2024-07-092024-07-092016LIMA, Ismar Borges de et al. Ecotourism community enterprises and ethnodevelopment: modelling the Kalunga empowerment possibilities in the brazilian savannah. Brazilian Journal of Science and Technology, v. 3, p. 1-25, 2016. DOI: 10.1186/s40552-016-0013-8. Disponível em: https://bjst-journal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40552-016-0013-8. Acesso em: 1 jul. 2024.2196-288Xhttp://repositorio.bc.ufg.br//handle/ri/24778This paper investigates the Kalunga community demands for income generation through ecotourism enterprises in the north of Goias State, in the Brazilian savannah. As part of the analysis, the paper discusses the main aspects of the community empowerment framework. It identifies the existing natural and cultural assets of the Kalunga and the community need for capacity building aimed at dealing with a growing tourism business and managing visitors. This afro-descendant community expects ecotourism to serve as a development as a catalyst for economic development by propitiating financial independence through ecotourism community enterprises. These issues require the elaboration of an ethnic operational business model for the community, which is one of the main contributions of this paper. There is insufficient literature on the Kalunga maroon community, particularly related to ethnic-based business and enterprises. This paper investigating the Kalunga is important because it can reveal ‘the silences’ and the ‘innermost facts’ of a slow, but evolving process of social and economic emancipation of this African-descendant group, one that in the past (date) highly segregated itself from enslavement. This paper also makes an original contribution to research knowledge by comprehensively examining the possibilities for community empowerment from the within as an ethnodevelopment process. The main issues lie in the fact that the Kalunga cannot continue to be perceived by outsiders as ‘cheap labour’ on their own lands; they must take ownership of their own assets, means for survival and long-term fate. The research is predominantly qualitative based on field research, participant observation, interviews with key informants, and written survey with a focus group.engAcesso AbertoEcotourismCommunity enterprisesCommunity ethnodevelopmentIncome generationCommunity empowermentFinancial and social emancipationKalungaBrazilArtigo10.1186/s40552-016-0013-8