The Balseiro’s Museum as a cultural patrimony of Itá, Santa Catarina

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reflect about the senses and uses associated to the preservation of the balseiros practice that acted in 1920’s in Itá, Santa Catarina, whose knowledge and doings have been (re)afirmed by the Balseiros’ Museum (MB). It is considered that, even though the wood action took a toll on the environment, this skill is part of the regional cultural heritage, due to the production of artifacts, means of transportation and work tools, theoretically fundamented in Social Museology, New Museology and Education for Heritage.The methodology includes documents research of tourist and cultural itinerary that cites the museum, developed by the Secretariat of Tourism, as well as a school project, as reference for assembling a replica of a ferry made by students of the Valentim Bernardi Municipal School. The results of this experience are analysed as educational action for the heritage, from the teachers’ and participate students’ narratives, gathered at their meeting with the piece displayed at the museum.  The connection between material immaterial cultural heritage is discussed as well as preservation and identity, in order to understand how they take part in the educational process. Actions to recapture and preserve the cultural heritage of the shavers in the educational network and how the these have been negotiated and associated to the local history are problematized. It concludes that the experience is useful as a strategy to resgate the memories and the educational heritage, through the appropriation of elements of colonizer's culture.