caissara

Caissara is the feminine form used to describe a woman belonging to the caiçara, a traditional coastal community in Brazil. The caiçaras are mixed-heritage fishing communities along the Atlantic coast with a long history of small-scale fishing, mollusk gathering, and light agriculture in riverine and near-coastal settings. Caissaras participate in and contribute to family and community life through roles in fish processing, craft production (such as basketry and textiles), and the provisioning of meals and care. Their knowledge of tides, seasons, and local ecosystems represents a form of traditional ecological knowledge.

Caissaras appear wherever caiçaras are found, along the Brazilian Atlantic coast, with major concentrations in the Southeast region, and in coastal communities in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Paraná. They maintain distinctive cultural practices, including music, cuisine, dress, and communal celebrations linked to fishing and harvest cycles.

In recent decades, caissaras have faced pressures from development, tourism, and overfishing, as well as legal and land-ownership challenges. Brazilian policy recognizes traditional populations and seeks to safeguard their rights to land and resources and to preserve traditional knowledge, though implementation varies by region.