Denmark returns iconic indigenous cloak to Brazil

Indigenous leaders in Brazil are celebrating the return of a sacred cloak, which had been displayed in a Danish museum for over 300 years. The 1.8-meter-long cloak, crafted from 4,000 red feathers of the scarlet ibis bird, was formally presented at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Originally taken from the Tupinambá people during the Portuguese colonial era, the cloak had been on display in Copenhagen since 1689. Its return is seen as a powerful symbol by Indigenous leaders, emphasizing the significance of demarcating their ancestral lands to preserve their culture and traditions. A group of 200 Tupinambá people gathered outside the ceremony, playing drums and using pipes filled with medicinal herbs, eagerly awaiting the chance to see the revered cloak and reconnect with their heritage. Yakuy Tupinambá, who traveled over 1,200 kilometers from Olivenca to witness the event, described the moment as one filled with both sadness and joy.

Indigenous chief Sussu Arana Morubyxada Tupinambá remarked, “Our ancestors say that when they [the Europeans] took it away, our village was left without a north.” Despite this significant return, several other sacred Tupinambá cloaks still remain in European museums, dating back to the 16th century.