African Grasses, African knowledge, and the transformation of Colonial Brazil

Keywords: African diaspora; Pastures; Historical Geography; Bio-cultural Heritage, Landscape
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 45

Abstract

Portuguese colonizers introduced cattle to Brazil in the first half of the 16th century. Cattle quickly spread throughout the territory, providing food, leather, transportation, and labor becoming essential in colonial economies. With the westward expansion of the cattle frontier, a complex assemblage of plants, animals, and cultural practices from across the Atlantic World combined to transform the Brazilian lands. Central to the expansion of these pastoral landscapes were several species of African grasses that had co-evolved with Old World graminivores. Yet, despite the primacy of African grasses in the Brazilian cattle economy, little is known about their arrival or diffusion. Slave ships commonly used dried grasses (hay) as rough bedding for human captives; therefore, dominant narratives emerged to frame the introduction of the grasses as historical accidents or unexpected consequences of the transatlantic slave trade. However, a closer look at ecological, economic, and cultural exchange processes suggests that African knowledge and practice were fundamental in establishing African grasses in Brazil. Analyzing biogeographical data reports from travelers and naturalists, and historical images, this paper reconstructs the historical geography of African grasses in the South Atlantic. It joins recent geographical reinterpretations of the African diaspora to examine the complexity of colonial landscapes and demonstrate the participation of African knowledge and more-than-human agency in transforming the New World. The introduction, adaptation, and diffusion of Brazil's most economically important grasses were not mere casualties; they relied on a diaspora of African people, plants, and knowledge.