljusttocollectthesecarcasses.Itwassomanycarcasses,loadsofthem6.

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)-Andwereyouatthissiteatthistime?

GC–Iwasthere,becauseIwasworkingforthecompany[theNorteEnergia]atthattime,monitoring

theparametersof thewater in thearea, then, Icouldseeeverything.Whenotherworkerscameand

said,‘Man,thismorningonlymorethanonetonoffishhasdied.Untilnoononly’,Ididnotbelieveit.As

wereachedtheareawecouldseethatitwastrue…Itwasalotofcarcasses,somany,somany!So,I’m

tellingyouthisbecauseIsawitwithmyveryeyes.Anditwasn’tjustmewhosawthis,thereweremore

peoplewhosawthistoo.Ijustdon’ttellyouthatallthefishintheriverdiedatthattimebecausewhat

Godhasmadecannotbeovereasilylikethis.[…]

MR–Bearinginmindallyou’vetoldme,whattoyoufeelaboutthisall,Geovan?

GC–Mate,whenIthink…Ifeelmyselfdismantled...thisisananguish…Ican’tevendescribethis…it’s

hatred, outrage, sorrow. ‘Cause everythingGodhas gifteduswith– thosewonders: you look toone

side,it’sover,youturntotheother,it’sover,youturntoathirdone,its’evenworse!Thisallcausesus

anguish.ImyselffeeluneasyfromeverythingIexperienced…myisland,gone,fish,gone,everythingis

fallingapart.Thisisallanguish.ThisiswhatIfeel.It’sthisindeed.[…]Itreallyhurts,ithurtshere,inside

here[hetapshischestclosetothepositionofhisheart]:everythingyouhadlived,everythingyouhad

seenbeingtornapart,beingfinishedlikethis…thishurts.It’sbecauseweneedtostandthatwe’restill

standing,becausethisisawoundindeed.We’vegotmanyfishermenwhoareinneedtoday.[…]

MR–Then,I’dlikeyoutochooseaplaceforyourportraitandalsoan‘object’oranythingyouthinkthat

couldrepresentthisfeelingyoutoldmeabout.

GC–Iseemyportraitintheriver…Ibelongthere.Regardingtheobjectyouaskedmetochoose,IwishI

couldtakethefaçadeofmyhouse…myplaceisunderthewatersoftheBeloMontedamnow.[…]

Interviewee:ReinoldoRoqueKöche(akaNenê),57yearsold,smallfarmer

Date:28.01.2016

Location:BarradoSantoCristo,Alecrim

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

6Onthe15April2016theIBAMAofficiallyacknowledgesthemortalityof16.2tonsoffishbetween27November2015and25February2016duetophysicaltraumaledbythewaterwhirlwindalongthecanalandthespillways,oncetheywereopenedforthewatertorunthrought(IBAMA,2016),andissuesafineofR$27.3million(about£7million)toNorteEnergia.

414

[…]

Reinoldo Roque – Everyday I go down to the [Uruguay] river, twice a day. I get inmy canoe, canoe

around.Whenit’shot,Ijumpintothewaterandbath.It’sbeautiful.Then,Iwonder:‘willtheyfinishthis

all?’Therivermeansalottome.It’sanaturethatIwillneverleavemymind.TheUruguayRiver:there

aremanytypesof it. Ican’texplainthis. Itsbends,rapids–whenit’sabouttorain,therapidsmakea

differentnoise. [If Ihaveto leavethisplace] Iwouldrememberthis.Howmanytimeswehaveswum

fromoneedgeto theother:crossing theriverswimming […] I seeaverybeautiful imagethere. I see

nature, fish jumping–sometimesabeautiful fish jumpsandyou’re there toseethis.Therearebirds,

toucans. In themorning, sabiá and canarinho [species of bird],many species of bird, comeand sing.

Where else are you gonna see this? In placeswhere there are caged birds? I’m against caging birds.

Totallyagainst this. […] Ithurtsbeingbornandbred inaplaceand,oneday,everything isunder the

water.Youdon’tevenknowwhereisyouplaceanymore,becauseinthe[vast]water[landscape]you’re

notabletodistinguishwherethingsaresituated.Youwon’tbecapableofspottingyourformerplaceof

living–ifitwaslocatedhereorthere.Thisisgonnastickinourmindsforever:whatweusedtobeand…

whatarewenow?Whatnatureusedtobeand…whereisnaturenow?Itwasdestroyed.[…]

Interviewee:LuizWebery,42yearsold,smallfarmer

Date:09.02.2016

Location:LinhaUruguaiNorte,PortoLucena

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

Marilene Ribeiro (researcher) - And did they [agencies that lead the Garabi-Panambi dam complex

project]tellyouaboutwhytheywerebuildingthesedams?

LuizWebery-That'swhatIsaidbefore,theirmeetingsarealwaysverytechnical.There,theypresenta

wholenationalenergydemand,which, forus, fortheagriculturist, fortheriversidecommunity, isnot

enough,itdoesnotconvinceus.TheUruguayRiver,forus,representstheMother!Wehere,ourfamily,

wehavetakenthewateroftheUruguayRiverseveraltimes;wesurvivedwithwaterfromtheUruguay

River.Intimesofdrought,whenwedidn’thavetheartesianwell,wedidn’thaveawaternetwork,we

drankthewaterfromtheUruguayRiver.Forus,fortheanimals,foreverything,right?And,besideslife,

theriver[has]therootsofeachriverineperson.Thevalueoftheproperty,itisinsignificantinviewof

thevaluepeoplegive to their roots, their familyhistory.My fatherpassedawayatninety-and-a-half,

andforme,thisishisfigurehere.Ifeeltheresponsibilityofkeepingthisalive,knowingthatmyfather

setupafamilyoftwelvechildrenonseven-and-a-halfacresofland.So,thereisnovaluethatwillpay

meforthisland.Tosaythat,tomorroworlater,we'regoingtohavetobeexpelledbyacompanythat

willfillthisareawithwater,becausethereisalackofenergyinthebigcities!Itdoesnotconvinceus,it

doesnotconsoleus.[…]

415

MR–Luiz,youweretalkingaboutsomethingveryimportant:thismeaningthing,ofwhatitisthatthe

UruguayRiversymbolizesforyou.Ifthedamweretobebuilt,howwoulditlooklike,thatsymbol,that

rivermeaning?

LW–OhmyGod!Iwouldnotknowhowtodescribeit...Ilostmyfather,twoyearsagonow.Ofcourse

thecemetery, forus, isalwaysaplaceofsadness,of feeling,wegotheretovisit the family. Ibelieve

thatapossibledamontheUruguayRiver,forus,here,wouldhavealmostthesamemeaning:adead

thing.Becauseawholestorythatyoulivedthroughasachild,ateenager,here,allthefriendswemade,

theholidayreunions,theendofyearreunions,becausewemeetthepeoplethatwegrewupwithhere,

toplayalittlefootballattherivergorge,totakeariverbath...toknowthatitwillneverexistagain...

Honestly,Ithink...itwouldnothaveadenominationotherthanagraveyard.[…]

Whentherewasalongerdrought,here,inourport,thereisaverylargesmoothrockslab;sothewhole

neighborhoodcameheretodolaundry.Therewasalineofwomentotheirwaistsinwater,eachonher

board,onherrock,washingclothes.Someofthemspread[theclothes]rightthere,so[that]theycould

dry,untiltheyfinished...andthechildren[were]there,takinga[river]bath.Itissomethingthatwe,at

thetime,hadnowaytovideo,howtorecord,[dueto]thepovertysituationatthetimeandtherewas

noalsotechnologicalevolution, likenow;but, inourmemory,thatdoesnotgoaway.Here'stherock

slab,then,whentheriverrisesalittle,wejumpofftherockslabintothewater.Therewasourfootball

game,inthegorge,andthen,whenwewereallsweaty,wewentintotherivertotakeabath.People

lineduptoleapintotheriver.Wewouldsoaktherockslabwithwaterfromcanstomakeslides.That

wasvery,veryfunforusand...itisinexplicable,thisthing!Somethingsyoudonotrecord,buttheyare

recordedforever inthememoryofthepeople. Iwishmydaughtercouldlivethroughthat. Iwishone

did not cut off this right from her, to still live through this:what her father lived through,what her

grandfatherlivedthrough.[…]

Wehavefortradition,here,day02,now,ithaspassed,ofFebruary,itisthedayofNossaSenhorados

Navegantes[OurLadyoftheNavigators].So,itisawayforustohonortheMotheroftheWaters,we

crosstheUruguayRiverswimming.Soweputaboatonthewater,someonegoesahead,forsafety,if

someonefeelsunwell...because,ageiscomingandmakesadifference,right?Andweputourarmand

crosstheriverswimming,inawaytopayhomagetotheMotherofWater.[…]

MR–Ifthedamweretocome,howwouldthisriver,whichyouspokeofasamother,howwoulditbe

affected?

LW–MyGod!Here,rightinfrontofwherewelive,thereisanisland,theGrandeIsland.Atthetime,

whenwewere children, therewere three residentson the island, all familieswhogrewupwith ten,

twelvechildren.Myfatheralwayssaid–myfatherplantedalotofmanioc,potato,here–thathe[Luiz’s

father]traded[hisproducts]forfishwiththelordofthatisland.Evenbecausetherewasnoelectricity,

at that time, we had no way to store meat and other products. Then, every day he [Luiz’s father]

broughtfishand[thelordoftheisland]tookmaniocandpotatoes.Thisisthesenseoftheriverbeing

themother, too. She [the river] is living. And, once the river ceases to be running water, it ... [Luiz

huffs]...Thisisunprecedented!...Ihavehadtheopportunitytogettoknowsomebuiltdams.It'stotally

416

different; it's totally inhuman what is done with the river! I would not imagine seeing the Uruguay

[River]onedaylikethis.Ididnotwantthat!Idonotwantit![…]

MR - You said you got to know other dams. Have you ever spoken to other peoplewho have been

strickeninthepast?

LW- Ihave. Ihavehadtheopportunitytovisit inaresettlement[site]ofsomepeoplewhooptedfor

resettlingafterthedam.Andthisissomethingthatcausesmegreatfear,because,intheresettlementI

havebeen to,of the30 families from thatplace, I think thereareonlyabout10 families left.People

desertit,theyleave,because,first,theyareremovedfromtheirroot-place,theyhavetheirneighbors,

theyhavetheirhistory,theyhaveawholeconstructedhistory–theyareremovedfromandarethrown

inanotherplace.Thisotherplace,peoplecannotalwaysgotoaplacewitheasyaccesstothecity,with

easyaccesstocommerce,withastructure.Eventheweatherchangeseverything,right?Sopeopledo

notstay.It’snouse,peopledonotgetusedtoit.Thereistheissueofrelatives,thefamilythatismuch

moreimportantthanthefinancialvalueofthelocalizedstructure,right?

MR-Thosepeoplewhodonotgetusedto it,donot theygetusedto theplaces they'remeant tobe

resettledin?Orwheretheywentontheirown?

LW - Where the company negotiates areas along with the public agencies and such [i.e. the

resettlementsitethataimsto‘re-home’thispeople].

MR-Doyouthink, fromtheexperienceyouhad,that[theseresettlementsites]display lessstructure

thanpeoplehadbefore,whentheywereinthe[river]gorge?

LW-Notbecauseofthestructureitself.Iseethatthesentimentalvalue,thehistoricalvalueofpeopleis

greaterthanthefinancialvalueofstructures. Iwouldnottradethehumilityofmyhousehere, inthe

rivergorge,forawell-structuredhouseinthecity.Iwouldn’tgetusedtoit,it’snotright,I'mnotgoing

tosleepwell,I'mnotgoingtowakeupwellthere.Ilikeithere,Ilivehere,thisiswheremyfathergrew

up, I created awhole family here. This iswherewe playedwith our brothers. Here, each tree stand

displays its history for the family; each pasture gorge has its history. So it goes beyond this financial

value.Thatiswhynotallfamiliesinaresettlementresist.

MR-Doyourememberwhatdam?

LW - They came from theDona Franciscadam,near the central part of the state [RioGrandedo Sul

state],nearSantaMaria.ThepeoplecamefromthereandwereputnearSantaMaria-thatwouldbe

around200,300kmawayfromwheretheylived.Hence,theyweredisplacedandtheabsolutemajority

offamiliesdidnotfitit.Theydidnotadapt,theydidnotlive,theydidnotgetusedtotheirnewplace.

Theysolditforinsignificantvaluesandleft.Thishasnotworked.[…][Iftheyrather]Gotothecity…And

[the riverine people],what are they going to do in the city?What jobwill they have?Howwill they

survive?Willtheyeatthevaluetheyreceivedfromfortheproperty[theindemnity]?Whichisveryquick

tohappen,that.Inadditiontothat,manypeoplegointodepression,peopledonotresist,peoplepanic,

gointoshockaboutit.[…]

MR–AndtheUruguayRiverbelongstowhom,doyouthink?

417

LW–Toall.Toall. IamaCatholic, IamaChristian, Ibelieve inacreatingGodand,as it isaworkof

nature, it is a divine work, I think everyone has the right to enjoy the river. I do not think this is a

questionofprivatisingtheriverforbigmonopolies,bigcompanies,bigcapital.Ithinkitisthegiftfrom

God,itisfromnature,letthehumanbeing,letthepeople,liveit.Wegrowupfishing,eatingfishfrom

theriver,survivingfromhere,wehaveleisuretimesattheriver,somanypeoplecomingandwehave

alwayskeptthedoorsopentothepeoplethatuseit.So,lettherivercontinuebeingforall.Letitbea

matteroflifeandnotofdeath.Thedamwillonlybringdeath.Profitforthefewandlossformany.[...]

What I'msureof is that I'llbe fighting for the rightsof futureaffectedpeople, if this [Garabidam] is

goingtohappen,forthelifeoftheriver,sothatwecanpreventthisdamconstruction,certainly,Iwill

be one more in the fight, in the defence of the Uruguay River. This I'm sure! I cannot defend the

UruguayRiverjustinword,ifwehavetogotothefight,I'monemorethatwillgo,forsure.[…]Weare

certainthatwecanalsobecompensatedwithyourwork,duetothesimplefactthatyouarepresenting

this in universities and that it is also making other people aware of the problem that we are

experiencing,itisalreadyverygratifyingforusbecausealonewearenobody,weneedthehelpofeach

other,weneedthesumoftheeffort.Weknowthepowerofunity,andmorethanever,weneedthis:

that people can join us in this struggle against the big capital, against big companies that want to

monopolizetheriver.Weknowthattheriverdoesnotbelongtousalone.Weknowthat it isnotour

causealone,andthatitisnotaproblemonlyforus,oftheUruguayRiver,weknowthatabiggerproject

is symbolizedaround it, because thegreat capital thatwants to crushusherealsohasan interest in

other places. And we count on this support, with the people’s solidarity who can also support us,

defendingtheUruguayRiver,thatitcontinuestobealive,continuesbeingours,continuesbeingofall

andthatwecancontinuebeing,aslongasGodgivesuslife,beingabletoberesidents,toberesidents

oftheseplaces,here.Maytherivercontinuetogeneratelife,beingalive,andgeneratinglife.

Interviewee:LúciaBirkdeBrum,63yearsold,teacher(retired)

Date:18.01.2016

Location:PoçoPreto,Alecrim

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

LúciaBirk-Forus,hereinthecountryside,aschoolisnotaschool–whereonegoestoworks.It’slike

ourhome,becausewededicateourentire lifeto it.Whenyou’vegotanysparetime,yougothereto

straightenupthings.Inthebigcitiesthiskindofrelationshipdoesn’texist.We[thecommunityofCanal

Torto]constructedhisbuildingourselves.Myhusbandcookedtotheworkers.

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Andwillthisschoolbeaffected[bythedam]?

LB–Yes,itwill.Thisschoolwillbeunderwater.Itwillbeerasedfromthemap.Waterwillswallow[the

communityof]CanalTorto.Thisiswhatwillhappenifthedamisbuilt:itwillvanish.Straightforwardly,

CanalTortowillnolongerexist.

418

Here, amidst these bushes, therewas a pavementwherewewould raise the flag. I had 9 students.

Therewasnocleaner.Behindthere, therewasa laundrytubandawirewhere Iwouldplacewashed

clothsandrugs.Thepavementtherewasallred,beautiful.We[themembersofthecommunity]rubbed

it.Everythingwasverytidy.Thecourtyardwasalsobeautiful.Wemowedthe lawn.Here,twometers

aheadthepavement therewas thegardenwith rosesandallotherkindsof flowers:daisies,gerbera.

Weallplantedtheseflowers,andwouldreplacethemateverycoupleofyears.

MR–Andwhatwashere?

LB–Herewasthekitchen.And,there,theboys,and,there,thegirlsloo.Here,inthemiddle,wewould

setthetableforthestudentstohavetheirmeal.

MR–Whendiditclose?

LB– In1996.Twentyyearsago.Thinkingthatthis istheplacewheremy lifestarted,myfirst jobasa

teacher… and, now, finding it in this shape… it’s really sad. But, until the day one single brick still

remains,Iwannacarryoncomingbackhere.[…]

I did a devotion toNossa SenhoraAparecida – this statuehere,whichhas accompaniedme in these

thirty-sixyears–askingthatthedamdoesn’tcometrue.EverytimeIrememberthisdamandlookto

everythingthatwilldisappearbecauseofit,IpraytoGod:Iknow,Lord,you’retheownerofnatureand

itisnotourwillbutyoursthatmayprevail,butwedoappreciateifthedamdoesn’thappen,thenweall

can live the restofour liveshere,atour littlecornerof theworld,wherewe feelgood,wherewe’re

happy,wherewe’vegotall,allthewealth.

