TERRITORIALITY OF TRADITIONAL SITIANTES IN THE STATE OF SÃO PAULOABSTRACT
Traditional farmers appropriate land and manage their territories through knowledge adapted to local ecosystems, adopting communal practices and customary rules linked to values common to the traditional way of life. The material and cultural reproduction of these groups is based on a strong condition of territorial autonomy on various scales, in a complex network of reciprocity and on the availability of land. From this perspective, through a case study, this work analyzes the process of transformation of the territoriality of a group facing the emergence of contemporary society. Several adaptive strategies were found in economic, political, ecological, demographic and religious contexts. Values play a decisive role in the definition of all these. It was observed that the economic strategy is the first to be triggered, with significant losses to the traditional technological stock, including knowledge about the use and management of biodiversity.
Keywords: Caipira culture; Conservation units; Cultural adaptation; Territorial conflict