Amid the sound of drums and pipes filled with healing herbs, the Tupinamba people of Brazil are eagerly anticipating the return of a sacred cloak that has been away for 335 years.
This significant artifact, housed at the National Museum of Denmark since 1689, will be officially handed back during a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro where President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to be present on Thursday.
The repatriation of the ceremonial cloak is part of Brazil’s diplomatic efforts to retrieve Indigenous objects from museums in France, Japan, and other countries.
The cloak, measuring just under 1.8 meters (6 feet) tall and adorned with red feathers from the scarlet ibis bird, arrived in Rio in early July and is currently stored at the national museum.
“I felt a sense of sadness and joy. A blend of being born and dying,” expressed Yakuy Tupinamba, who travelled over 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) by bus from Olivenca municipality to view the artifact.
The 64-year-old, wearing a feathered headdress, is among approximately 200 Tupinambas camped near the museum, engaging in a traditional vigil accompanied by music from maracas.
Yakuy mentioned that Europeans “placed (the cloak) in a museum, as if it were a zoo, for art scholars to study… (But) only our people can truly connect and interact with such a symbol.”
– ‘Stop to the devastation’ –
The origins of how the cloak left Brazil remain unknown, but experts estimate it was crafted in the mid-16th century during Portuguese colonization.
Its return is part of President Lula’s government’s initiative to better support Brazil’s Indigenous communities, who are also advocating for territorial demarcation.
The cloak “represents our ancestors. They narrate that when it was taken away by the Europeans, our village lost its sense of direction,” shared Sussu Arana Morubyxada Tupinamba, one of those camping near the museum.
Now we have a sense of direction again: the demarcation of our territory by the Brazilian government,” added the Indigenous leader.
The Tupinambas are urging the government to acknowledge the boundaries of over 47,000 hectares (116,000 acres) where around 8,000 families reside, sustaining themselves through fishing and agriculture.
They argue that the mineral-rich land is under threat from large agricultural and mining corporations.
Despite being a government pledge, only a few territories have been officially recognized since Lula’s third term began in January 2023.
“The return of the cloak signifies – not only for the Tupinamba people but also for all Brazilians – a halt to the destruction of the Amazon, the forests, and the mangroves,” mentioned Cacique Arana.
Thursday’s ceremony in Rio may be overshadowed by smoke from wildfires affecting various parts of Brazil amidst a severe drought.
Numerous fires have been raging, including in the Amazon, a situation scientists attribute to climate change.
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