Interviewee:RonaldoPraiczik,36yearsold,pharmacist

Date:20.02.2016

Location:Garruchostown

Fieldwork:GARABI-PANAMBIDAMCOMPLEX

[…]

RonaldoPraiczik –Peoplehavewaited forGarabi [damproject] since1970or some timearound it. I

rememberwhenIwasachild,backthenweheard:“Garabi iscoming,Garabi iscoming”.Therewasa

sheerbeautiful island in the [Uruguay] river–and this island is still there–wheremy familyused to

spend theholidays.Then,at that time,mycousinsas Ihad this thing regardingGarabi: “we’regonna

lose the island! This is gonna vanish! What are we gonna do?!” Over time this subject [the Garabi

project] eventually was put out of the agenda. But, two years ago it seems it resurrected. Then,

everyonehasbeenapprehensive:wedon’tknowifGarabiwillinfacthappenornot.Wedon’tknowif

the town [Garruchos] will stay here, the part that doesn’t get submerged, or if they will rather re-

constructthewholetownatanothersite.Theinformationthatreachesushereispoor,and,wedon’t

evenknowatwhat lengththis information is really reliable…Theysay,“Well, this isanextremelybig

project, it is huge”. All right, but, where are we situated within this massive project? As the main

419

affectedcommunity, itwasexpectedthatwehad,at least,accessto information,andthiswehaven’t

had![…]

ThepositivethingGarabicouldbringtoGarruchoswouldbethebuildingofanewtown,suppliedwith

sewer,sanitation,ahospital,pavedroads.Becausehere,ifwewanttoputupanewlamppost,weneed

dynamitetodoso,we[Garruchos]aresettledonalargerockslab.ThisiswhatGarabicouldmakefor

Garruchos. But we don’t have any guarantee, they don’t give us any guarantee about this. And this

scaresus.Theyonlysay,‘thereareplansforthis’.Well,planscanbechanged.[…]

Weinvesttime,money,work,welikewherewelive.Idon’tknowifIwouldliketomovefromhere.If

they could come toenableus abetterqualityof life, becausehere inGarruchos,we see, life canbe

tough:weknowmanydwellingswherethereisnotoiletin,or,ifthereisany,thesewageisdisposedon

the streets. So,we thinkabout this all, if this venture is coming, then it shouldat least contribute to

improveourtown.Atthesametime,wealsoknowthat,actually,thisissomethingthatthegovernment

shouldprovideuswith,yet,governorsandmayorskeeppostponingthings,waitingforthedamtosort

thesethingsout.So,willwecarryonwaitingthirtyyearsmoreforthesematterstobesolved?Idon’t

see another solution forGarruchos… The budget to asphalt this 65-kilometer road,which is the only

accesswe have to transport ourselves fromhere to other places, is astronomic! Therewon’t be any

politicianwhowill faceanddothis.Weknowhowthingsare,when itcomes topolitics.Hereweare

3,000 citizens altogether, that is, we are 3,000 voters. It seems that the budget for this asphalt is

something around R$80 million [roughly £20 million]. With this amount of money a politician can

enlargearoadinPortoAlegre[thecapitalofthestate]and“reach”100,000citizens,thatis,voters.Will

this politician spend such money to link the “nowhere”, which is Santo Antônio [the closest city to

Garruchos], to the“nothing”,which isGarruchos?Ofcoursenot!Then,wewill carryonbumping the

healthcareservicevehicletransportingpregnantwomeninlabourtothehospital,andalsoourprivate

cars.Thiswhenit’snotraining.Because,whenitrains,webecomeisledhere!So,that’swhyIthingthat

theonlysolutionwouldbeGarabi[dam],butnotinthewayit’sbeenset,forceddownourthroat.[…]

It’sabouttheseimprovementsthatwedon’thaveanyguarantee:ifthesethingswillinfactbecometrue

withthedam.Mainlybecausewe’veseendamsbeingbuiltinthemiddleofthejungle!Iftheseguyscan

buildadaminthemiddleofthejungle,theywillcirculatethroughthisunmaderockyroadeasy-peasy.

Thecompany inchargeof thedamworkswillnotcareabouthaving this roadasphalted.Andwewill

havetocarryonwithoutthis…andwewillalsohavetocarryonwithoutmanyotherthings.

Interviewee:EspeditoJosédosSantos,68yearsold,smallfarmer(retired)

Date:23.04.2015

Location:Sobradinhotown

Fieldwork:SOBRADINHODAM

[…]

420

EspeditoSantos–Anuncleofminetoldmethathisparents,Imean,hisgrandparentsusedtosaythat

theriverSãoFranciscowouldonedaybeturnedintoasequenceofseparatepools.‘Howso,dad?’he

would say, ‘How could it possibly be made into pools?’ ‘I don’t know. But one day, the river São

Franciscowillbeturnedintoseparatepools,’hisfatherrepeated.‘Buthow?’theboywouldinsist.‘Man

is going to control the river,’ his father replied. ‘Man is going todam the river.’ ‘But if theydam the

river,’theboywouldsay,‘itwillburst!’‘Itwon’tburst,’hisfatherreplied,‘becausemanhasthemeans

foreverything.’[…]

Myoccupation,backthere,wastheoneofagriculturist.Ihadtoleavemybelovedriver,theplacecalled

Juacema, I’vestillgotpassionforthatplace,wherewehadplants,beans,potato,cassava,sugarcane,

muscovadosugar–bythistimeoftheyearitwouldbetimetomillthesugarcane.Then,we’velostthis

all.

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–Whydidyouloseit?

ES – Because of the Chesf [the company in charge of the Sobradinho dam project]. Chesf is a

governmental company, right? It arrived there [in Juacema] and deceived us, speaking beautifully,

speaking about money, and everyone was deluded by it. When we realized, the Chesf had already

conqueredthearea,wefoundourselvesconquered.[…]

Then,whenthey[thoseinchargeoftheSobradinhodamworks]finisheddryingthere[partoftheSão

FranciscoRiver],thenhesaid,‘Now,we'regoingtouptheriver’.Then,theyclosedthesluices,allowing

justatinyamountofwatertopassthroughtheturbines,and,then,thewaterroseup[upstream].So,

whatdid theykill?Theykilledpeba,bees–therewerea loton this riverbank, theydied in thewater–

preá,cordoniza,right?Wehadeverythingonthisriverbank,onthoseislands,everythingwasthereand

theyalldiedinthewater,drowned,andwehadthemnomore.Eventhebeeswheregone–wehadalot

ofmandaçaia,todaytherearen’tany.Didyouunderstandhowtheyheldintheriver?[…]

Many fish died due to the turbines [of the Sobradinho dam]. There were fish corpses floating

everywheredownstream[thedam].The[SãoFrancisco]riverbecamewhitewithdeadfish.Curimatá,

dourado,piau,curvina[speciesoffish],theywereallgone.[…]

Bythe[SãoFrancisco]riversideweusedtohavejuátrees,jatobátrees,[sobig]that,tomanagetospot

avultureinthesky,oneneededtoreallybendbackhis/herneck.Therewastheingátree–whichisa

water’splant; therewasthemarizeiro–which isawater’splant; therewasthemuquém–which isa

water’splant; therewas the juá tree–loads!–and,nowadays this isallover, theyareall there,erased

insidethatreservoir.[…]

[Speakinginapassionatetone]I’vegotpassion,passionforJuacema!I’vealreadytoldmywifethat,if

the lake [the reservoir of the Sobradinho dam] dries out, I’m the first one to go back to the São

Francisco riverside–to farm. She asked, ‘but where?’ I said, ‘in our land, where we used to live, in

Juacema.’[…]

Interviewee:AntôniodeCarvalho,47yearsold,smallfarmer

421

Date:21.04.2015

Location:SãoGonçalodaSerra,Sobradinho

Fieldwork:SOBRADINHODAM

[…]

AntônioCarvalho–Weusedtohaveherepirá,surubim,matrixã,curimatá,mandi-lagoa,mandi-bagre,

capadinho, pocomã, piranha beba, red piranha, piau-cabeçudo, piau-de-cheiro [fish species], are you

bearingwithme?Sarapó-cobra,dogfish,piaba-sardinha,pacu[fishspecies].Our[SãoFrancisco]river

usedtohaveallthisrichness–consideringtheonesweknewonly!Wenolongerknowwhatisfish.[…]

I’vegotafeeling…[Antôniostopsspeaking,keepsinsilenceforamoment,andeventuallybreaksinto

tears] … We had to leave my grandfather there [in his former place of living, Juacema hamlet7]…

[weeping]… It was his will to be buried in Juacema. If we [Antônio and his family] knew that the

Sobradinho[dam]wouldhappen,we’dhaveneverlethimbeburiedthere.Wecoulddonothingabout

thisbuttoleavehimback.[…]

7Antônio’sgrandfather’sremainswerelefttobesubmerged,ashewasburiedinJuacema,hamletthatwaslocatedwithintheareathatlateronbecamethereservoiroftheSobradinhodam.

422

APPENDIX6

InterviewswithSusanMeiselasandAnthonyLuvera

InterviewwithSusanMeiselasbyemail,27thAugust2017

DearSusan,

Iamdiscussingyourground-breakingworksKurdistan– intheshadowofHistoryandEncounterswith

theDani–storiesfromtheBaliemValleyascasestudiesinmythesis,speciallyfocusingonthewayyou

assemblethestoriesyouwanttotell.

I consider your answers will be crucial to clarify and strengthen many points I make along my

discussions.

QUESTION1:

MarileneRibeiro–Whatmadeyouinterestedinyoursubjects?Howdidtheideastart?

SusanMeiselas–Ineachcasethestartingpointisdifferent,buttheyallinvolvefollowingmycuriosity

aboutsomethingIeitherreadorhearabout.The‘idea’ofhowtoframetheworkevolves,theconcept

fortheworkfollowstheencounteritself.

QUESTION2:

MR–Howdoyouworkoutwhatitisthatyouwanttoachievewiththework?

SM– It can take a very long timebefore I see the ‘framework’ for thework, each is again different.

Followingorreflectingonahistoricalprocess isdifferentthan immersing inaspaceand livingculture

(suchaswithCarnivalStrippersorARoomofTheirOwn).

QUESTION3:

MR–Wasoneof your aims to dismiss or question viewsof themassmedia, policymakers, or even

history?Why?

SM–Iwouldnotsay‘dismiss’,butcertainlyquestionandsometimeschallengetheviewsexpressedin

the‘media’—thoughthatisaverybroadstatement,andIcertainlyvaluetheworkmanypeopledoto

observeandreportonhistory.Mostoftentheyareforcedtoonlyfocusonimmediate‘news’andasI

have often said, I saw these moments as an historical process to contextualize further. Too often

423

journalistsdon’thavethetimetheyneed–opportunitiestostayorreturnplacesfortheperspectiveof

timetheywouldmostbenefitfrom.

QUESTION4:

MR–Inbothprojects(Kurdistan–IntheShadowofHistoryandEncounterswiththeDani–storiesfrom

theBaliemValley)whatmadeyoubringtogethermaterialformdifferentsourcesinthefinalworkand

setupitchronologically?

SM–Itwascleartomeinbothcasesthattounderstandthepresent,onehadtoknowmoreaboutthe

past,somethingIcouldnotphotographmyself,butIcouldcollectimagesbythosewhowerewitnesses

andrecordedtheirreflectionsandthencreateanobjectthatcapturedamulti-vocalapproach.

QUESTION5:

MR –Why have you used such a different way of working to the so-called traditional documentary

approach?

SM–Iwasnotdoingthisworktosimplybe‘different’IsawitasapotentialsolutiontotheproblemI

perceivedandwantedtoexplorenewwaysofexpandingthenarrativethanmyownphotographsalone

coulddo. I’vealsoworkedwith sound, text, video to complementmyphotographicwork, soarchival

researchbecameanorganicpartofmyprocessaswell.

QUESTION6:

MR–Whateffectdidyouwanttheworktohaveanddiditdothis?

SM–Mostimportantforbothbodiesofworkisthatitwascreatedcollaborativelywithacommunityof

scholars, practitioners and the photographed subjects as well. I was most interested in the value it

would potentially have for them, to have access and see themselves as they were represented

historicallybyothers.

QUESTION7:

MR–Howdidyoubuildtheconfidenceforyoursubjectstoexplainortalkabouttheirexperiencesand

situation?Maybegiveanexample?

SM–Sharinginsightsorexperiencesisalwaysaslowprocessovertime,thereisnowaytojudgehow

longitmighttake.Eachrelationshipisunique.Explainingwhatyouaredoingisnotenough,theyneed

tosee it.Sharingthephotographsyou’veeither takenorcollected is important,alongwithhowtheir

wordsmightbeused.Somepeoplewanttoknowmore,manygiveyoufreehandandothersprefernot

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toparticipate.Allofwhichisfinetohaveclarityandkeepmovingtowardwhatyouimagine.Sometimes

peoplehaveevensaidtheyregrettednotcontributingwhentheyseewhathasbeenmade.

QUESTION8:

MR–Canyoudescribe thenatureof the collaboration that youhadwithyour subjectsandwhyyou

wantedthiscollaboration?

SM–Again,eachsituationhasbeendifferent.InKurdistan,IwasabletoworkcloselywithanIraqiKurd

withwhomItraveledinandoutofvillages,visitingmanyfamilies,heeitherknewdirectlyorknewof.

Hewas deeply interested in learningmore about his own history andwas excited to facilitate these

exchangesinthefield.UnfortunatelyhewaslimitedtoonlyworkinginNIraqandcouldnottravelwith

metoIran,TurkeyorEurope.Thescholarsnetworkwasatotallydistinctcircle,andmeetingonewould

leadmetoanother,knowingwhowasspecialized.

WiththeDaniproject,IwasunabletoreturnandtravelinIrianJayatosearchformaterials.Ididgoto

archivesinHolland,bothpersonalandcollections,whereIthenfollowedleadsandinterviewedaswell

asresourcedagreatdealthroughthenetworksIcouldconnecttoonline.(Thatwas impossible inthe

90swiththeKurdistanproject).

QUESTION9:

MR–Doyouthinkyoursubjectsmighthavetakenyourproposalaswaytoaddresstheirmessagesto

thosefarfromtheirreach?Why?

SM–Noidea.

QUESTION10:

MR–Howdidyoursubjectsinfluencethewayyouunderstood,madeandeditedthework?

SM – The whole project relied on my ‘subjects’ as partners in the Kurdish project. Sometimes they

proposednewmaterialtosearchfororindividuals/familiestomeet.Myscheduleoftravelwasalways

flexible so it could respond to their suggestions.As thework grew, I useda seriesof ‘scrapbooks’ to

showtheaccumulatingmaterialsandmanyscholarsandothersusedpost-itnotestorespondtowhat

theysaw.Thefinaleditingwasmine,alongwiththeadvice Ihadfromkeyscholars,especiallyMartin

vanBruinessen.

WithDani, Imostly think thenetworkswerecontributingbutwereunable toseewhat Iwasmaking,

beyond the individual pages that referred to their work. I could send PDFs but did not have the

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opportunity tomeetwith themandshowthemtheentireprojectas itwasevolvingas Ididwith the

Kurdishdiaspora.

QUESTION11:

MR – Are there any specific exchanges that you had with them that motivated your way of

making/editingthework?Couldyoudescribethemormaybegiveanexample?

SM–Onfirstshowingofsomeofsomeearlytravelersdiariesandpublishedmemoirs,thereweresome

members of the Kurdish community who were astounded to read that they were referred to as

‘savages’. They did not want those references reproduced and only after extensive conversation did

theyagreethat itwas importantforfutureKurdishgenerationstohavetherawmaterialtoreadhow

theyhadbeenrepresentedinthepast.

QUESTION12:

MR–Isthereanywayofmeasuringtheimpactofworklikeyoursand,ifyes,howhaveyoumanaged

this?

SM–Notinreal‘metrics’.Ofcoursethereisthefactthatthebooksoldoutwithinarelativelyshorttime

andasecondeditionwasindemandandpublishedwitha10yearupdate.Thatmadeitpossibleforthe

region to receive5000books for local librariesandschools.Thevalueof that is immeasurable. Ionly

know that theKurdish community itself has valued the contributionand thenother scholars in fields

such as anthropology, cultural studies and art history have since written about its importance as a

distinctiveapproachto‘visualhistory’(ieseeInHistory,ElizabethEdwards).

QUESTION13:

MR-Doyouthinkphotographyhasanypowerinchangingthings?Why?

SM–Photographycaninfluencehowwesee,think,understandandperhapsattimesengageoract.We

simplycannotalwaysmeasureortracehowitworksonourmindsandactions.

QUESTION14:

MR–Afteryouhavebeenworkingonlong-termprojectswiththesegroupsandindividuals,whatisyour

understandingoftheirpastandwhatisyourhopefortheirfuture?

SM–Myhopeisthattheywillbebetterappreciatedasadistinctculturewithacomplexhistory.The

futuredependsonmanyforcesatplay.

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Thankyouforyouroutstandingcontributiontomyresearch,

MarileneRibeiro.

427

InterviewwithAnthonyLuverabySkype,28thJune2017

Transcript–

MarileneRibeiro(researcher)–I’mspeciallyinterestedinyourAssistedSelf-Portraitsseries.Justforme

tomakesureaboutsomedetailsaswellassomedates:isitstillongoing,Anthony?

AnthonyLuvera-Yes.

MR–BecauseIsawthatyouworkedwithdifferentgroupsindifferentcities.

AL– I firstlyworkedwithpeople thatexperiencedhomeless in2002.At that time Iwas really sortof

interestedinworkingwithpeopletoseewhattheymightphotograph,andiftheywouldbeinterested

insharingtheir imageswithmeforexhibition,orpublication– Ididn’t reallyhaveanysortofspecific

plans a that time, but, one day, perhaps, I thought, that it would be great to create an exhibition.

