Agridoce

The Potiguara, one of Brazil’s original peoples, preserve their culture and daily traditions, blending rituals with colonial influences, showing resilience, identity and freedom.

The Potiguara are one of the original peoples of Brazil and they are nowadays consciously engaged with their heritage, with a strong sense of identity. They stand up for their culture and background. The community makes great efforts to preserve and restore its traditional values in the state of Paraíba. Their daily existence is closely tied to the natural environment: the Potiguara depend on the sea and the river, grow their own food on family land, and share their homes and territory with relatives, neighbours and animals.

Spirituality and rituals are woven into everyday life. The legacy of colonialism is also present. For example, Catholicism, introduced during colonial times, coexists with and merges into traditional spiritual practices, creating a layered and complex system of belief.

The community suffered greatly during the war between Dutch and Portuguese colonialists in the 17th century, in which they were directly involved. Remarkably, this history remains widely known within the community and in Brazil more broadly; nearly every resident is aware of the history of the Dutch presence. This awareness stands in sharp contrast to how it is perceived in the Netherlands, where knowledge of Brazilian colonial history is limited and often comes as a surprise.

In my work, I aim to shed light on this often overlooked part of the Netherlands’ colonial past, connecting the past with the present. The Potiguara community has maintained a strong sense of identity, deeply rooted in resilience and a sense of freedom. My photography focuses on how this is expressed in all aspects of daily life. I explore how the community sustain themselves over time, and how fragmented histories might be reconnected to open new ways of understanding coexistence.