Approaching Mobility through Pathways and Fences in the Northeastern Semiarid Landscapes of Brazil

Abstract This article presents new insights into the mobility and movement dynamics of the sertanejo people in the hinterland of Northeastern Brazil. The aim is to enhance the understanding of how societies navigate and create spatial structures to organize their households amid external pressures to exploit semiarid lands, transforming pastures held in common into privately enclosed territories. By integrating archaeological, ethnographic, and historical data, we challenge conventional interpretations of sertanejo mobility and household patterns that often center on narratives of poverty and inalterability linked to the challenges of drought and the necessity for economic subsistence. The case of the sertanejos challenges the notion that mobility in semiarid lands stems solely from avoiding drought and seeking resources in a depleted environment. Instead, we reveal that mobility is integral to constructing socioecological knowledge, shaping a landscape in which the household becomes a meaningful entity and its pathways and enclosures become embedded in daily social reproduction practices. Consequently, we seek alternative perspectives on movement and mobility, exploring their material aspects and their connections to strategies for both adaptation and preservation in the face of enclosures. This exploration highlights the dynamic interplay between flow and immobility in specific aspects of sertanejo life, providing insight into the nuanced ways in which communities navigate and negotiate their surroundings.