Stepping back one moment, the way that I became to work with people who have experienced

homeless really came out of an invitation that I received from someone who was working for a

homelesscharityorganisationcalledCrisis.Crisisproducesaverybigsheltereventforhomelesspeople

inLondonover theChristmasperiodcalledCrisisOpenChristmas.Theysaid tome“youshouldcome

alongtothiseventandtakepictures. It looksamazing, itwillbereallyamazingforaphotographerto

make pictures, there will be over a thousand people and it looks extraordinary”. I felt very

uncomfortablewith this sort of straightforward documentary approach, in going to a bigwarehouse

with a lot of people, hearing very, sort of, you know, places in their lives that might be difficult or

challenging, andmaking pictures of them. I said “thanks, but, no, thanks”. Iwas speaking a bit to S.

Allec,andIsaid“youknow,IprefertoseewhatpeopleImetwouldphotograph”.AndIleftitatthat.

Fewmonthslater,IwasworkingforKodakontheirsingle-usecameras,soIwasabletosourceareally

large donation of disposable cameras and processing vouchers, and I proposed to this person that I

knewatCrisisandtothedirectorofCrisis that IwouldcometothefollowingCrisisOpenChristmas–

andthatwouldhavebeenin2002-tovolunteerbuttoalsoletpeopleknowthatIwouldliketoproduce

a photography project, and that I would host a workshop every Friday afternoon at a location in

Spitalfields.SoIdidthat:IwentthereinthefollowingoftheCrisisOpenChristmas,andIvolunteered,

andIhelpeddown,Ididallkindofthings,andwhenitwasappropriate,ItoldpeopleImetthatIwas

going to do this thing and if theywere interested, to come along andmeetwithme. And I keptmy

expectationspretty low,a lotof thepeople Imethadcomplex in termsof the situationsgoingon in

theirlives.AndIthough“ifIgetfiveorsixpeoplethatwouldbegreat”.Butactuallyquitealotofpeople

cameinthatfirstsession-aroundninetyorso.ItwasaFridayafternoon,itwasbetween2o’clockand5

o’clock, andpeoplewould kindof come in at any timeandhave a cupof tea, and Iwould tell them

about this idea that I had - which was really rather simple: I wanted to see what people would

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photograph. Of course this is [was] before mobile phone technology and access to image-making

devices–itwasnotaswidespreadasitisnow.Ithinkthathadtwoeffects,really:1)theideaofoffering

afreecamerawasnovelandappreciatedand,2)peopleingeneral,perhaps,werelessusedtoseeing

everydayimagesinthewaythatwearenow–Ithink[now]wearesosurroundedbyphotographsofall

kindsofmoments.So,itwaskindof,Isuppose,auniquenessthatwasbeingoffered.Theseworkshops

continuedforabouttwoyears–itmusthavebeen.Oneoftheparticipants,aguycalledChristian,came

intooneoftheworkshopswithabusinesscardforawomancalledVictoriaJones,andshewasworking

at theWhitechapel at the time, I’m not sure exactlywhat the department is called, but it’s like the

participation,oreducation,orcommunityoutrangedepartment…Andshesuggested thatwe tried to

findawaytoshowthisworkwiththeWhitechapel,whenImetwithher,andIthoughtreallycarefully

aboutthat, itseemedlikeareallygoodopportunitybutitalsoseemedlikeasortofastrangecontext

for the first time these images would be showed, you know: in galleries, public galleries, like the

Whitechapel–whichIthinkarefantastic,ofcourse,andhaveareallyimportantpartofculturallifeof

thecityandofthecountry,buttheylargelytendtoprimarilyspeaktoonekindofaudience,ortovery

sortoffewsortsofaudiences,thatarelargelywhite,middleclass,havesomekindofsocialagency,and

a largely kind of a ware of the social inequities that impact upon people that might lead to

homelessness.Isaid“thanks,but,no,thanks”.Ileftitatthat,continuedwiththeworkshops,providing

peoplewithcameras,takingthecamerasin,gettingthemdeveloped,takinginthephotographs,talking

withpeopleaboutthephotographs,andgettingtoknowpeople.Afewmonthslater,Victoriacalledme

and she said that she had finished her job at theWhitechapel and had taken at new job up at the

LondonUnderground,on theArt inUndergroundProgramme–at the time itwascalledPlatform for

Arts,butitwassubsequentlycalledArtintheUnderground–andwouldIliketoshowtheworkinthe

underground? – because I’ve spoken to her aboutmymisgiving about galleries spaces and galleries’

programmes,not that I’mcompletelyagainstgalleries,ofcourse,butat that time Iwas reallycareful

aboutthecontext.Shesaid“Wecanorganiseanexhibitionacrossthetubestations”,andthatseems

perfect tome in terms of reachingmany different kinds of audiences in an unexpected way. It just

chainedwiththeideasthatIwasinterestedin–andI’mstillinterested–inrelationtodocumentaryand

representation.But I feltthat,atthattime, itwouldberatherstrangeformeto justcomeandpicka

very small number of photographs because I worked with about two hundred people and each

individualhadveryspecificandparticular stories theywanted to tellor ideas theywanted toexplore

usingthecameras.IwantedtofindawaytomakepicturesoftheindividualsbutIwantedto,somehow,

reactagainstthetraditionaldocumentaryorportraitureexerciseofmeholdingacameraandpointing

atsomeone.SoIaskedforabitoftimeandsupportfromtheArtintheUnderground,andIalsogota

sponsorshipfromCalumet,thephotographyretail&hirecompany,aswellasanotheronecalledthePro

Centre,whichisHasselblad.SoIwasabletoaccessanyequipmentintheirrentaldesksforaperiodof

about a year or so. That was really valuable, because what I ended up by doing was using 35mm,

medium format, large format, digital, analogue, lots of different types of technical arrangements of

equipment.Oneparticularparticipant,aguycalledPhillipRobinson,wasinterestedinworkingwithme

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–heisafantasticphotographer!Atthattime,PhilandIexperimentedwithalltheequipmentandwhatI

wantedtodowastotrytofindawayofusingtheequipmentthatIcouldfacilitatesomeonewhohad

littleornoknowledgeofphotographytobeabletocreateaself-portrait.SoPhillipandIexperimented

withlotsdifferentsortofequipment.EventuallyIdecideduponthis:a5x4fieldcameraonatripodwith

a hand handle cable release,we used ready-load and quick-load film,whichwere film stocks at that

timeproducedbyFujiandKodak, so thatyoudon’thave tousedarkslides, thesheet filmwas likea

cardboardsleeve,sothismeantitwasverylight-weight,aswellasahandhandleflash.That’showthe

beginningof theAssistedSelf-Portraitshappened.And, then, inpreparationforthatexhibitiononthe

Undergrounds,Iinvitedparticipantswhowereinterestedtocreatetheseassistedself-portraitswithme

and thenwe produced an exhibition across twelve stations in zones 1 and 2 – thatmust have been

around 2005 and 2006.We kind of went up, came down, and went up again. I think it was twelve

participants or eleven participants had their Assisted Self-Portraits and a small selection of their

photographs.Sothat’showtheAssistedSelf-Portraitsbeganandthefirstshowingoftheseassistedself-

portraitshappenedinthatway.

MR–Then,didtheAssistedSelf-Portraitsstartaround2004?

AL–TheAssistedSelf-Portraits,Iguessitwouldhavebegun...God!I’mabitfuzzyattime…

MR–Itisjustformetohaveanidea.Itdevelopedfromthisworkshopyouhadwiththesepeople?

AL–Exactly.Sotheseassistedself-portraits reallystandoutof theearlyworkshopsandthetechnical

experimentation,whichlastedaboutayearormaybeabitlonger,withPhilRobinson…So,infact,some

of these assisted self-portraits might be dated or would have been created before that exhibition.

Subsequently,whileIwasstillcontinuingtoworkinLondon,IalsoworkedinBelfast,theninColchester,

and then inBrighton. In eachplace I used the assisted self-portraitmethodology in the sameor in a

similarway.SoinBelfast,whenIwascreatingResidency,Iwasverykeentodeveloptheseassistedself-

portraitswithparticipants inBelfastbuttoreallykindofacknowledgethelandscapemore,whichwas

whytherewasashiftfromaverticaltoahorizontalformat.But,intermsoftheactualproduction,these

assistedself-portraitsproductionhappensoveraperiodofsessions. Iworkwiththeparticipant,show

him how to use the equipment, we create several exposures, using Polaroids as well, I get the film

developed,takeittothem,welookatit,wethinkaboutwhatisworkingwell,whatcanbeimproved,

wedoitagain.Similarlywerepeatthisasmanytimesasit’spossiblegiventhetimeavailabilityofthe

participant,myself, and the budget. In Colchester,which happened after Belfast, Iwasworking on a

projectthatwaspartofacommissionbyasocialhistorymuseum,wherethedisplayofobjectsisvery

muchthekindof,youknow,atthecoreofwhatsocialhistorymuseumsdo,soIwasreallykeentothink

aboutthesortofpossessionsorthebelongingsthatpeopleownandthatareimportanttothem,andto

see if therewasways to incorporate those in theassisted self-portrait images. Thatwas stillworking

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withfilm,thatwasstillananalogueprocess.WhenIbegantoworkinBrighton,theanaloguefilmwas

veryscarceandno longer reallyavailable tome,so I shifted theequipment from5x4 fieldcamera to

digitalmediumformatcameraattachedtoa laptop,usingFaceOnsoftware,on location.Thatkindof

posedanumberofchallengesformeintermsofaccessingequipment,testingequipment,takingthat

equipmentonlocation,butitalsoofferedanumberofopportunitiesaroundenablingtheparticipantto

reflectontheimagesthatwerecreatedinthatsession,fordecisionstobemadebetweenusalotmore

easily,alsoitkindofenabledmetoworkwithparticipantsandtheequipmentonlocationinawaythat

wasjustdifferent, Isuppose,becauseit isdifferent…theoperationofthecamera…thewholethingis

kindofdifferent.Itworkedjustaswellas,ifnotbetter,insomeways,asanexerciseofco-creation.

MR–Yousaidthatwhenyouwere invitedtogoforthisUndergroundexhibition, thenyoustartedto

thinkabouthavingportraits.AmIright?

AL-Yes.

MR – Before this, you had photographsmade by these people using disposable cameras, like Kodak

[ones].

AL–Correct.

MR–Basicallyyou’vegottheirperspectivesontheenvironmenttheywereandthewaytheywantedto

showthistootherpeople,Iimagine,toyou,atfirstinstance,but,ofcourse,tootherpeopleaswell.

AL–Right.

QUESTION1:

MR – The proposal you made to them “Let’s work on photographs. Let me see what you want to

photograph”:doyouthinktheyacceptedthis[proposal]becausetheythoughtsomehowitcouldbea

wayforthemtoreachpeople?

AL– Look,when I first invitedpeople tomeetwithme, to take camerasaway, andphotograph their

experiencesandthethingstheywereinterestedin,Ithinkthattheparticipantsweresomanydifferent

people, there were many different reasons behind why people wanted to engage with that. Some

peoplewere interested inhavingawaytocreatephotographsof friends, families, specialplaces,and

good times for their own keepsake andmemories, some of those people didn’twantme to use the

picturesanddidn’tallowmetokeepthenegatives,andthatwasfine,somepeopletookthecameras

andnevercamebackwiththem,otherpeoplehadveryspecificideasabout…justveryspecificideas,for

431

instance, therewasoneguycalledGypsyandhewassleeping inacardboardboxonthestepsof the

RoyalAcademy [ofArts] at the time.Prettymuchall of the camerasheusedwas just tophotograph

cardboardboxes, either theoneshewas sleeping in or ones he sawon the street. After a couple of

monthsof just a numberof these cameras filledwithpicturesof cardboardboxes, Iwas, like, “Well,

Gypsy,whydoyouonlyphotographcardboardboxes?”,andhesaid“Well, youknow, Iwakeup, I’m

insidethebox. Igetoutofmyboxand I’vegot to findsomewheretohidemybox,andwhen Icome

backtofindmybox,ifitisnotthere,I’vegottofindanotherboxandIgetbackintotheboxbytheend

of the day”. So, for him, it was very much a way of communicating something about his lived

experiencedatthattime.AnothermanIworkedwith,calledRuben,hewasfromGeorgiaintheformer

USSR[theUnionofSovietSocialistRepublics],lefttherewhenitwasstillasovietstate,travelledacross

Europeseekingasyluminanumberofdifferentcountries.Hehadthiskindofexperienceforanumber

of years of living unstably, living homeless in a number of European countries. He eventually took

himselftoNewYork,hetravelledtoNewYorkonashippingcontainer,livedonthestreetsinNewYork

foracoupleofyears,andtravelledfromNewYorktoIreland,again,onashippingcontainer,and,then,

fromIreland,smuggledhimselfbyferryandtraintoLondon,whenImethim–itmusthavebeenabout

2004.Heimmediatelysaid“I’mgonnaphotographtheLondon…”forhimtherealexperienceofLondon,

asIsupposehethoughtitmightbe,hespokeabouthavingthissortofexpectationthatLondonwould

bethisplacewith“streetspavedwithgold”,tosortofusetheclichéexpression–whichwastheonehe

actuallyused.Actuallywhathe foundwasthat living inLondonwasa lotharderandharsher thanhe

ever could possibly imagine; so he wanted to sort of show that. It’s very difficult to make a

generalisationaboutwhatdrovealloftheparticipantstotakecamerasaway,therearelotsofdifferent

stories…

MR–Thankyou.Yousaidyouwereinvitedtophotographtheevent[theCrisisOpenChristmas],atthe

beginning,andyousaid“No.Ithinkit’snotthekindofthingI’dfeellikehappyofdoing”…

AL–Yes.

QUESTION2:

MR – But, then, you said that this idea of working with them [people who had experienced

homelessness]andhaving themtophotographwhat theywantedcame toyourmindand that’swhy

youstartedthis ideaoftheworkshop,becauseyouwantedthemtobe inthephotographsaswell, in

thephotographicprocess.Whatwasyouaim,atthattime?Whatmadeyoutocomeupwiththisidea?

Yourmotivation.

AL–Iwassuspicious,Iamstill,insomerespects,butIalsohaveagreatdealerrespect.AtthetimeIwas

awareof thekindof critiques that couldbeapplied todocumentaryphotography,particularlyby the

lightsofwritersandartists suchasMarthaRosler,AndyGrundberg,Solomon-Godeau,AllanSekula,a

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numberofthesepeoplewhowerewritinginthe1980sand1990sabouttheproblemsofspeakingon

behalfofotherpeople,abouttheproblemsofmakingphotographsofpeoplewhoarelessablethanyou

are in society – Martha Rosler’s work, in particular her The Bowery in two inadequate descriptive

systems and the piece of writing that accompanies that, called In, Around, and Afterthoughts: on

documentary photography, and another piece of writing that she did, or wrote, called Post-

documentary, post-photography? You know, these kinds of writings I was exposed to on my

undergraduatestudiesintheearlytomid90s,inAustralia,whereI’moriginallyfrom.Youknow,Iwas

taughtbyphotographerswhosepractice isverymuchrooted in thedocumentary tradition. I suppose

thatwhenIcametothatconversation,alotofthatstuffwasinthebackofmymindandmyimmediate

instinctwas to not photograph homeless people. I’ve neverwanted to photograph homeless people

before.Ireallywassortofspeakingalittlebitoff-hand,sortofsaying,youknow,“Idon’twantodoit

but I’dprefertoseewhattheywouldphotograph”. Iwasawareofa fewprojectsthathadhappened

aroundthattimewherethephotographerorartistwouldoffercamerastotheirsubjects.AtthattimeI

didn’tknowabouttheworkofWendyEwald.Itwasn’tuntilactuallyAnnaFoxtoldmeabouttheworkof

WendyEwald,yearslatter,whenIwasdoingmyMAstudiesatLCC[LondonCollegeofCommunication].

IwascertainlyawareoftheworkofsomeonelikeJimGoldbergandhisRaisedbyWolvesbook,andthe

kind of the use of photography, the kind of approach to documentary photography that he had

developedatthattimewasverymuchakindofpersonal,subjectivekindofapproach,issuinganykind

ofessenceoftryingtosaysomethingobjectively.Buthealso,atthesametime,asksthesubjectstotake

part in films, in sound recordings, in writing, in hand-writing, letters, othermaterial, a lot of sort of

things. So Iwas kindof awareof those critiquesondocumentary andpractices like JimGoldberg’s. I

thinkitwaspartlymejustmakingthatoff-handremarkandpartlybeinginthepositionof,fewmonths

later,beingabletoaccessthedisposablecameras–thatreallygottheworkofftheground.Ihavetosay

thatIneverbeganthisworkthinkingIwouldstillbeworkingwithitnearlytwentyyearslater, Ididn’t

beginitthinking“Oh,I’llhaveanexhibitionontheUnderground”–Ithinkinanyone’scareer,youcould

bestrategicandintentionalasyouwanttobe,but,atthesametime,therewillbethesecircumstances

that arise that you don’t necessarily have control over or could necessarily predict, and you kind of

makethemostofthemandyoutrytoconnectthedots.

QUESTION3:

MR–Whenallofthiscametogether,asyousaid:thedisposablecamerasopportunity,andyouhadthis

previousexperiencewiththeCrisis,yougotallthisbackgroundinyourmind.Whenyouconceivedthe

workshopandtheAssistedSelf-Portraits,wasoneofyouraimstodismissor,at least, toquestionthe

views ofmassmedia and policy-makers regarding the situation of the homeless, and whowere the

homeless?

