Província do Paraná e a região dos Campos de Palmas: percepção do poder público sobre o meio natural numa área de fronteira (1853-1889)

Abstract

The objective of this research is to understand the provincial perception of Paraná about the environment in a border region. The question that guided the work was the following: How is the Paraná state government representing this space? The readings in environmental history directed the analyzes and the look in the sources towards the aspects of the natural environment. Its main source was the Reports and Messages of the Provincial Government of Paraná in the period from 1853 to 1889. These documents can reveal new historical aspects related to the social, cultural and economic life of society, the daily life, traditions, religiosity, settlement, practices / techniques and investments in agriculture and livestock, interaction with the natural environment and financial values handled by the Province. Ensuring possession, or conquering the territory, meant having control over the exploitation of the natural wealth existing in the region. The exploitation of these riches caused great impacts to the environment, the exploitation of the wood caused strong deforestation and extinction of several vegetal and animal species, in addition, the fires, caused as a way to clean the land for the practice of agriculture, caused serious damages. Animal husbandry also had impacts on the natural environment. We tried to understand if there was a concern on the part of the provincial government about the environmental issue. During the analysis of the Reports, we noticed that some presidents of the Province showed concern with the uncontrolled cutting of trees, with burning, as well as other types of exploitation of the wealth that transformed the environment of the region, but that does not mean that they were committed to environmental preservation