Examining the Guaiquerí community through photography

This collection serves as a visual and documentary archive that reflects the historical and cultural depth of the fishing communities of Cubagua and particularly the Guaiqueri identity of these communities. The photographs, audiovisual materials, and bibliographic records are windows into these communities' daily lives, practices, and transformations over time. More than a static repository, users are invited to explore the materials critically, identifying patterns, tracing continuities and ruptures, and reflecting on how external factors such as environmental changes, tourism, and economic dynamics have impacted artisanal fishing. The digital inventory also facilitates cross-referencing, allowing comparative studies on maritime cultures, resource management, and historical memory.

Hero Image Caption: Fishermen. Collection of Fernando Cervigon (Collection: MMM-FC-IC-010.4)

One of the most significant photographs in the collection is that of Andrés Salazar, taken by Dr. Fernando Cervigón. Andrés was a fisherman from the island of Cubagua whom Fidel had the opportunity to meet during his first fieldwork and whose generosity and knowledge profoundly marked him. His way of narrating the sea, its cycles, and its challenges was key to understanding the relationship between the fishing community and its environment.

In the image captured by Cervigón, Andrés appears on his boat, his gaze fixed on the sea, in a posture that conveys the fishermen's resilience, skill, and deep connection with the sea. More than a simple portrait, this photograph encapsulates the memory of those who have sustained life on the island of Cubagua through fishing. For the team, this image is a central element of the project's digital ethnography, as it not only documents a trade-in transformation but also preserves the figure of a man whose personal history is inseparable from the history of Cubagua. Digitizing and sharing this photograph allows his legacy, like that of so many fishermen, to remain alive and accessible for future generations.

Like this image of Andrés Salazar, taken by Dr. Fernando Cervigón, hundreds of photographs were inventoried and digitized to document the lives of the fishermen of Cubagua and other coastal communities. These images capture not only faces and landscapes but also fishing techniques, boats, rituals, markets, and transformations in the maritime environment over time. The inventory process made it possible to organize, catalog, and preserve this visual collection, ensuring its access for future research and its dissemination in educational and community spaces. Many of these photographs, previously unpublished, offer invaluable testimony about the role of fishermen in the region's history and economy.