Genealogy of Indigenous, African, and African-descendant Women in São Paulo, 16th-18th Centuries

• Grant number: 25/04109-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Historical Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: Marianne Sallum
• Grantee: Karine Souza Silva
• Host Institution: Escola de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (EFLCH). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Guarulhos. Guarulhos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/04746-1 - Gender, memories and materialities of interaction/confluence: indigenous and afro-descendant women in the historical archaeology of São Paulo, AP.JP

Abstract

Genealogical research in historical archaeology remains scarce (BREUNLIN, 2020), particularly regarding the role of women in the colonial context and beyond (PEIXOTO, NOELLI & SALLUM, 2022; NOELLI, SALLUM & PEIXOTO, 2023). This project will generate unprecedented information on kinship and affinity networks of two families from the São Vicente area (and their connections to other regions) between the 16th and 18th centuries, focusing on Indigenous women and, whenever possible, African-descendant women. The goal is to develop these two case studies to explore connections between the past and present of agroforestry communities, highlighting female agency. To achieve this, the project aims to: 1) trace the historical trajectory of families in the Genealogia Paulistana (e.g., LEME, 1954, 1903-1909) and its updates in the 20th century (e.g., MOURA, 1950; FRANCO, 1954), which compile and systematize a vast amount of information; 2) consult general documents from municipal chambers and public administration, including baptism, marriage, and death records, as well as censuses; 3) use genealogy software (Gramps and QGIS with Genealogy plugins) to build family trees, integrating them with other online databases (e.g., Family Tree, MyHeritage, Ancestry).