AL – Yes. Certainly. I was very interested, and I’m still very interested, in the way other people are

represented – when I say other people, I mean people who are overly spoken for, or who are

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disempowered, or who are excluded from mainstream representation, or, if that inclusion in

mainstreamrepresentationispresent,itissomehowoverlaidwiththeagendaoftheparticularcontext

inwhichitissituatedin:itmightbemassmedia,itmightbeentertainment,itmighttheworkofNGOs,

itmightbecharities.Iam,andwas,veryinterestedinthatsortofvisualtrope,ifyoulike,andcertainly

partoftheintentionwastoshakeupnegativepreconceptionsofhomelessness.Inmybroaderpractice,

I’m interested in thinking about the role of photography in culture shifting, in kind of being part of

redefiningconsciousnessaboutissues,topics,people,andplaces.

QUESTION4:

MR–Asyoumentioned, I’d liketoaskyouthistrickyquestion.Youtalkedabouttheshift, theshake,

andthepowerofphotography.Doyouthinkphotographyhasanypowerinchangingthings?

AL–Ithinkphotographyandphotographscanhaveverypowerfuleffectsonpeople–Iknowthatthey

certainlyhaveonme.Therewouldbemoments inHistorywhere theuseofaparticular imagehasa

reallyextraordinaryeffectonthepolitical,social,culturalmoments,thatissomethingthatisverywell

documented, and verywell written and thought about, you know… I forgot the name… there is the

photographerwhocreatedtheimageofthemanfallingfromtheTwinTowers,forinstance…Thereare

keyimagesthatemergedfrom,let’ssay,theVietnamWarorfromtherefugeecrisis–[theimage]with

the small boywashed up on the beach. Some of that imagery that came out of the recent Grenfell

Tower’s tragedy I think [they]will be burnt on people’s consciousness in relation to debates around

homelessnessandsocialhousing.So,Idothinkthatphotographsplayaveryimportantroleinmediating

informationaboutevents,people,andplaces.

QUESTION5:

MR – Regarding this as well, you said that one of your aims was to address this kind of different

approachandperspectiveontheexperienceofbeingahomeless,notjustfromyourownperspective–I

know that yourownperspective is in yourwork somehow, in theassisted self-portraits,becauseyou

were there.Having this inmind, howdo youdescribe thenatureof collaboration youhadwith your

subjects,orwiththepeopleyouworkedwith?

AL – Look, I’m an artist who primarily works with photographs made by other people or by using

photographsorsoundrecordingsorothermaterialthatisco-createdwithparticipants.Idon’treallyuse

theword“subjects”orbeamtheminsomesensesasthesubjectsofthework,I’mmoreinterestedin

thinkingabout thepeople Iworkwithasparticipants,because Ialwaystry to findways,asasocially-

engagedartist,toenabletheparticipantstotakeanactiveroleinthecreationofthematerialthatsays

something about their lives. I don’t believe for a second that, in doing so, this somehow gives an

unmediatedviewontheirexperiences.Itdoesn’t,butIhopewhatitdoesisthatitkindofincludesthe

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subjectivityoftheparticipantsalongsideonmyowntopayamorecomplex,oranuance,oradifferent

kindofpicturethatmightbeordinarilyassociatedwiththeindividualsthattakepartinthework.

QUESTION6:

MR–It’sasillyquestion,becauseyou’vejustsaidthis,butifyouwanttocompleteyourreasoningwith

thisquestion:howdidyourcollaboratorsinfluencethewayyouunderstood,youmade,andyouedited

thework?

AL–Ok.Theseare threebigquestions inonequestion.The ideaof themmaking, theunderstanding,

andtheeditingarehugekindofthings,allbeingconnected.So,I’veexplainedtoyousomethingofthe

processofcreatingtheAssistedSelf-Portraitsandthecreationofthephotographsbyparticipants.The

editingprocesscomesoutofadialogue,aconversationwithparticipantsaroundwhattheyarehappy

formetouseandwhattheywouldlikemenottouse.Inthinkingaboutthepresentationofthework:

when Residency was created at Belfast Exposed, the intention was always that there would be an

exhibition at the Belfast Exposed gallery, so a lot of the conversation with participants around the

editing of the work was about “how do wemake a selection of photographs from this big body of

photographscreatedbyparticipants?”.Thatwouldsomehowsaysomethingaboutourworktogether,

that would say something about their experiences of Belfast, and I would say something about the

experienceaboutBelfastitself.Withinthat,Ihostedbigworkshopswhereallofthephotographsmade

byparticipantswerelaidout,participantsandIhadbigconversationsofanumberofdaysaroundwhat

imagescouldbeused,what imagescouldn’tbeused. I rememberoneparticular time: therewasone

participant calledMaggie,whowas really keen toputpicturesofher children in theexhibition. I felt

very uncomfortable about that, because, although shewas the legal guardian andhad every right to

givepermissionforphotographsofherchildrentobeusedinparticularways,thatkindofopenedupa

conversationwithMaggiearoundtheethicsofusingimagesofchildren,orofherchildrenbeinginan

exhibitionwhich isassociatedwithhomelessness,what itwouldbe likeforthem,whentheygrowup

anddiscovertheseimagesofthemselves,andhowtheywouldfeelaboutthat...sothatwasallkindof

conversationsthatfedintheeditingprocess.ThebodyofworkImadeinBrightonit’scalledAssembly.A

bigpartofAssemblyisthesoundrecordingsthatwerecreatedbymyselfandbyparticipants.Alongside

photographsmadebyparticipants,alongsidetheproductionoftheassistedself-portraits, Ialsoasked

participantstotakeawaydigitalsoundrecorderstorecordtheirexperiencesofBrightonandIalsoused

digital sound recording equipment to record the process ofmaking the assisted self-portraits, in the

actualmakingofthephotographsbutalsointheeditingandselectionoftheimagesafterwardsaswell.

Alongside that, I also workedwith the community choir to sing and record our singing. So all those

different sound elements are woven together in a sound scape that is placed in the gallery space

alongsidethepresentationoftheassistedself-portraitsandphotographsbyparticipantsandmyselfand

the documentation of us working together. In those sound recordings, I think what you can hear is

somethingmoreofthenatureoftheconversationsthathappenwithparticipants.

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QUESTION7:

MR–Whatwasyouraudience,oryouaudiences,whenyouconceivedthework?

AL – It’s a very goodquestion.Well, as Iwas saying earlier,when Iwas first thinking about showing

someoftheworkandIfeltthatdoingitinassociationwithapublicgallerywouldn’tnecessarilyreachas

broadly and, too, a range of audiences as I thought it could, and, then, showing the work on the

Underground [London’s tube stations] felt like away of reachingmore people and different kinds of

people.WhenIshowedtheworkResidency,inBelfast,partoftheresidencytherewastoshowthework

in a gallery and to also publish a book. Having said that, the Belfast Exposed gallery is very kind of

embeddedinthecommunitiesofBelfastinawaythatisquiteuniqueforaphotographygalleryandthat

comes out of the way in which that gallery and organisation was founded – and also it’s not a

commercial galley. Thework in Colchester were showing in outdoor public spaces: a great big cloth

fabricassistedself-portraithangedfromthetree,onthefencepostrailings,ondoors,placedinpublic

parks,again,thatwasthinkingaboutthisideaoftheaudiencehasbeensomethingthatismultipleand

something that is, in someways, unpredictable, and so it becomesa verydifficult thing toprescribe,

but,atthesametime,youknow,whenyouputphotographsonaplatformontheUnderground–Ican’t

remembertheexactfigures,rightnow,buttheywereincrediblylarge…somethinglike…Idon’tknow…

–hundredsofthousandsofpeoplepassthesepostersallthetime,ifevenjustlike5%ofthosepeople

actuallystopandpayattention, it’sareally largeaudience.Alongsidetheworkwithhomelesspeople,

I’vealsoworkedwithotherpeople:children,peoplewhohaveexperiencedmentalhealthissues,people

whohaveaddiction issues,peoplewhoare identifiedasqueer. Inparticularwiththeworkmadewith

LGBT+ people in Brighton, it’s called Not going shopping, the posters that were created, the

collaborativeportraitsthatwerecreated,wereplacedonthesidesofbuildingsinthirtysitesacrossthe

city.Again,thinkingthatitwouldbegoodfortheworktobeseeingbyasmanypeopleaspossible,that

wouldbeakindofaninvasionofthepublicspace,akindofareclamationoftheplacesinwhichpeople

areordinarilyexcludedfrom,ormarginalisedfrom.Forme,theideaofaudienceissomethingIthinkit’s

really important tobeconsidered,andalso I think it’s important tobereally specificabout itaswell.

Whenwe’retalkingaboutaudiencesforaworkthatissocially-engaged,Ithinkit’sreally importantto

be quite specific around thinking, well: there are policy-makers? There are people involved in

influencingdebatesandthinkingaroundtheissue?Thereistheeverydaypublic?Andpeoplewithinthe

everydaypubliccomefromdifferentpartsofsociety,wecomefromdifferentpartsofthecity,orthe

country. Again, when I create the work, a really important part of my practice is writing in public

speakingabouttheworkasawayformetoreflectonthekindofmethodologiesIuse,andthecontext

inwhichIcreateworkandexhibitthework,butalsototrytoconnecttheworkwithotherdiscourses.

So,fortheworkwithhomelesspeople,I’vetakenpartinforumsforurbanism,orforsocialpolicy,orfor

social anthropology, or for the intersection between art and anthropology – it’s all kinds of ways in

whichaudiencescanbethoughtofinrelationtothework.Doesthatmakesense?

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MR – Totally, totally. You’re talking about the broadest audience, and what you’ve just said has

completely todowith thepowerofphotographywe’re talkingabout…before…– in changing things.

Yousaid,like,ifeven5%…

AL–Ithinkthat,forme,it’snotsomuchaboutbroadaudiences,it’saboutmultipleaudiences:thinking

aboutveryspecificplaces for thework tobeseeing inawaythatwillenablemanydifferent typesof

individualsandpeoplefromdifferentsectionsorplaceswithinthesocietytothinkaboutthework.

QUESTION8:

MR–Whenyou’reconceivingthework,editingit,andthinkingaboutthewayyou’regoingtoshowthis,

intermsofpublicspace–thethingthatyou’vejustsaid–whateffectdoyouwanttheworktohave,

like,youraims.Doyouthinkitdid[youaccomplishyouraims]this,intheend?

AL–Insomeways,thereisacoupleofthingsthatcometomymindinrelationtothisquestion.Thereis

theactualphysicallocationsofthework;so,withNotgoingshopping,whenthatworkwasdisplayedin

Brighton,andthenBristol,andinMalmö,andCopenhagen,thecollaborativeportraitswereshowedon

the sides of buildings in very prominently kind of pedestrianized places, but then also we created

community newspapers thatwere distributed freely to the residences andplaces of business around

wherethoseportraitswereshowed,acrossthestreetsofBrightonandHove,CopenhagenandMalmö,

and more recently in London, at the London Art Fair. I’m thinking really carefully about what

presentationstrategies…howthatcanalsosupporttheworkintermsoftheinquiryintoissuesofaccess

to ownership and power. But also, specificallywith theAssisted Self-Portrait,when I show thework,

ideally I like toshow it soas thephotographdepicts the individualas life-size,or slightlybiggeroras

closetoaspossible,and it ishanged justaboveeye level,asyouhavethissenseof lookingupat the

subject and the subject looking down at you, as a way to sort of reverse the gaze that is normally

appliedtohomelesspeople.

MR–Toswitchthegazeabit…

AL–Yes.

MR – Once more, about the way that mass media, policy-makers, and society as a whole see this

situationofhomelessness…

AL–Absolutely.Andalso:howoften,whenyouarewalkingdownthestreetandsomeoneissleeping

rough,andtheyareontheunderground,youlookdownatthem?Peoplelookdownathomelesspeople

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bothintellectuallyandsocially,butalsophysicallyaswell.Itwasjustaboutthinkingabouthowthatcan

bereversedinsomeway.

QUESTION9:

MR–Howdidyoubuildtheconfidencewithyourcollaboratorsforthemtotalkabouttheirexperiences

andsituations?Because,atthebeginning,you’reastranger[tothem]?

AL – Forme, it’s not about building confidence. I’m not responsible, I don’t hold the power to build

anyoneelse’sconfidence.So,Idon’tthinkaboutitlikethat.Ijustthinkaboutitinawaywhichisquite

simplelikegettingtoknowpeople.Forme,theindividualsthatIworkwitharejustlikeanyoneelsethat

Imeetanddealwith in theeveryday life,except that theyarealso the…youknow, I’mworkingwith

themwithaveryspecificintentiontocreateworkabouttheirlives.SoIwilljustbeasopenandhonest

asIpossiblycanbe,tosortofsaywhyI’mthere,whatIhopetodo,andwhatmighthappenwiththe

work…Justgettoknowpeople,andifpeopleareinterestedintakingpart,then,that’sgreat,iftheyare

not, that’s fine too, if they change theirmind, that’s also fine. So, forme, it’s not aboutmebuilding

confidence,but it’saboutmeworkingwithpeopletogettoknowthem,gettingtheirtrust. It’sabout

personalrelationships,inthesamethingitwouldbesaidinmanydifferentpartsofourlife,intheway

weworkwithpeopleorwhenwegettoknowpeople. It’sreallystraightforwardtome: if Iwantedto

creatework about your life, Iwould ask you to get involved inusingphotography, sounds andother

sourcesofrepresentationalmedia,andIwouldexplaintoyouexactlywhatit isthatIwanttodo,and

youwouldhavetosay“yes”or“no”.Ifyousay“yes”,that’sgreat,Iwouldmovecarryingonwiththis

conversation.Ifyousay“no”,Iwouldsay“thanks.Don’tworryaboutit”.

QUESTION10:

MR–Areyoustillincontactwithyoursubjects?

AL–Manyofthem,yes.Ibeganthisworkalongtimeago,beforesocialmediaandbeforepeoplewould

beabletoconnecttoeachotheraseasilyastheyarenow.So,someofthoseindividuals,wefoundeach

other again or we’ve retained communication throughout, people that I’ve worked with since the

advancementof socialmedia,we’vebeenable to retainanongoing relationshipmuchmoreeasily. It

really depends on the individual, but it also depends on how... Like, for instance, in the process of

creatingthenewbodyofworkinBelfast,calledLetuseatcake–I’mworkingwithqueerpeoplelivingin

NorthernIrelandtolookattheirexperienceofqueerrightsinNorthernIrelandandthesortoftherole

of thequeercommunitythroughthetimesof thetroublesandtoday.Then,usingaprivateFacebook

group is a really importantpartof thatwork,because I’mnot inBelfast all the time. There is adaily

conversation that happens betweenme and participants, whichwouldn’t have been possible before

socialmedia.When Iwas creatingNot going shopping, similarly, closed Facebook groupswere really

important in order forme to open up the process of decision-making in between us, in face-to-face

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meetings,butalsoto,sincethatworkhas finished,andbeenexhibitedandpublished,whenevernew

opportunitiescomeupforit,thenIletpeopleknowthroughtheFacebookgroup,toeitherinvitethem

along,ortoseeiftheydon’tmindiftheworkisshowninthatparticularway,ortosendthemmaterial

related to the show. Again, for me this is a really human basic thing: you get to know people and

relationships have a natural conclusion, you still stay in touchwith people, ormaybe you don’t. It’s

reallystraightforward.

MR–Are therepeopleyou’re still contactprivately, exchangingmessages, calls? Imean,people that

youmetalongtimeago,likein2004…

AL–Absolutely.So,PhilRobinson,theguythatworkedwithmetocreatetheAssistedSelf-Portraits,we

areverymuchconnected– I could telephonehimnow, if Iwanted to–certainly, through Instagram,

throughTweeter, throughFacebook,messagesgetexchanged.Andthereareanumberofpeople, for

instance, participant called Jeff Hubbard, from the London work, now continues to host the

photographyworkshopsatCrisis,whichIdonot,Isteppedawayaround2007or2008,whenIbeganto

getmoreandmorebusymakingResidency inBelfast.We’vestillsentmessagestoeachother.WhenI

hadtheexhibitionofAssemblyinBrighton,therewasapaneldiscussionaboutthework,IinvitedJeffto

comeandtakepartinthatpanel,totalkabouthisexperienceasaparticipantbuttoalsotalkabouthis

workasaphotographerandphotographereducatornow.

QUESTION11:

MR–Whatisyourmainaim,ormainaims,withthework?

AL – Aswewere sort of saying earlier, it’s verymuch about hopefully challenging preconceptions of

homelessness, about these lived experiences of homeless people, and about the perspectives of

homeless people. I think thatwas one of themain aims that underpin theAssisted Self-Portraits for

sure.

QUESTION12:

MR–Doyouthinkthereisanywayofmeasuringtheimpactofyourworkorworkslikeyours.And, if

youthinkthatthereisawayofmeasuringtheimpact,howhaveyoumanagedthis?

