Hello and welcome to “Ancestral Mist ”
Ancestral Mist is a digital space, a platform to create, share, and explore the stories of Afro-Brazilian returnees, using my ancestor Antonio Quaétano’s journey as a central narrative. As a descendant, I’ve always felt a pull to understand their stories, challenging the focus on elites that erases everyday lives like those of my ancestors—fishermen, shoemakers, and tailors—who made the incredible voyage across the Atlantic. My journey is to uncover these lives, focusing on Antonio, who returned to West Africa in the 1800s with his two sons.
The project uncovers the stories of ordinary people who made this extraordinary transatlantic voyage. Through archival research, artistic interpretation, and interactive digital experiences, “Ancestral Mist ” illuminates the often-overlooked legacies of slavery and return migration.
Join me as I piece together Antonio Quaétano’s history, especially around him and his children, Passion and Verissimo. This project explores themes of family, identity, belonging, and the enduring impact of displacement and severed family lineages. The truth is, I do not know what I’d find.
“Ancestral Mist ” is a journey to reveal what lies in the silence of the archives, exploring if my past is a falsehood or a disruption. Using archival records, imagined narratives, and art, I aim to show how slavery and return migration shaped lives, filling the gaps in family history. It is also the first phase of “Home Relations,” a larger research initiative that will continue to explore Afro-Brazilian returnee histories.
I’d love for you to join me as I build “Ancestral Mist” and tell Antonio’s story. We’ll explore family, belonging, and the impact of this incredible journey. I believe this is a story worth sharing, and I hope you do too.
Be among the first to experience the “Ancestral Mist ” Digital Imaginarium when it launches and get access to exclusive monthly project progress.
Research for this project is made possible by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Explore Grant and the Office of the Dean of Arts, Toronto Metropolitan University.