Brazilian indigenous tribe reclaims lost heritage after 300 years: Video
The Tupinamba indigenous people of Brazil are preparing for a historic moment as they await the official return of a sacred red feather cloak, taken during the colonial period over 300 years ago.
The Cacique (chief) of the Tupinamba, Sussu Arana Morubyxada, in an interaction with the AFP, expressed the significance of the cloak's return. "It is our father, our mother, the guide for our village. When it was taken, our community lost its way," he said.
He also stressed the importance of the government finalizing the demarcation of Tupinamba land, linking the return of the cloak to broader environmental and territorial justice. "The return of the cloak signals not just for the Tupinamba, but for all Brazilians, an end to the destruction of the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest."
Yakuy, a member of the Tupinamba people, described the occasion with mixed emotions, reflecting on the long wait and the cultural weight of the event, saying, "Neither sadness nor joy. I'm neither sad nor happy, neither being born nor passing away, neither celebrating a birth nor mourning a loved one."
The rare artifact, held at Denmark's National Museum since 1689, will be formally returned in a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in attendance.
