Aspectos psicossocioambientais da condição de refugiados: um estudo sobre venezuelanos indígenas Warao em Natal, RN

Abstract

The mobility of the Warao people throughout Latin America creates new relationships with the territory. Forced migration and life in a refuge city cause traditional communities to encounter human-environmental relationships different from those experienced in their land of origin. This research addresses psychosocial and environmental aspects of the lives of the Warao living in Natal/RN, aiming to identify elements that compose the process of urban space appropriation and analyze identity and attachment processes to the indigenous Warao's current place of refuge (Natal/RN). It is a qualitative study that utilized the methodology of Environmental Autobiography to access individuals' experiences with the inhabited location. Grounded Theory was used for data analysis. The results indicate a greater difficulty in appropriating the city's space as a foreigner, but it does not completely eliminate the possibility of building such a connection. Place identity is expressed in the preserved neighborhood culture within the community, carrying the traditional subjective territory wherever they go. Additionally, it is expressed in maintaining the aesthetic and labor aspects of ancestral craftsmanship. Attachment to the place is evident in situations of connection with locations, as long as the community group remains intact. New habits were formed in contact with the territory of the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, such as adopting a new religion after arriving in the city. Another observed aspect is that the place of residence (CARE) still preserves many traditional habits of Warao culture, serving as the location for cooking typical food and maintaining communication in the ancestral language.