AL–Thisisareallygoodquestion.I lotoftheworkthatIcreateisoftensupportedbypublicfunding,

throughsomethinglikeTheArtsCouncil,orpublicfundingthroughTheBigLottery,orthroughHeritage

Lottery Funds, or through the Out of Reach Educational Department, or even the Curatorial

Programmingofagallery,whichalsomightneedtoreportintopublicfunding’sspending.So,thingslike

evaluationsareoftenattachedtothespendingofthemoneyinthissortofsituationsandattheheartof

this sortofevaluationsarequestions thataredesignedaroundtrying tomeasure impactand itoften

439

talkedaboutinrelationtobenefits,outcomes,targets,oftenthesethingsarespokenaboutintermsof

improvingself-esteem,betteringpeople’slives,enablingaccess,promotingdiversity,andallthesesorts

ofthings. Inonehand, ifoneistotrytomeasureimpactthroughthoselenses, I’msurethatitcanbe

doneandithasbeendonetoalargeextent.ButIthink,forme,intermsofmeasuringimpact,I’mmore

interestedinthatquestionbeingdirectedtotheparticipants.Idon’tfellthatit’smyplacetosay“well,

invitingaparticipant to takepart in thisworkhas impactedupon their lives in theseways“.Oneelse

shouldactuallyaskthem:“Howhasitimpacteduponyourlife?”Isitevenappropriatetoaskthemthat

question? I’m less interested in trying to undertakemy practice to provide social benefits andmore

interestedinusingmypracticeasawaytoinvolvepeoplewhohavebeenoverlyspokenfortotalkabout

theirexperiences.

MR–It’sreallytricky.Thetooltomeasureitisnottherighttool,isn’tit?

AL–Yes.Andoften those toolsarekindofdesigned to serveasan instrumentalpurposewhich is to

affirm the relationship between the recipient of the funding and the funder; then, often the real

learningthatcouldbeexpressed iskindofsublimatedbythiskindofagendathataffirmsthis funding

relationship.

QUESTION13:

MR–Afteryouhavebeenworkinginlong-termprojectswiththesegroupsandindividuals,whatisyour

understandingoftheirpastandwhatisyourhopefortheirfuture?

AL–Particularlyinrelationtopeoplewhohaveexperiencedhomeless,I’mlessinterestedinfindingout

why they are homeless than what I am in speaking to them about the themes in their immediate

experienceandtheirhopesfortheirfuture. It’sabitdifferentwhenIworkwithqueerpeople, likeon

theworkI’mmakingnow,Letuseatcake:Iaminterestedinfindingoutaboutpeople’spast,Iwanto

know aboutwhatwas like people to come up in Northern Ireland in 1980s and 1990s. It’s sort of a

different body of work, working with different groups of people, different concerns, intentions, I

suppose. Particularly in relation to the work with homeless people, I’m not interested in sort of

includingabiographyaboutwhysomeoneisinasituationtheyarein,I’mmoreinterestedinfindingout

whattheythinkaboutrepresentation,whattheirexperienceofphotographyis,whattheirexperience

asbeendescribedasahomelessmeanstothematthatparticulartime.

MR–Doyouhaveadifferentpoliticalviewafterworkingwiththem?

AL–Not really. If Iwould todescribemysortofpolitics:mypoliticshasalwaysbeen left-leaning, it’s

always been socialist, it’s always been along those kind of lines. I wouldn’t say that working with

participantshaschangedmypolitics,itcertainlymadememoreawareofthepoliticsthatimpactsupon

440

their lives.No, Iwouldsaythat it’schangedmypoliticsatall. Ifanything, ithasprobably fortifiedmy

politicalview.

MR–Thankyousomuch,Anthony.

AL–You’rewelcome.

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APPENDIX7

Folksongspreviouslyperformedinsettlementsaffected

bythedamscoveredinthisresearch

(recordedandgathered)

TranscribedbyKarinaRibeiroandMarileneRibeiro

TranslatedtoEnglishbyMarileneRibeiroandRachelAnnDavis

One of the folk songs from Juacema hamlet (Sobradinho dam area) performed by participantMaria

Zilda:

“BananeirachoraElachoraqueeuvou-meemboraEi-háBananeirachoraElachoraqueeuvou-meemboraEi-há(…)”(PoçodoJuá,Brazil,April122015)Englishtranslation:“BananatreecriesItcries‘causeI’mleavingEi-háBananatreecriesItcries‘causeI’mleavingEi-há(…)”

Notethat,coincidently,thislyricsisaboutatreethatcriesbecausesomeoneisleaving–i.e.itillustrates

notonlya relationbetweenahumanbeingandplantbutpresents theplantasbeingable toexpress

humanfeelings.Italsotellsaboutthepaininvolvedinthisseparation,asitmighthavehappenedatthe

timeofthemove.

SometraditionalsongsfromGrandeIsland(Sobradinhodamarea)performedbyparticipantMariadas

Dores(“Dorinha”),herhusbandNezinhoandhergranddaughterGildejane:

BATUQUEDEREISSONGS:“AonçanagameleiraSentadanoareialSeapeguecomaMãedeDeusQueaonçanãocome,nãoSeapegueOlhaaonça!

442

AonçanagameleiraSentadanoareialSeapeguecomaMãedeDeusQueaonçanãocome,nãoSeapegueOlhaaonça!ÉapintadaOlhaaonça!ÉasussaranaOlhaaonça!”(BrejodeDentro,Brazil–May15,2015)Englishtranslation:“ThejaguarbythegameleiratreeSeatedonthesandbankPraytotheMotherofGodThenthejaguarwon'teatyouPray!Mindthejaguar!ThejaguarbythegameleiratreeSeatedonthesandbankPraytotheMotherofGodThenthejaguarwon'teatyouPray!Mindthejaguar!It'sthespottedoneMindthejaguar!It'stheredoneMindthejaguar!”“ObezouroserraopauEobagaçocainochãoObezouroserraopauEobagaçocainochãoÔ,sequisermedar,medêQueeu,pedir,nãopeço,nãoÔ,sequisermedar,medêQueeu,pedir,nãopeço,não.”Englishtranslation:“ThebeetlesawsthetimberAndthebarkfallsonthegroundThebeetlesawsthetimberAndthebarkfallsonthegroundÔ,ifyouwanttogiveittome,doit‘CauseI’mnotgoingtoaskyouforÔ,ifyouwanttogiveittome,doit‘CauseI’mnotgoingtoaskyoufor.”“Amei,ameiDeixeideamar,

443

AsemanafazseisdiasEumorrodetrabalhar.EumorrodetrabalharPrasustentarminhamulherOpagoqueelamedeuFoidizerquenãomequer.”Englishtranslation:“Iloved,IlovedIquitlovingTheweekhassixdaysInwhichIworkhardIworkhardTofeedmywifeWhatshehasgivenmebackIssayingthatshedoesn’twantme.”“Ô,ficaaquimulherQuevou`aserrasambarSeosambaláestiverbomEuvoltoevenhotebuscar.”Englishtranslation:“Ô,stayhere,womanI’mgoingtothehilltodanceIfthedanceisgoodthereI’llcomebacktotakeyouthere”

Notably,likethelyricsofthesongfromtheformerJuacemahamlet,recalledbyMariaZilda,traditional

folksongsfromtheGrandeIslandalsoabsorbelementsfromthenaturalworld,likejaguarandbeetle,

whicharetakenaspartofriverinepeople’s“cosmos”.

Folk songs from Fazenda das Pedras hamlet (Sobradinho dam area) performed by participant Isabel

Aniceto:

“Tujádançou,oh,piranha?Tônadança,oh,piranhaTujádançou,oh,piranha?Tônadança,oh,piranhaBoteamãonacabeça,oh,piranhaTira,botanacintura,oh,piranhaDáumjeitinhonocorpo,oh,piranhaDáumaumbigadanooutro,oh,piranha.”(Sobradinhotown,Brazil–April22,2015)

444

Englishtranslation:"Haveyoueverdanced,oh,piranha?I'minthedance,oh,piranhaHaveyoueverdanced,oh,piranha?I'minthedance,oh,piranhaPutyourhandonyourhead,oh,piranhaTakeit,putitonyourwaist,oh,piranhaStraightenyourbody,oh,piranhaBellybumptheotherone,oh,piranha"“TomarajamecasarÔ,iá-iáParaterminhacasinhaÔ,iá-iáParaminhamãedizerÔ,iá-iáEujácaseiminhafilhinhaÔindara-ra-rá”Englishtranslation:“HopefullyI’llgetmarriedÔ,iá-iáThenI’llhavemyplaceÔ,iá-iáThenmymothercansayÔ,iá-iáI’vealreadyhadmydaughtermarried”“Alevanta,alevanta,meninaSeunamoradochegouÔdi-ôê,Mãed’ÁguaÔdi-ôê,Mãed’ÁguaMenino,sequerir,vamosNãoseponhaaimaginarQuemimaginatomamedoQuemtemmedonãovailá.Ôdi-ôê,Mãed’ÁguaÔdi-ôê,Mãed’Água”Englishtranslation:“Standup,standup,girlYourboyfriendhasarrivedÔdi-ôê,MotheroftheWaterÔdi-ôê,MotheroftheWaterBoy,ifyouwanttogothere,let’sgoDonotstarttopictureitThosewhopictureitgetafraidofitThosewhoareafraidofitdon’tgothereÔdi-ôê,MotheroftheWater

445

Ôdi-ôê,MotheroftheWater”HymnofSaintJoseph(HinodeSãoJosé)fromthecelebrationsoftheSaintJosephDay(DiadeSãoJosé)

inParatizão(BeloMontedamarea)performedbyTeodora(friendofparticipantMariaHelenaAlmeida):

“SãoJosé,meupaiqueridoNãorecusesproteçãoQuandomeucorpo,abatidoDamortesentiramãoVemcuidadosoQuandoeumorrerPaicarinhoso,medefenderPaicarinhoso,medefender”(Altamiracity,Brazil–November03,2016)Englishtranslation:"SaintJoseph,mydearfatherDonotrefuseprotectionWhenmybodyisdownFeelthehandofdeathComecarefullyWhenIdieAffectionatefather,defendmeAffectionatefather,defendme.”

446

APPENDIX8

Demonstrationofthescopeofthedamage

causedbyhydropowerplantprojects

throughTime,SpaceandviaCascadeEffect

Theanalysisofdatafrommyfieldworkjuxtaposedtotheliteratureavailableonthethemehaspointed

that the negative impacts of dams/hydropower resonate in geographic space and time more

significantlythanconsideredbytheproponentsoftheseenterprisesanddecisionmakers(WCD,2000).

Inaddition,suchendeavorsfunctionasignitersofasequenceofeventsthatculminateswithdisastrous

consequencesnotanticipatedby theactorsmentionedabove–which Iunderstandasacascadeeffect

triggered by the hydroelectric project. In this Appendix I present the breadth of the damages led by

dams(inbothspace,time,andviathecascadeeffect)basedonwhatthispractice-basedresearchhas

disclosed.

Space

Asshownthroughoutthisthesis,datafrommyfieldworkindicatethatimpactsareclearlyperceivedby

traditional communities 400 km downstream (for the Uruguay River) and 700 km upstream (for the

XinguRiver)ofthedam.

The Foz do Chapecó Hydroelectric Power Plant is situated on the Uruguay River, 400 km (average)

upstream of the current residence of the families that participated in my fieldwork in the Garabi-

Panambi dam complex area. Altogether, 13% of these families complained about issues that have

happened sinceFozdoChapecó started tooperate (back in2010). This includes:deteriorationof the

water quality (appearance, turbidity, odor, dissolved oxygen, color), fish mortality, unpredictable

variationsintheriverdischarge,andmorefrequentflashfloods(alsodettachedfromtherainnyseason

andfeaturinghigherwatervolumethanthosereportedbeforetheconstructionofthisdam).Apartfrom

thedangeroffloods inthemsleves,thishashadnegativeconsequencesforfishingandfarminginthis

areatoo.Evenwhenthereisnorainforecastfortheregionwhereparticipantslive,suddenfloodingcan

occur inthearea, incasethewater level inthereservoirof theFozdoChapecódam(andalso inthe

reservoirof thedamsituatedupstream it, the Itádam)abruptly risesdue to rainfall farupper in the

UruguayRiverbasin,urgingtheoperatorsofthehydropowerplanttoopenthefloodgatesandreleasea

considerablevolumeofwaterdownstream.

“[…]

447

MarileneRibeiro(myself,researcher)–Doyouthinknaturehasbeenaffectedhere, intheregion,

evenbeforethePanambidamworksstart,ornot?

Alberto–Tome,here,inourregion,theriverhasbeenalreadyaffected,becausetherearealready

damsup[stream].Forinstance:ifyouwereintheriveryesterday,you,yesterday,wouldseeitwith

akindofwater.Today–withoutanyrain,withoutanything[extraordinaryhappening]!–youseeone

metermoreofwaterthere,whichisthewaterthatwasreleasedbythedamsupstream.Andthisis

a water that stinks. It’s not a ‘natural’ water. It’s a water that was impounded there [in the

reservoirs of thedams] and remained therewho knowshowmanydays.Andnow this stagnant

watercomes[flowingdowstream].Andnowithasbecometheriver’s‘custom’tobehavelikethis:

three,fourtimesaweek,itgoesdownameter,goesupameter,getshalf-a-meterdown,getshalf-

a-meter up, and keeps varying its level between these values. [...] Forme,whohavebeen living

herefor40years:beforethis,onecouldgofishinganydayoftheweekthathewouldcatchfish.

Nottoday.Today,youhavetowaitforastrongrainfall,fortherivertogetwaterfromtherain,for

you to cacth something, becausewhen it’s just thiswater that comes from the dams, you don’t

manage to catch anything, because the fish does notmove in this water, it remains quiet, still.

Nowaday,itonlymoves,swims,whentherainwaterfeedstheriver.Youcangofishingtheretoday

ifyouwant,but,Itellyou,youwon’tmanagetocatchanything.[...]It[theUrugayRiver]usedto

beahealthyriver.Nottoday.Today,therearedayswhenyougothereanditstinks,itissmelly.It’s

not a clean water, a healthy water. It's a rotten water. This is what we see now here, on the

Uruguay[River].[...]Itusedtobeamoreyellowishwater–verylargerivers,asistheUruguayRiver,

use to having this type of [yellowish]water. Today, there are times that thewater looks green!

Timeswhen it’snot raining, it comesdownheregreen. […]” (Alberto JoséSpohr, interviewedon

January20,2016)

Thedownsidesofthedamfarupstreamfromit(whichwererevealedinmyfieldworkintheBeloMonte

dam/XinguRiverarea)willbedetailedfurtheroninthisAppendix.

Thesefindingsnotonlyreinforcetheup-to-datethinkingthattheareaunderinfluenceofhydroelectric

powerprojectsshouldnotbelimitedexclusivelytotheperimeteroftheproposedworkandtheregion

upstreamofthedam,butratherincludethedownstreamstretchaswell(Xieetal.,2007;Richteretal.,

2010;Akira,2015;Assahiraetal.,2017).Thesefindingsalsoinformthattheareaundertheinfluenceof

thiskindofendeavourcanextend,infact,tohundredsofkilometersbothdownstreamandupstreamof

thedammingpoint.Ifthespatialresonanceofthenegativeimpactsalongthewatersheddemonstrated

in this research was to be considered in the process of weighing the costs and benefits of

hydroelectricity,theseinfrastructureprojectswouldlikelybeclassifiedasunfeasible.

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Time

DatafrommyfieldworkintheGarabi-PanambicomplexandintheSobradinhodamareasindicatethat

the temporal window of the negative impacts of dams is of decades, both before and after the

beginningofitsactualbuilding.

TheGarabi-Panambihydrocomplexhasgeneratednegativeeffectsintheregionunderitsinfluencefor

at least 30 years (when itwas first announced as theGarabi and the Roncador dams), evenwith no

guaranteestodatethatthisprojectwillactuallytakeplaceoneday.SincetheBraziliangovernmenthas

includedtheGarabi-PanambiprojectinthesecondstageofitsGrowthAccelerationProgram(Programa

deAceleraçãodoCrescimento 2 – PAC2) (Ministério doPlanejamento, 2013), i.e. seven years ago, a

new wave of psychological problems8, real estate speculation, changes in residents’ plans regarding

improvementsintheirownproperties,possibledeforestationofPermanentProtectedAreas(PPAs)and

localLegalReserves(LRs),monetarydepreciationofproperties,andfinancingcutsforproposalsinareas

whichwouldbefloodedbythesetwodamshavebeenrekindledintheregion.Hence,experiencesfrom

mysecondfieldwork(i.e.Garabi-Panambidamcomplex)disclosedthisscenarioofsocial,environmental

andeconomic"losses"thatisinstalledbeforethebeginningofthephysicalexistenceofthedam:whatI

named“theimpactbeforetheimpact”–i.e.,thedamagecausedbylargeinfrastructureprojects,suchas

dams, is already underway even before their Environmental Impact Studies (EIAs) are designed and

undertaken.Notably,thisconcept(ofthe“impactbeforetheimpact”)isnotintendedtoberestrictedto

theGarabi-Panambidamcomplexcase,astheruleforproposalsofdams,fromitsannouncementtothe

work completion, is to drag on for more than a decade, as exemplified by Ponseti and López-Pujol

(2006:152-157),fortheThreeGorgesprojectontheYangtzeRiver,inChina,andbyMcCully(2001:v-vii

and299-302)andSahooetal.(2014:888)inrelationtotheSadarSarovarProjectontheNarmadaRiver,

in India. The same history of prolonged tension for decades was the case for the Belo Monte

hydropowercomplexproject,whoseconflictsanduncertaintiesbeganasfarasthe1980s,whereasits

actualworksconcretelyoccurredtwentyyearslater,in2011(ISA,2013:9-10;Fearnside,2017).

Atthesametime,experiencesfrommyfieldworkintheSobradinhodamareademonstratedthat,even

after 40 years following the hydropower plant construction, its negative effects are still felt, either

emotionallyorwithregardtoaccesstowater,impairmentinlivelihoods,socialisolation,lossofidentity,

memoryandcommunityreferences,lossofbiologicalrichnessandabundance(concerngingbothfauna

andflora),andthedeteriorationofthewaterqualityupstreamthedam9.

