Tambadoras Dancing with the Palo River: A Research-Creation Exploration of Traditional Gold Mining in Colombia

In this project, Maira Cristina Castro Mina explores the traditional gold mining practices of Tambadoras, a group of Afro-Colombian women from Guachené, Colombia. Reflecting on the production of the video documentary Tambadoras Dancing with the Palo River (2022), Maira Cristina traces its development as the catalyst of an academic inquiry through the framework of research-creation.

Unlike traditional research, which often starts with predefined hypotheses and research questions, this project evolved organically from the creative process of producing the video documentary. The video captures the interplay between Tambadoras’ traditional mining methods and the Palo River, a body of water essential to their livelihood and cultural heritage. Employing a research-creation methodology defined by Sawhuck and Owen as “research-from-creation” (2012), this study examines the socio-economic implications of Tambadoras’ mining methods, the challenges they pose to conventional narratives of artisanal mining, and their alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals concerning gender equality, clean water and sanitation. This thesis contributes to the discourse on sustainable mining practices, the empowerment of women in artisanal mining, and the preservation of Afro-Colombian cultural heritage.