The Kapenda Matriarchy in Lunda: interpreting sketches of Portuguese colonialism in African History Teaching

Abstract

The article proposes a critical use of the location sketch Expedição Portugueza ao Muata Yanvo: croquis do itinerário seguido pela expedição do Cuango ao Cuilo e ramificações ao Nizavo e Mu-Shá-éla em diligências de carregadores to teach about the sociopolitical structures of the Kapenda population in the Lunda region, taking into account the guidelines established by Brazil’s National Common Curricular Base (BNCC). The methodology adopted for the analysis of the sketch consisted of reading the interstices of the source (Ribeiro, 2013) and cross-referencing the information obtained with other materials produced by the Portuguese Expedition to Muatiânvua (1884–1888). Classroom work with this source involves interpreting information such as relief, vegetation, altitude, and the spatial distribution of Kapenda villages, which helps demonstrate a matriarchal structure organized around Mona Samba Mahango. The teaching proposal is intended for students in the third year of Brazilian secondary education.