889%oftheparticipantsinthisfieldworkcriedatsomepointofeithertheintervieworthephotoshoot.Allfamiliesfromthisareawhotookpartinthisresearchstatedtheyhavebeenpsychologicallyaffectedsincetheyknewabouttheprojectof theGarabior thePanambidams.Statements like“Ihaven’t sleptproperly since Iheardabout thisproject[i.e.aboutsevenyearsago].”,“Myneighbor[ormyhusband,etc.]hasbeentakingantidepressantsincethisnewsaboutthedamhitus.”cameuprepeatedlyduringmyencounterswithparticipants.9All participants from the Sobradinho dam area mentioned that the effects of the Sobradinho dam are stillcurrentlyfelt.50%ofmycollaboratorsfromthisfieldworkcriedatsomepointofmystaywiththem.

449

Studiesperformedby limnologistsMartinsandcolleagues (2011)andMedeirosandcolleagues (2014)

concludedthat thedamsalongtheSãoFranciscoriver (includingtheSobradinhodam)eliminatedthe

seasonal and interannual flood pulses near themouth of the river, leading to stagnation of the salt

wedge in its estuary. These effects, accumulated for decades, have prevented aquatic species from

movingaccordingtothesalinitygradientatthisriver-seatransitionsite.Asthesespecieshavenolonger

moved horizontally along the water column, fishing in this area downstream of these complex of

hydroelectricdamshasbeen impaired (Martinsetal.,2011:1059-1060).Alsoaccordingtoresearchers

Maíra Benchimol and Carlos Peres (2015), the Balbina hydropower plant (also situated in the Biome

Amazonia,likewisetheBeloMontedamcomplex,andbuiltinthelate1980sontheUatumãRiver)led

totheextinctionof70%ofmediumandlargesizevertebrates(amongmammals,birdsandreptiles)that

hadpreviously inhabitedacontinuousareathatwas turned into isolated islandsafter the fillingof its

reservoir.Theauthorshighlightthattheresultsoftheirstudyarealarmingandurgethatthelong-term

impacts of hydroelectric projects be included and considered in the process of assessment of these

projects.

Basedontheinformationrevealedthroughmyfirstfieldwork(i.e.Sobradinhodam)andnamedabove,

aswell as supported by the papers just cited, I wonder if these effects triggered by the damwould

impoverish the environment (biologically, physically, and culturally speaking) "ad infinitum", as they

interfere in complex systems (i.e. the dismantling of traditional communities, the disappearance of

culturalmanifestationsbasedonorality,aswellasofareasthatareconsideredsacred,thegeographic

isolation of animal and vegetal populations, the blocking of routes species use for migration or

dispersion, local extinctions, alterations in themorphology of thewatercourse, destabilization of the

marginsdownstreamthedam,andalterationsinthesalinityoftheestuaryzonesandinthedynamicsof

thecoastalareasnearthemouthoftheriver)withtheirlong-lastingconsequences.

Cascadeeffect

AnalysisfromtheencoutersIhadwithmycollaborators(i.e.riversidedwellersparticipantsofthisPhD

research) also pointed to a third category that presents the magnitude of the impacts caused by

hydroelectricpowerplantsnotonlyovertime(duration)orgeographicspace(extension).Such"effects"

are, in fact, the result of a chain of events whose trigger is directly related to the dam project.

Sometimesthese"effects"areevendifficulttopredictatthetimetheEnvironmentalImpactStudy(EIS)

isdesignedandrun,andthefirstlicense(i.e.theProvisionalEnvironmentalLicense-LicençaPrévia)is

signedout.Irefertothisthirdsphereasthe“CascadeEffect”(whichintersectswiththeSpaceandTime

spheres, but in a slightly more elaborate way). I provide below some examples of how the cascade

effectworks,triggeringscenariosdifficulttocontrolorrepair.

450

The License for Installation granted to the BeloMonte hydro project by IBAMA in 2011 (License for

Installation795/2011)authorizedthesuppressionof26,252.95haofAmazonforest(ofwhich5,575.54

ha -about20% -were located inPermanentProtectedAreas -PPAs), inotherwords, the lossof this

forest area was acknowledged as part of the direct impacts of the Belo Monte construction

(COHID/CGENE/DILIC/IBAMA, 2012:53). As the Belo Monte works began, in 2011, the wood market

warmed up and illegal deforestationwithin the area under influence of this damexploded. Between

2011and2012,theImazon(agencythatsupervisesdeforestationintheAmazon)estimatedthatillegal

loggingwithintheareaunderinfluenceoftheBeloMontedamcomplexincreasedfrom20,000ha/year

to70,000ha/year(Monteiroetal.,2013;Doblas,2015:12);i.e.50,000hamorethanwhatwasexpected

forthatregion.Thus,inthefirstyearofthedamworksalone(excludingtheplotdeforestedinthesame

yearfor itswork'sownpurposes),thearea"indirectly"deforestedbytheBeloMonteprojectreached

twicewhatwas legallyauthorizedbytheIBAMAfor itseightyearsofconstruction.Althoughawareof

thepotentialindirectdeforestationthatcouldbedrivenbytheproject,theentrepreneursignoredthe

precautionaryprinciplethatrulesenvironmentallawsandnotonlyfailedtoelaboratedataconcerning

thisintheirEnvironmentalImpactStudy(thatcouldguidethedesignofstrategieswhichwouldavoidor

mitigate this deforestation), but also did not propose or run specific actions to stop this 10

(COHID/CGENE/DILIC/IBAMA, 2010:10; FGV, 2016:175). As a result, after the beginning of the Belo

Monteworks,illegalloggers,inanattempttosupplythisextrademandforwood,intensifiedinvasions

toConservationUnitsand IndigenousReserves (Monteiroetal.,2013; ISA,2016).TheCachoeiraSeca

Indigenous Reserve (Arara people)–which has a history of recent first contact with non-indigenous

people, in 1987 (Arara Front of Attraction/FUNAI)–is located approximately 600 km upstream of the

BeloMontedamcomplexandhasbeensackedby loggerssince2011.Between2014and2015alone,

43,000haofrainforestdisappearedwithinthis IndigenousReserve(ISA,2016);and,throughoutthese

years, these invadershavemovedcloser to thevillage.Thus, illegaldeforestation inPará state–a fact

historically worrying in this region–has been kindled by the hydro power project, with consequent

reductionofcarbonsequestrationareas(i.e.forests)andpotentialfutureinfluencesonglobalwarming.

TheArara,likeallotherAmazonianpeoples,requirethewoodlandsstandingfortheirsubsistence–itis

fromtheforestthattheyobtainfruits,game(meat),medicine,andmaterialtobuildtheirhousesandto

produceartifacts.Moreover,theirwayoflifeandtheirbeliefsarelinkedtotheexistenceoftheforest

(ViveirosdeCastro,1995:262).Paralleltothis,accordingtoparticipantsfromthefieldworkintheBelo

10“Thepresentedmodelingonly indicatesthatthedeforestedareawill increase,butnotwherethemajoraxesofdeforestationwilloccur.Thetemporalprojectionspresentedindicatedthat,forabetterevaluation,spatialisationofthe deforested area in the AII [Area under Indirect Influence] of the venture is necessary. In order to assess theprojectionspresentedinthePBA[BasicEnvironmentalPlan],atleastthefollowingarenecessary:¬analysisoffuturescenarios, with and without the dam, modeling of migratory flows, levels and types of occupation, increasingdemandfornaturalresources,amongothers,andbasedonthis,presentdeforestationforecastsintheregionfortheupcomingdecades;¬thatthedeforestedareaisspatializedinthemunicipalitiesoftheAIIoftheenterprise;and¬thatthemitigatingactionsproposedfortheendeavouraredirectedtoeachsite,accordingtothedifferentevolutionaxesoftheidentifieddeforestation."(COHID/CGENE/DILIC/IBAMA,2010:10)

451

Monte dam area and Leonardo Moura (pers. comm.), loggers, when acting within this Indigenous

Reserves,threatenvillagerstheyencounterontheirway,whathasforcedtheseindigenousindividualto

avoidsiteswheretheyhavetraditionallycollectedBrazilnuts,forexample,affectingthesepeople’sway

oflife,subsistence,andsafety.Theactionoftheloggersalsoendsupdrivingawaythefaunathat,due

to the noise of the machines and disturbance in the area caused by the fall of the trees, and

consequentiallossofhabitat,endsupdisappearingfromthesepatches.

In this regard, the FUNAI warned the developer in 2009 (at the time of the assessment of the Belo

MontedamprojectinordertograntitornotthePovisionalLicense):

"Deforestation and consequent loss of terrestrial habitats may have chain effects on wildlife

populations,butmayalsoleadtodegradationofwaterresources,affectingfishpopulations.Both

oftheseimpactsmayaffectthedietarybasisofindigenouspeople’sfood,whichdependsonfishing

andhunting."(CMAM/CGPIMA–FUNAI,2009:21).

At the same time, thedeveloper's utlimate action to resettle those affectedby theBeloMontedam

withinthePermanentProtectedAreasthatremainedafterthereservoirfilling(pers.obs.)contributed

toanincreaseinthedeforestationofareasofextremeimportancetotheriverbasin.Thisrelocationof

affected people within these sites (initially not intended for housing or cultivation but for the

preservationofgeneflowcorridorsandtheintegrityoftheriverbanks)happenedduetothedifficulty

oftheentrepreneurinobtainingaregularizedareafortheresettlementoftheriverinepopulationnear

theriver11,asthelatterclaimedtherighttothe“doubledwelling”,i.e.tocontinuehavinganaddressin

theurbanzone(wheretheytradetheirproductsandhaveacesstoserviceslikeschoolandhealthcare)

andanotherintheruralarea,nearthebanksofthewaterbody(wheretheyfish,growvegetables,and

collectnativefruitandnuts).

Thus,the"hydropowerproject"eventtriggersaseriesofeventsthat,withtheanalysisofparticipants’

testimonials (interceptedwith the complementary information presented herein), can be categorized

as:"effectondeforestation","effectonlandscape","effectonfauna","effectonsecurity","effecton

subsistence"and"effectonglobalwarming".Wouldtherebeanumericalvaluethatcoulddemonstrate

themagnitudeof the loss theArarahaveexperienced?Would therebeanumberorchart thatcould

representwhatitmeansforanindigenouspersonnottobeabletomovewithinher/hisownlandorto

witness to the impoverishment of her/his environment and people? Would there be a table that

specifiesthecosttotheplanetoflosingareasofextremebiologicalimportance12(intheshort,medium,

andlongterms)?

11AntôniaMelo(pers.comm.)12 For that reason homologated as Conservation Units–CUs (Unidades de Conservação–-UCs) or PermanentProtectedAreas–PPAs(ÁreasdePreservaçãoPermanente–APPs).

452

Sometimes,actions thatoriginallyaimedtoalleviate thewounds inflictedby thedamendup (via the

cascadeeffect)multiplyingthelatter,and,consequently,worseningthesituation.Specificallyregarding

the chaos the PEPTI13(programme conceived to protect Indigenous Reserves locatedwithin the area

under influence of the BeloMonte dam from harms the project could cause on these communities)

ultimatelytriggered,participantJumaXipaia14reportsthedrasticandabruptchangeinhealthindicators

ofhervillage(theTukamãvillage,situatedwithintheXipayaIndigenousReserve,700kmupstreamthe

BeloMontedamcomplex),asaconsequenceofthemodificationinthedietexperiencedbyherpeople

withthemonthlyarrivalof"balesofsweets,softdrinksandfilledbiscuits"from2011to2012(aspartof

whateventuallybecamethePEPTI).AccordingtoJuma,the incidencesofcavitiesandhypertension in

her village have increased significantly, compared to values prior to 2011. Once more, the event

“hydropower plant” produces an unpredictable negative effect via a sequence of intricately linked

circumstances.

Anotherexampleofhowthenegative impactsofdamsturns largerthanwhatoriginallyexpected,via

thecascadeeffect,isthecaseportrayedbymycollaboratorsJoãoandJucélia,alsofrommyfieldworkin

theBeloMontearea.

Joãoisa75year-oldretiredextractivistwhospenthis lifeasarubbertapperintheXinguRiverbasin.

Afterhisretirement, JoãomovedtotheJardimIndependente Ineighborhood inAltamira–city located

40 km upstream of the Pimental dam (themain dam of the BeloMonte hydro complex), where he

currentlylives.InMarch2016,threemonthsaftertheclosingofthesluicesgatesofthePimentaldam

(whichfollowedtheauthorizationbytheIBAMAfortheBeloMontehydrocomplextostarttooperate),

“clean, transparent water, like that from springs" began to sprout from the floor of his house and

backyard.Theeventlastedthreeuninterruptedmonths(coincidingwiththerainyseasonintheregion)

andJoãoandhisfamilyhadtoliveinahousefloodeddaily,walkinginwater(whoselevelreached13

cmabovegroundlevel),givingawayfurnitureandraisingtheessentialswithbricks:bed,stove,dining

table, and refrigerator. As a consequence of the constantly soaked soil, the cassava that João had

planted forhis subsistence rottedand the land inhis backyardeventually renderedunusable for this

purpose.Joãohaslivedinthesamehousefor13yearsandsaidhehadneverwitnessedsuchafact.He

does not want to continue living there, but does not have the financial means to move to another

location.Duringhisphotoshoot,Joãoandhisdaughter,Marivete,decidetosimulatetheroutinethat

lastedmorethan90days:stackingbricksandsuspendingthediningtable...andnocassavafordinner

(Fig.iii).

13Fordetailsonthisprogramme(thePEPTI)designedandrunbythecompany inchargeof theBeloMontedamcomplexproject,pleaseseep.201-203.14Collaborator from my fieldwork in the Belo Monte dam area, chief of the Tukamã village/Xipaya IndigenousReserveandvicechairoftheDistrictCouncilofIndigenousHealth.

453

FIGUREiii.SequenceofportraitsofJoão.

João’sfeelings:feelingwounded,feelingthatthecompanyinchargeofthedamprojecthasnottreatedhimlikeahumanbeingshouldbeObjectchosen:bricksLocationchosen:hiskitchenORIGINALINCOLOUR©JoãoPintoFilhoandMarileneRibeiro2016

Jucélia, in her turn,wasborn inAltamira city andused to live in theneighborhoodof Colina, on the

samestreetas fourofherninebrothers.Allherbrothers,exceptforherselfandherhusband,owned

their own house. With the announcement of the approval of the Belo Monte project and the

consequentincreaseindemandforhousinginthecity,themonthlypricethatJucéliaandherhusband,

Ederson, paid for her housing rose from R$200.00 (about £50) to R$600.00 (roughly £150) in just 2

454

months.AccordingJucéliaandEderson,eachmonth,theownerraisedthepricebyR$200.00andsaid

thatifthecoupledidnotaccepttheamount,therewouldbeanotherpersoninterestedwhocouldpay

thestipulatedprice(evenifabovethevaluemarketforthatproperty).Thecouplesaidthatwhenthe

value reached R$600.00/month, they could no longer pay andmoved to a second home, also in the

Colina neighborhood, which began to suffer the same price adjustment. Unable to pay the cost of

R$600.00permonthforrent,thecoupledecidedtomovetoJardimIndependenteI.Shortlyafter,news

cameviaJucélia’sbrothersthatthetwohousesinColinahadbeenrented,each,forR$1,200.00/month

(about£300/month),topeoplerelatedtotheBeloMontedamworks.Duringtheinterview,Jucéliasays

thatsheisverysadbecauseshehasbeenforcedtoseparatefromherbrothers,andshestressesthey

havealwayslivedtheirlivestogether.Astaxipriceshavealsoincreasedgreatlyduetothesamereason

(i.e. the speculation the Belo Monte project triggered) and the city of Altamira is lacking in public

transportation,sheandthebrotherscannotseeeachotheroften,sinceIndependenteI isabout7km

fromColina.Thecouplecommentsthattheyhavealreadyquarreledandsplittwice,becauseJucéliadid

notacceptlivingfarfromherbrothers.InMarch2016,Jucélia,Edersonandtheirdaughter,Natally,like

João’s family, also had to endure the abnormal floods at Independent I. As a chosenobject for their

portrait,Jucéliaselectspartofthebedsetthathersisterhadgivenher,andthephotographistakenin

frontofhercurrentaddress(astiltbuiltbyherbrotherandhusbandatIndependentI):subjecttowater

invasionandawayfromherbrothers(Fig.iv).

FIGUREiv.PortraitofJucéliaandEderson.

