R-existence and healing in quilombo territory: COVID made us rethink our relationships

Abstract

The Ylê Asé de Yansã Community, located In Araras (SP), is an ancestral, quilombola, and sacred territory of the Jejê-Nagô branch of Candomblé. This text explores practices of existence and healing within the Ylê, highlighting the impacts of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and positioning the community as a space of resistance and collective care. Cosmoperception, a concept developed by Oyèrónkẹ Oyěwùmí, guides the analysis by emphasising the community’s motto, “respect for life,” which connects territoriality, epistemology, and life, bringing together land, spirituality, and solidarity. The Ylê challenges hegemonic colonial concepts of “humanity,” valuing ancestry and relationships with the territory. Its practices not only resist coloniality but also propose autonomous ways of living and re-existing. This reflection, combined with narratives from community members, highlights dreaming as a transformative practice that opens pathways to alternative modes of existence. Thus, the Ylê strengthens struggles for food and land sovereignty, reaffirming self-determination and care as foundational pillars of new Afrofutures.

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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.47250/forident.v40n1.p145-166

Repository URI

https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/792efe6b-d8dd-4df7-9124-689f66b3ecca