Quilombola ways of knowing: a study about the production process of the cassava flour

This study aimed to recognize mathematical ideas in the process of producing cassava flour in the Lagoa da Pedra Quilombola Community, in Arraias, TO. Authors such as D'Ambrosio, Knijnik, among others, have described how people, in their day-today practices, find their own ways of solving problems that involve mathematical conceptions, and that these ways are peculiar to their culture. Using an ethnographic research approach, the data and the information collected included video recordings, photos, notations, observations, interviews, and participation in the fabrication process of the cassava flour. The results show that the Lagoa da Pedra Quilombolas developed a series of mathematical conceptions that are manifested in the cassava flour production process, such as: the use of a conventional measurement system, for example, meter, ton, kilogram and time measures, among others; and non-conventional measures such as, vara, braça, quadro, tarefa.

Quilombolas; Cassava Flour; Mathematic Ideas