THE CONQUEST

 THE CONQUEST

In the hinterland of Laranjinha

listen to what i say

It was a real cause

I'm going to tell you

Mr. Francisco Neve had very good lives

I take dogs and a weapon that could help you

And the hinterland of Laranjinha

There he met

Today we're going to change the focus of our chronicle a little... let's talk about the beginning of our cities, when pioneers came from various parts of the world to try a better life for their own. The lyrics of this viola moda, composed by Capitão Furtado, Tonico and Tinoco tell a little about the epic of these people who left everything behind and went into the sertão to try their luck in new places. I'm not saying that they were heroines, I'm saying that their intention was to provide a better life for their families. And if that meant driving the former lords out of the land, well... then that was what had to be done and it certainly would be...

In the 1940s, the region between Rio do Peixe and Rio Tietê was invaded by families of different ethnic groups, with the intention of colonizing that region. It is clear that the former residents, the Caingangues, did not like the story very much and tried to defend their territory. The bugres, as they were called by the "conquistadors", fought tooth and nail in an attempt to expel the invaders. Of course they couldn't. In addition to having modern weapons, the settlers had the protection of the government that, ironically, claimed to be defending the rights of the Gentiles... and leased the land, taking the original population to reservations where their rights were restricted.

In this story there is no right or wrong, at least if we are talking about the individuals involved in the story. After all, each side defended what its conscience told it was right. The settlers were looking for paradise on earth, where they could build their home and build a "just and egalitarian" society, even if they didn't know exactly what that meant. The bugres (by the way, did you know that this word is of French origin, and that its meaning would be someone treacherous, unreliable?) were defending their territory, after all it was the land of their parents and their parents' parents. And suddenly...

The story narrated by Tonico and Tinoco's song illustrates the clashes between the natives and the people who wanted to create a new home. The enemy was pagan so nothing fairer than taking their lands in the name of the Lord... and so, from battle to battle, one people was subjugated by the other, and a new society was formed...

It's 7:50 am on this sunny Tuesday, the last day of January, which has been a very beautiful month in our lives. May February be even better and bring us everything we want and deserve...

Now I will only write to you when February arrives...

May God bless us all and allow us to have a simply beautiful and wonderful day... may we have the discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff in our lives... See you tomorrow, God willing...