Jucélia’sfeeling:sorrowEderson’sfeeling:sufferingObjectchosenbyJucélia:pillowcase(partofthebedsetthathersisterhadgivenher)ObjectchosenbyEderson:drill(oneofthetoolsJucélia’sbrotherandheusedtobuildthecouple’snewhomeatIndependenteI)Locationchosen:JucéliaandEderson’splace(mainentrancelocatedattheleft)ORIGINALINCOLOUR©JucéliaSilva,EdersonSoaresandMarileneRibeiro2016

455

Monitoring carried out by the National Water Agency (ANA) and IBAMA proved that this above

described phenomenon is the result of the elevation of the water table located under the Jardim

Independent I (DPU,2016).However, theNorteEnergiaclaimsthatthis is in factasuspendedaquifer

fed by rainwater and not connected to the main Xingu River’s water table; therefore, it could not

undergo changes in its level as a consequence of the downstream dam at the Pimental site (Norte

Energia, 2016). The spatial and temporal proximity between these two events (the damming of the

XinguRiverandabnormalelevationofthegroundwatertableatJardimIndependenteI,whichislocated

within the area under direct influence of the BeloMonte hydropower complex)makes it difficult to

supporttheargumentthattherewouldbenorelationofcause-effectrelationshipbetweenthem,even

ifthisconnectiondevelopsalongpathsthataredifficulttobemappedtodate(suchconnectionswould

probablydevelopfollowingasimilarmodeltotheexamplesdiscussedabove–viathecascadeeffect).It

isknownthatdamconstructionmodifiestheforcevectorsontectonicplatesandchangestheflowand

distribution of groundwater and that, in the specific case of the Belo Monte dam complex, could

generateseriousconsequences,asdescribedbySeváFilho(2005),inthebookTenotã-Mõ-Alertonthe

consequencesofhydroelectricprojects intheXinguRiver(Tenotã-Mõ–Alertassobreasconsequências

dosprojetoshidrelétricosnorioXingu):

"(…)Largestructuresanddamsalsooftencauseseismiceventsorearthquakes,and,inthecaseof

the BeloMonte and Babaquara dams, whichwould form on a crystalline rock bedwith natural

fracturesandcaves,thereisalsoanincreasedriskofexcesswateraccumulationtolandlocatedin

neighboringbasins15–(alsocalledpercolation)whichalsohappensusually throughdamwallsand

lateraldykes,ofwhichtherearethirtyattheBeloMontedamandmanymore,tensofkilometers

longattheBabaquaradam.(…)"(SeváFilho,2005:25)

In2009,38scholarsandindependentresearchersvolunteeredtotechnicallyanalyzetheEnvironmental

ImpactStudy(EIS)oftheBeloMontedamcomplexproject.ThismaterialwaspublishedasthePanelof

experts-criticalanalysisoftheEnvironmentalImpactStudyoftheBeloMontehydroelectricpowerplant

(Paineldeespecialistas-análisecríticadoEstudodeImpactoAmbientaldoAproveitamentoHidrelétrico

de Belo Monte - Santos and Hernandez, 2009). This multidisciplinary study concluded that the

methodologies applied by the EIS executor (in this case, the Leme Engineering, the Engevix, the

Intertechne,andtheThemag)weresuperficialand insufficienttopointoutandquantifythepotential

impacts to which the region would be subjected in a future scenario, should the enterprise be

consolidated.Specificallyregardingthepossiblechangestothewatertable,JorgeMolina(Molina,2009

apud Santos and Hernandez, 2009), an engineer and hydrologist at the Hydraulic and Hydrology

Institute of theUniversidadMayor de San Andrés/Bolivia and one of the authors of this publication,

15Myemphasis:underlined.

456

observes:

"EIS inconsistencies and weaknesses: (a) The EIS reports do not contain essential data for the

assessment of the reliability of the backwater study, among them: the roughness coefficients

estimatedinthemeasurementandthoseusedinthedamcalculations,thecriteriaforinterpolation

ofsections,amongothers.Amodelshouldhavebeenemployedtoevaluatethis;b)Thereisalack

ofabetterdescriptionofthenewseasonaldynamics imposedbythereservoirandtheeffectson

thewater table, at least in theareanearAltamira; c)Noevaluationof theareaaffectedby the

elevationofthewatertablewasconducted16.[...]Anotheromissionisthatthereisnoevaluationof

theareareachedbytheincreasedlevelsofthewatertable,evenifitprobablycorrespondstothat

ofalluviums."(Molina,2009:100and102,apudSantosandHernandez,2009)

To date, Norte Energia denies any relationship between the water outcropping at Independente I

homes,threemonthsaftertheclosureofthesluicesgatesoftheBeloMontedamcomplex(MAB,2017;

ElisaEstronioli,pers.comm.).Jucélia’sandJoão’sfamilies(aswellastheother500familieswholivein

Jardim Independente I) have not received any support or recognition by the entrepreneur as being

affectedbytheBeloMonteventure.PerhapsJucéliaandJoãowillneverbepartofthestatisticsofthe

impacts caused by dams, however, their lives and their relation with their environment have been

transformedbythehydropowerplant.

ConsiderationsdrawnbyMolina(apudSantosandHernandez,2009)andotherparticipantsofthePanel

of Experts regarding the lack of technical rigor in the Belo Monte’s EIS (see above and Santos and

Hernandez,2009:23-60)allowsmedrawanotherpointthatcannotnotbeoverlookedwhenitcomesto

thenegative impactsofhydropower (as it contributes to theamplificationof thedamages causedby

dams,usuallyviathecascadeeffect):theattemptoftheentrepreneur/developertodeceivethesystem

of licensing, by presenting technical reports (such as the EIS andmonitoring reports) biased in their

favor, containing insufficient information, and vague or distorted data–as attested not only by the

authorsoftheabovepublication,butalsobytheTechnicalChamberofMonitoringofCondensersofthe

BeloMonteHydroelectric Plant (CT-5) (FGV, 2016:175-176), by the Federal Public Prosecutor’sOffice

(MPF,2016:35-37),andbytheIBAMA(2016). Interestingly,allparticipantsofthisresearchmentioned

that the company responsible for the respective hydro projects omitted data or provided them

informationthatwasnottrue,atsomepoint.On15April2016,theIBAMAchargedtheNorteEnergia

forthedeathof54,623fishspecimens(16.2tons)ofthenativeXinguRiverfaunathathappenedfrom

27November2015(threedaysafterthebeginningoftheBeloMontedamcomplexreservoirfilling)to

25 February 2016, "because of mechanical shocks and other injuries, due to possible design and

operationalfailures."(IBAMANoticeofInfringement9061077-E–IBAMA,2016:423).Inthisregard,the

FederalPublicProsecutor'sOfficepointsoutthatthepotentiallethalityofthewatercolumnturbulence

16Myemphasis:underlined.

457

inthespillwaysandthecanal/bypasstothefish,withthestartofthehydropowerplantoperation,had

notevenbeenincludedintheEISpresentedbythedeveloper(MPF,2016:36).AlsoaccordingtoIBAMA

(2016):"[IBAMA] institutedaR$510thousandfineaddressedtotheNorteEnergiafordiscoveringthat

this consortiumprovided false informationabout the number ofworkers it employed in the rescueof

aquatic fauna" (oneofthemitigationactionsforeseen intheBeloMonte’sBasicEnvironmentalPlan–

PBA–andthatwouldrescuefishindividualsthatweretrappedinwaterpockets,afterthedecreasingthe

waterflowintheXingu’sBigBendanddykeareas).AsofMay2017,theNorteEnergiahadreceived33

fines issuedby the IBAMAconcerning theBeloMontehydropower complex (totalingR$83.6million–

about£20million),mostofthemduetonon-compliancewiththeenvironmentallicensingrequirements

(G1PA,2017),asparticipantCláudioCuruaiahighlightedinhisinterview.Despitethesepenalties,which

havebeenhappening since thebeginningof theBeloMontedamconstruction, thenegative impacts

continuetoresonate,asIhavedemonstratedthroughoutthiswriting.

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Fearnside, P. M. (2017) ‘Belo Monte: Actors and arguments in the struggle over Brazil’s mostcontroversialAmazoniandam’In:DieErde,148(1),pp.14-26.FGV–FundaçãoGetúlioVargas(2016)IndicadoresdeBeloMonte–umdiálogoentrecondicionantesdolicenciamento ambiental e o desenvolvimento local. Câmara Técnica de Monitoramento dasCondicionantesdaUHEBeloMonte(CT-05).RiodeJaneiro:FundaçãoGetúlioVargas-CentrodeEstudosemSustentabilidade(FGV-EAESP).G1 PA (2017) ‘Ibama autua Norte Energia emmais de R$ 7,5milhões por descumprir exigências nolicenciamentodeBeloMonte’ In:GloboComunicaçãoeParticipaçõesS.A.PublishedonMay01,2017.[online] At: http://g1.globo.com/pa/para/noticia/ibama-autua-norte-energia-em-r-75-milhoes-por-descumprir-exigencias-no-licenciamento-de-belo-monte.ghtml(accessedon30.05.2017)ISA–InstitutoSocioambiental(2013)DeolhoemBeloMonte:2013,nopicodacontradição.[online]At:http://advivo.com.br/sites/default/files/documentos/revista_belo_monte_0.pdf (accessed on16.01.2014)ISA–InstitutoSocioambiental(2016)‘TerraindígenaimpactadaporBeloMonteéamaisdesmatadanoBrasil’ In: Instituto Socioambiental – Notícias Socioambientais. Published on November 10, 2016.[online] At: https://www.socioambiental.org/pt-br/noticias-socioambientais/terra-indigena-impactada-por-belo-monte-e-a-mais-desmatada-no-brasil(accessedon15.11.2016)IBAMA(2016)‘IbamamultaNorteEnergiaemR$35milhõespormortandadedepeixesemBeloMonte’In: Instituto Brasileiro doMeio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis. Published on April 15,2016. [online]At:http://www.ibama.gov.br/noticias/58-2016/171-ibama-multa-norte-energia-em-r-35-milhoes-por-mortandade-de-peixes-em-belo-monte(accessedon25.08.2016)License for Installation 795/2011. IBAMA – Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos RecursosNaturaisRenováveis.Brasília,June01,2011.MAB (2017) ‘MAB pede cancelamento da licença de operação de Belo Monte’ In: Movimento dosAtingidos por Barrragens. Published on March 20, 2017. [online] At:http://www.mabnacional.org.br/noticia/mab-pede-cancelamento-da-licen-opera-belo-monte (accessedon30.05.2017)Martins,D.M.F.;Chagas,R.M.,MeloNeto,J.O.andMelloJúnior,A.V.(2011)‘ImpactosdaconstruçãodaUHEdeSobradinhonoregimedevazõesnoBaixoSãoFrancisco’In:R.Bras.Eng.Agríc.Ambiental,15(9),pp.1054–1061.McCully,P.(2001)SilencedRivers:EcologyandPoliticsofLargeDams.London:ZedBooks.2nded.Medeiros, P. R. P.; Santos,M.M.; Cavalcante, G.H.; Landim de Sousa,W. F. and Silva.W. F. (2014)‘Características ambientais do Baixo São Francisco (AL/SE): efeitos de barragens no transporte demateriaisnainterfacecontinente-oceano’In:GeochimicaBrasiliensis,28(1),pp.65-78.MinistériodoPlanejamento(2013)ProgramadeAceleraçãodoCrescimento.6oBalançodoPAC2–ANOII.Brasília.[online]At:http://www.pac.gov.br/pub/up/relatorio/5762ec2c69a365f6c9218e937145d64c.pdf(accessedon05.12.2014Monteiro, A.; Cardoso, D.; Conrado, D.; Veríssimo, A. and Souza Jr., C. (2013) Boletim transparênciamanejoflorestalestadodoPará(2011-2012).Belém:Imazon.MPF–MinistérioPúblicoFederal(2016)InquéritoCivilPúblicon°1.23.003.000446/2014-68.MinistérioPúblicoFederal.Altamira,November28,2016.

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APPENDIX9

Portraits

PortraitofAntônioAlves

Antônio’sfeeling:griefObject:imageofSãoCosmeeDamião,whichbelongedtohisparentsLocation:porchofhiscurrentplace©AntônioAlvesandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofIsabel

Isabel’sfeeling:dismantlementObject:ironthatbelongedtohermotherandtheyusedtouseattheirprevioushomeLocation:livingroomofhercurrentplaceofliving©IsabelAnicetoandMarileneRibeiro2015

SOBR

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INHODAM

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PortraitofErmita

Ermita’sfeeling:sufferingObject:suitcasesheusedtousewhenshetravelledLocation:porchofhercurrenthome©ErmitaFreireandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofValdemarNeves

Valdemar’sfeeling:lossObject:hismother'sIDandhisfather'swalletLocation:hiscurrenthouse(previouslyhisfather'splace.Valdemar’sfatherbuilthimselfthishousewhenhisfamilymovedtoBrejodeDentroduetothedam)©ValdemarNevesandMarileneRibeiro2015

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462

PortraitofAlmira

Almira’sfeeling:sorrowObject:hercurrenthouse(herfamilydidnothaveaproperhousewhentheymoved:shelivedunderamangotreeforthreemonths,afterthemove)Location:livingroom©AlmiraFerreiradosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofMariaZilda

MariaZilda’sfeeling:sorrow“Object”:oneofhergoats(oneofthoseshebottle-fed)Location:livingroomofhercurrenthome,inPoçodoJuá

©MariaZildaAlvesdosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2015

SOBR

ADINHODAM

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ADINHODAM

463

PortraitofNisson

Nisson’sfeeling:sorrowObject:accordionLocation:SãoFranciscoriverbank,downstreamthedam©NissonVieiradeBritoandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofAlbertina

Albertina’sfeeling:fearObject:blessedtowelsandBibleLocation:backyardofhercurrentplace(shesuggestedhergrandchildrenwerephotographedwithher)©AlbertinaMariaSantosdaFéandMarileneRibeiro2015

SOBR

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464

PortraitofMariaDalva

MariaDalva’sfeeling:“memory”Object:herweddingdressLocation:livingroomofhercurrentplaceofliving©MariaDalvadosSantosNeriandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofValdenice

Valdenice’sfeeling:dependencyObject:watertankerLocation:sitewherethewatertankwasparked©ValdeniceFerreiraandMarileneRibeiro2015

SOBR

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465

PortraitofMarcelina

Marcelina’sfeeling:resignationObject:lorry(vehiclethattransportedpeople,animals,anddisplacedpeople’sbelongingsduringthemove)Location:verandaofhercurrentplaceofliving©MarcelinadosSantosSilvaandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofGumercino

Gumercino’sfeelings:outrage,indignation,andrebelliousnessObject:solarpanelandwatertankLocation:hisbackyard(wherehestraightensupthesolarpanelandthewatertankinthetrunktotakethemtotheplacehegrowsthecassavas)©GumercinodaSilvaAnjosandMarileneRibeiro2015

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466

PortraitofVilberto

Vilberto’sfeeling:““Ifeelnothing…I’dbetterforgetit…It’dhavebeenbetteriftheyhadn’tbuiltthedam”Object:fishingnetLocation:hisboat,bytheSãoFranciscoRiver©VilbertoAlvesNeriandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofAntôniodeCarvalho

Antônio’sfeeling:“noname…it’stoomuch…”Object:featherheaddressandlocalculturaloutfit(torepresenthimselfandhisancestors,hisroots)Location:stonefeaturingrockart(torepresenthisancestors,thelinkbetweenthelandandtheman)©AntôniodeCarvalhoandMarileneRibeiro2015

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467

PortraitofFrancisco

Francisco’sfeeling:preoccupation(regardingtheamountofpeoplewhowouldimmigratetotheareawherehisfamilylived)Object:drawerhiswifebroughtfromTatauívillage,whereshelivedLocation:hiscurrenthouse(Franciscosuggestedhisgranddaughterwasphotographedbesidehim,torepresenthiswife’sfamily,becausehiswifewasnotattheirplaceatthetimetheshootwastaken)©FranciscoZeferinodaCostaandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofJoséandMariaFrancisca

MariaFrancisca’sandJosé’sfeeling:longingObjectchosenbyMariaFrancisca:SãoFranciscoRiver(asshehasdrawnitbecausetheynowlivefarfromtheriverside)ObjectchosenbyJosé:farmingtoolsLocationchosenbythecouple:porchoftheircurrenthouse©MariaFranciscadosSantos,JosédaSilvaOliveira,andMarileneRibeiro2015

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468

PortraitofCosme

Cosme’sfeelings:frustrationandovercomingdifficultiesObject:"novacancy"(signatlocalschool,intheplacehisfamilymovedto)andhis"certificateofgraduation",afterwardsLocation:livingroomofhiscurrentplace©CosmeFreiredeSenaSouzaandMarileneRibeiro2015

PortraitofBartolomeu

Bartolomeu’sfeeling:experienceObject:horsesaddle(torepresentthespursheleftbehindbut,whengotbacktogetthem,hefoundeverythingalreadyunderwater)Location:backyardofhiscurrentplace©BartolomeudeSouzaandMarileneRibeiro2015

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469

PortraitofEspedito

Espedito’sfeeling:passion(forhisformerplaceofliving,Juacema)“Object”:hiswife,VanildaLocation:thecouple’scurrentbackyard©EspeditoJosédosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2015

PortraitofLaudelina

Laudelina’sfeeling:“lack”(lackofwork,lackoffood,lackofmakingaliving,lackofreferencepointsofbelonging,lackofdignity)Object:thetree(manguba)shebroughtfromBoqueirão(whichherfatherhadsown)Location:hercurrentbackyard©LaudelinaFerreiraandMarileneRibeiro2015

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470

PortraitofMariaNiva

MariaNiva’sfeeling:changeObject:porcelain-madeswallowandduck(whichsheinheritedfromhermother—fromthetimetheybothstilllivedinOldPilãoArcadotown),andfruta-do-condeLocation:porchofhercurrenthome©MariaNivaLimaandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofEliezé

Eliezé’sfeeling:indignationandrebelliousnessObject:lampbulbLocation:bythe“deadwater”(reservoiroftheSobradinhodam)

©EliezédosSantosSouzaandMarileneRibeiro2015

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471

PortraitofErmy

Ermy’sfeelings:bitterness,resentmentObject:enginethatpumpswaterfromthereservoiroftheSobradinhodamtowardshiscurrentdwellingLocation:sitewherethewaterispumpedfrom©ErmySouzaandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofJoséVitorino

JoséVitorino’sfeelings:bitterness,resentment,longingObject:hisdaughter'sslideviewers(containingpicturesfromhisformerplaceofliving,Boqueirão)Location:porchofhiscurrentplace(hesuggestedhisgrandsonwasphotographedwithhim)©JoséVitorinodosAnjosSobrinhoandMarileneRibeiro2015

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472

PortraitofJoãoEvangelista

JoãoEvangelista’sfeeling:longingObject:cassavaandsweetpotatoLocation:hiscurrenthome(whichcontainssomepartsofhisoldhouseinAltodoMelão)©JoãoEvangelistadoEspítiroSantoandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofHilarino

