Forest Farmers of the Amazon
Estuary
Forest Farmers of the Amazon Estuary, currently on exhibit at the
Mathers Museum of World Cultures, provides insights into the
daily lives of Caboclo farmers people of Ponte de Pedras in eastern
Brazil. These "forest farmers" make their living from the forest and on
the river--making the most of everything around them.
The exhibit features a full-sized canoe like those used by the
Caboclos, as well as a full-sized model of a Caboclo house. The Caboclos
have to make everything for themselves, and as a result are very
resourceful. The home is decorated with colorful magazine ads, and the
television runs on a car battery. Also included are examples of products
made from the acai plant and the manioc root, the two crops cultivated by
the Caboclos, as well as models on how the crops are harvested and
manufactured.
The exhibit's curators, Eduardo S. Brondizio and
Andrea D. Siqueira, work with Caboclo farmers to learn more about their
agroforestry techniques and daily lives. Brondizio
is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Assistant Director of the
Anthropological Center for Training and Research on Global Environmental
Change (ACT); Siqueira is a Research Associate at ACT.
Forest Farmers of the Amazon Estuary will be on exhibit
through Friday, December 22, 2006.
The Mathers Museum of World Cultures is located at 416 North Indiana
Avenue, Bloomington. Its exhibit hall and Museum Store are open Tuesdays
through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, from
1 to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free.
Metered and IU Permit parking is available at the McCalla School parking
lot on the corner of Ninth Street and Indiana Avenue. Parking is available
on surrounding streets during the weekend.
An access ramp is located at the corner of Ninth Street and Fess
Avenue, at the entrance to the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology
adjoining the Mathers Museum. Reserved parking spaces are available on
Ninth Street,between Fess Avenue and Indiana Avenue. If you have a disability
and need assistance, special arrangements can be made to accommodate most
needs. Please call 812-855-1696 for assistance.
For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, please call
812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
