Researchers from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte are developing a project aimed at digitizing and cataloging historical documents related to the land ownership process in Rio Grande do Norte. The initiative is being carried out by the Laboratory of Experimentation in Social History (LEHS) at UFRN, coordinated by professor Carmen Alveal, from the Department of History at UFRN, in collaboration with professor Patrícia Macedo, from the Department of Information Science at UFRN, and professor Cimone Rozendo, from the Department of Social Sciences.
The partnership with the State Secretariat for Rural Development and Family Agriculture of Rio Grande do Norte (SEDRAF-RN) came about after LEHS researchers identified that, although it was known that every state had a Land Institute, researchers did not find this body for Rio Grande do Norte. Subsequently, the team was informed that land documentation from the 20th century would be linked to SEDRAF.
After identifying the location where the documents were stored, the researchers visited the collection, located in the Family Farming building, and carried out a survey of the existing material. The collection consists of around 50 books containing records of land donations and sales between 1938 and 1983.
The project aims to build a database that makes it possible to analyze the state's historical land tenure process. The first stage of the work consists of the process of digitizing and conserving sales books and land lease contracts, which are under the custody of the State Secretariat for Rural Development and Family Agriculture of Rio Grande do Norte (SEDRAF-RN).
Currently, 25 land tenure contract books and 25 land donation books are being worked on, dated between 1938 and 1983. The work seeks to understand the legislation related to land tenures and donations, a practice that has existed since the colonial period.
The historical importance of the documents, according to the researchers involved, is related to their contribution to studies on Agrarian History in Rio Grande do Norte. The digitization and cataloging of these books are considered fundamental to expand investigations into land access policies in the state.
The project may also contribute to larger-scale studies on understanding land issues in Brazil. Furthermore, the documents make it possible to analyze the profile of the people who received the land and understand the transfer process carried out through sales, as well as the criteria involved in the donation of land by the state government.
Photos: LEHS/UFRN