Hilarino’sfeeling:sorrowObject:crockhisfamilyusedtocollectandstoredrinkingwater,whentheymovedtotheirnewhomeLocation:huthehadtobuildforhisfamilytoliveinaftertheenforcedmove©HilarinoNunesdosAnjosandMarileneRibeiro2015

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473

PortraitofJúlia

Júlia’sfeeling:sorrowObject:sewingmachineshebroughtfromherprevioushome,inFazendaNovaLocation:livingroomofhercurrenthome©JúliaCastroAlmeidaandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofRaimundaCampos

Raimunda’sfeeling:longingObject:somefruits(torepresenthowhealthypeopleusedtobebytheriverside,astheygrewandatefruitandvegetableswithouthavingtoreplyonherbicides-insecticides,becauselandbytheriversidewasfertileenough)Location:outsideofcurrenthouse©RaimundadeSouzaCamposandMarileneRibeiro2015

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474

PortraitofOdelitaandJanuário

Odelita’sfeeling:sorrowJanuário’sfellings:sorrowandloss“Object”chosenbyOdelita:hergranddaughter(onbehalfofOdelita’sdaughter:torepresenttheisolationbetweenOdelita’andherdaughterthatwascausedbythemove)ObjectchosenbyJanuário:plastic-madeflower(torepresenttheloss,intermsofcrops,hehashad)Location:verandaoftheircurrentplace©OdelitadosSantosSouza,JanuárioJosédeSouza,andMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofMariadosSantos

MariadosSantos’feeling:sufferingObject:portraitofherhusbandLocation:livingroomofhercurrentplace©MariadosSantosCostaandMarileneRibeiro2015

SOBR

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475

PortraitofJoãoMartins

JoãoMartins’feeling:feelingofbeingoverlookedObject:old,broken,and"neglected"benchLocation:backyardofhiscurrentplaceofliving©JoãoMartinsCardosoandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofMariadasDores

MariadasDores’feeling:“theEndTimes”Object:imageofSanFrancis,whichbelongedtoherfather(torepresentfaith)Location:hercurrenthouse(shesuggestedherhusbandwasphotographedwithher)©MariadasDoresCamposandMarileneRibeiro2015

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476

PortraitofMarisa

Marisa’sfeeling:“feelingthatherpeople’shistoryhasbeingforgotten”Object:deviceusedtodolacework(oneofthepiecesofthemuseum)Location:MuseudoSertão–museumshefoundedtokeepthememoryofOldRemansotownalive(MarisaLúciaSantanaNascimento–akaMarisaMuniz)©MarisaMunizandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofAltenice

Altenice’sfeeling:sorrowObject:crockherfamilyhasusedtocollectandstorewaterLocation:hercurrentbackyard,inPoçodoAngico©AlteniceCruzandMarileneRibeiro2015

SOBR

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477

PortraitofNivaldo

Nivaldo’sfeeling:horrorObject:emptyfoodpotLocation:theentranceofhiscurrentkitchen©NivaldodosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofOrnelina

Ornelina’sfeeling:sorrowObject:imageofNossaSenhoradoPerpétuoSocorro(thatbelongedtohermother;alsousedinsomefestivitiesinherprevioushome,SacodaArara)Location:livingroomofhercurrentplaceofliving,inPiçarrão©OrnelinadeSouzaandMarileneRibeiro2015

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478

PortraitofJuvêncio

Juvêncio’sfeeling:sorrow(aseverythingheplantsdiesintheplacehemovedto,Piçarrão,mainlyduetothescarcityofwater)Object:deadcoconuttreeLocation:hiscurrentbackyard©JuvêncioRochaandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofPlínio

Plínio’sfeelings:bitterness,resentment,sorrowObject:onions(ashisfamilyusedtomakealivinggrowingonionsintheirpreviousplaceofliving,Urucé)Location:outsideofhiscurrenthouse©PlínioDavidosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2015

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479

PortraitofNelito

Nelito’sfeeling:heartbrokennessObject:packoffertilizerforplantsandmangotreehebroughtfromXique-Xiquehamlet,asamemoryofhisfamily’slifethereLocation:backyardofhiscurrentplace©NelitodosSantosBarrosandMarileneRibeiro2015PortraitofNatalinaandJosé

José’sfeelings:sorrow,powerlessnessNatalina’sfeelings:indignation,rebelliousnessObjectchosenbyNatalina:devicetheyusetofishObjectchosenbyJosé:guitarLocation:SantoCristoriverbank(wherehecomposeshissongsandtheyenjoytheirfreetime)©NatalinaFilipowitz,JoséFilipowitz,andMarileneRibeiro2016

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480

PortraitofAlberto

Alberto’sfeeling:“theEnd”Object:hisweddingringLocation:porchofhiscurrenthouse(bytheUruguayRiver)©AlbertoJoséSpohrandMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofSilvinaandAldino

Silvina’sfeeling:desperationAldino’sfeeling:“noname”ObjectchosenbySilvina:corn(torepresentwhatthecouplegrows)ObjectchosenbyAldino:soybean(torepresentwhatthecouplegrow)Location:livingroomoftheircurrenthome©SilvinaSchmitt,AldinoSchmitt,andMarileneRibeiro2016

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481

PortraitofMaurício

Maurício’sfeeling:deeppainObject:imageofhisproperty(whichheinheritedfromhisfather)Location:porchofhishouse©MaurícioHahnandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofLiane

Liane’sfeeling:strongpain“Object”:oneofherpigletsLocation:theUruguayriverside(overlookingtheriver)©LianeMombachandMarileneRibeiro2016

GARA

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482

PortraitofClarisseandGilberto

Clarisse’sandGilberto’sfeeling:sorrowObjectchosenbyClarisse:deadplantObjectchosenbyGilberto:localsoilLocation:gardenoftheircurrentplace(whereGilbertowasborn)©ClariceJahns,GilbertoJahns,andMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofAnacleto

Anacleto’sfeeling:“itwringsmyheart”Object:fruitshegrowsathisbackyardLocation:backyardofhiscurrentplace©AnacletoJoséRistoffandMarileneRibeiro2016

GARA

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483

PortraitofReinoldo

Reinoldo’sfeeling:“itwringsmyheart”Object:waterfromtheUruguayRiverLocation:hislivingroom(whichwillbeunderwaterifthePanambidamisbuilt)©ReinoldoRoqueKöcheandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofJairDrost

JairDrost’sfeeling:sorrowObject:localsoil(torepresenttherootsbetweenJair,hisfamily,andtheplacewheretheylive)Location:hisfamily’splace(whichtheyinheritedfromIlone’s(hiswife)parents,andtheyhavebeenneighbourseversince)©JairDrostandMarileneRibeiro2016

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484

PortraitofAilton

Ailton’sfeeling:powerlessness“Object”:hisoccupationLocation:hisfamily’sbarn(wherethetobaccoharvestedisdried)(Ailton’swifebesidehim)©AiltonCarvalhodosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofClaudinei

Claudinei’sfeelings:sorrowandlossObject:fishLocation:hisworkspace©ClaudineiZuehlandMarileneRibeiro2016

GARA

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485

PortraitofPedro

Pedro’sfeelings:sorrowObject:ballsofboccegameLocation:TrêsPedras'(hiscommunity’s)chapelandcommunitycentre©PedroDallaCostaandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofMarisaandJair

Marisa’sfeeling:painJair’sfeeling:preoccupationObject:cattlethecoupleraisesLocation:theircurrentplaceofliving©MarisaBohn,JairJoséKuhn,andMarileneRibeiro2016

GARA

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486

PortraitofIranirandAdemar

Iranir’sfeeling:anguishAdemar’sfeelings:rebelliousnessObjectchosenbyIranir:chimarrão(traditionalcommunalteamug)ObjectchosenbyAdemar:bookletonhydrodamsontheUruguayRiverLocation:Uruguayriverbank©IranirKratzOlsson,AdemarOlsson,andMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofNelci

Nelci’sfeeling:angerObject:fireLocation:herparents’place(whichsheliterallyhelpedtobuildbrickbybrick)©NelciBárbaroandMarileneRibeiro2016

GARA

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487

PortraitofMarinês

Marinês’feeling:outrageandrebelliousness“Object”:thedancewithherhusband(Dalmir)Location:livingroomoftheircurrentplaceofliving(whichwillalsodisappeariftheGarabidamtakesplace)

©MarinêsBernardiFinkandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofEgídio

Egídio’sfeeling:rebelliousnessObject:seedling(torepresentthetreeshisfamilyhasplantedattheirplotofland)Location:hisfamily’splantation©EgídioZambelliandMarileneRibeiro2016

GARA

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488

PortraitofLuiz

Luiz’sfeeling:“allbadfeelings”Object:manualseeder(whichbelongstoLuiz’sfamily)Location:hisfamily’spasturegorgeoverlookingtheUruguayRiver©LuizWeberyandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofMariaInês

MariaInês’feeling:“tied”Object:ropeLocation:herplace(houseandgardenwithfruittrees)©MariaInêsTaubeSchröpferandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofRamão

Ramão’sfeelings:doubt,emptiness,uncertaintyObject:organicproductsheandhisfamilymakefromsugarcaneLocation:sitewheretheybuilttoprocessthesugarcane©RamãoSantosCerriandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofMarinêsNicolli

MarinêsNicolli’sfeeling:sorrow“Object”:hersonsLocation:herbedroom/livingroom©MarinêsNicollidosSantosandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofValdemarWociekoski

Valdemar’sfeeling:sorrowObject:plasticbag(torepresentfishthatwillnolongerbefoundintheUruguayRiverbutlitterinstead,iftheGarabidamisbuilt)Location:stretchoftheUruguayRiverclosetohisplace©ValdemarWociekoskiGregórioandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofRonaldo

Ronaldo’sfeeling:hopeandhopelessnessObject:roadthatlinkstheplacewherehelives(Garruchos)toitsclosesttown(“thenowheretothenothing”)Location:roadthatlinksGarruchostoitsclosesttown©RonaldoPraiczikandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofEurice

Eurice’sfeeling:sorrowanduncertaintyObject:herson'stoy(miniatureofacar)Location:gardenofhercurrentplaceofliving©EuriceKleinandMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofCirleiandNilson

Cirlei’sandNilson’sfeeling:sorrowObject:treesLocation:tunneloftreesatthemainentranceoftheirproperty©CirleiHemingDawies,NilsonRoqueDawies,andMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofVilson

Vilson’sfeeling:sorrow“Object”:theabsenceofpeoplegatheringattheplacewheretheyusuallygettogetherLocation:sitewhereannualCelebrationoftheNossaSenhoradosNavegantes’Daytakesplace©VilsonWinklerandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofRejane

Rejane’sfeeling:sorrowObject:tooltheyuseatherfamily’sdiaryfarmLocation:stable©RejaneKeglerDallabonaandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofHelena

Helena’sfeeling:lossObject:stonefromtheUruguayRivershecollectedandkeptLocation:mainentranceofherhouse©HelenaKalbFurlanettoandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofLúcia

Lúcia’sfeelings:preoccupation,sorrow,anguishObject:statueofNossaSenhoradaAparecida,whichaccompaniedherintheclassroomduringhercareerasateacherLocation:schoolwheresheworked,intheCanalTortovillage(whichwillfacesubmergenceifthePanambidamisbuilt)©LúciaBirkdeBrumandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofCamila

Camila’sfeelings:lossandsorrow(forallthelifethatwillbesacrificedduetothedam)butshealsocitesopportunity(totakeherparentstotheurbanarea)“Object”:herparakeetsLocation:theInáciobrook(located50mapartfromherplaceandwhichwillvanishunderwaterifthePanambidamisbuilt)©CamilaGrzecaandMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofÉlio

Élio’sfeelings:destruction,rebelliousness,outrage(abouthavingto“witness”allthedestructionwithoutbeingallowedtodoanythingtostopit),guilt(aboutnotbeingabletosavehiscommunityandtheriver)Object:thedredgethatdredgedMuriciIsland(hisusualfishingsite)Location:theXinguRiveroverlookingthesitewheretheMuriciIslandusedtobe,closetotheBeloMontedamwall©ÉlioAlvesandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofJoão

João’sfeelings:feelingwounded,feelingthatthecompanyinchargeofthedamprojecthasnottreatedhimlikeahumanbeingshouldbeObject:bricksLocation:hiskitchen©JoãoPintoFilhoandMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofVanilda

Vanilda’sfeelings:bitterness,rebelliousnessObject:fishingnetLocation:slabontheXinguRiverbyherhouse©VanildaFeitosaAraújoandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofCláudia

Cláudia’sfeeling:lossObject:oarandboatLocation:stretchoftheXingu’sBigbendsituatedsomeyardsupstreamofherplace,wheremovingbyboatisnolongerpossibleduetothelowleveloftheriverwater,asthePimentaldam,situatedupstream,divertstheXinguRiver’swaterstowardstheBeloMontedam.©CláudiaGonçalvesandMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofJucéliaandEderson

Jucélia’sfeeling:sorrowEderson’sfeeling:sufferingObjectchosenbyJucélia:pillowcase(partofthebedsetthathersisterhadgivenher)ObjectchosenbyEderson:drill(oneofthetoolsJucélia’sbrotherandheusedtobuildthecouple’snewhomeatIndependenteI)Location:JucéliaandEderson’splace(mainentrancelocatedattheleft)©JucéliaSilva,EdersonSoares,andMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofRaimundaGomes

I’mreadytofight(captionconceivedbyRaimundaforherownportrait)Raimunda’sfeeling:desperation,tiedtothepastObject:woodenstickLocation:sitewhereherhouseusedtostand,inBarriguda’sIsland(Raimunda’sdwellingwasburnt.Notethefourcornersofitasfourhalf-buriedfragmentsofcoal)©RaimundaGomesandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofLeonardo

Leonardo’sfeelings:rebelliousnessanddesperationObject:borduna(indigenouswarclub)andbowhemadehimself(astaughtbyhisgrandmother—alsoaYudjá/Juruna)Location:bythesumaúmatree©LeonardoBatistaandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofGeovan

Geovan’sfeelings:rebelliousness,hatred,outrage,anguish,dismantlement,sorrowObject:door(torepresentthefaçadeofhisformerhouseonItapirangaIsland,currentlysubmergedbythereservoirofthedam)Location:theXinguRiver©GeovanCarvalhoMartinsandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofJoséNunes

José’sfeelings:indignationandsorrowObject:portraitofhisfather,whowasarubbertapperand,likeJosé,appreciatedtheplacewheretheylived:TrindadeIslandLocation:TrindadeIsland(currentlysituatedwithinthereservoirofthedam)©JoséNunesandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofMariaHelena,MariaDalva,andLarissa

MariaHelena’sfeeling:sorrowObjectchosenbyMariaHelena:statueofSt.JosephObjectchosenbyMariaDalva:oneofthedeadleaves(andalsoherweddingdress—shegotmarriedonPivelaIsland)ObjectchosenbyLarissa:localsoilLocation:deadplantationofacaiberryintheirformerbackyardonPivelaIsland(currentlypartiallysubmergedbythereservoirofthedam)©MariaHelenaAlmeida,MariaDalvaAlmeida,LarissaAlmeida,andMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofCláudioCuruaia

Cláudio’sfeelings:sorrow(abouttheimpactsthedaminflicteduponnatureandpeoplefromAltamiracityandthesurroundings)andrevolt(abouthowthedamprojectexiststoenablecorruption,andtobenefitbigcompaniesandpoliticians)Object:moneynotesLocation:ArapujáIsland©CláudioCuruaiaandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofJuma

Juma’sfeelings:revolt,rage,anger,theworstfeelingsapersoncanfeel;but,whenshethinksofthesubjectofthedammingprocess,i.e.theXinguRiver,shefeelslifeandenergytocarryonfightingforitandforherpeople’s(theXipaya)rights.Object:notebookgivenbyhermotherLocation:XinguRiver’srockymargin©JumaXipaiaandMarileneRibeiro2016

PortraitofMariadasGraçasandDelcilene

Delcilene’sfeelings:sorrowandhumiliationMariadasGraças’feeling:sorrowObjectchosenbyDelcilene:cashewsObjectchosenbyMariadasGraças(Delcilene’smother):sandLocation:theirformerbackyardinCashewIsland(currentlypartlysubmergedbythedam)©MariadasGraçasdaSilva,DelcileneGomesdaSilva,andMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofRaimundo

Raimundo’sfeeling:sorrowObject:framedpictureofthelastfishRaimundocaughtbytheconfluenceoftheSantoAntôniostreamandtheXinguRiver,beforehelefttheSantoAntôniohamletLocation:theSantoAntôniostreamafterthedamworks(Raimundo’swifeandtwooftheirkidsalsodepicted)©RaimundoMartinsandMarileneRibeiro2016PortraitofMariaEliete

MariaEliete’sfeelings:desperationandsorrowObject:nativetreeswhosefruitcannolongerfallinthewaterandfeedfishwhichdependonthemtosurviveLocation:thedam-ledexposedriverbankoftheXinguRiver,wherethePaquiçambaIndigenousReserve(Eliete’shome)islocated©MariaElieteFelixJurunaandMarileneRibeiro2016

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PortraitofMariaRosa’sfamily

Byusingthesamemethodweapplytogetourfood,theNorteEnergiasilencesitsaffectedpeople.(captionconceivedbyMariaRosa’sfamilyfortheirportrait)MariaRosa’sfeeling:rageObject:fishingnetLocation:hermother’sformerplotofland,currentlypartiallysubmergedbythedam©MariaRosaPessoaPiedadeandMarileneRibeiro2016

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