Denmark Returns Sacred 16th-Century Tupinambá Cloak to Brazil Amid Debates Over Its Final Home

In September 2024, the National Museum of Denmark returned a 16th-century Tupinambá ceremonial cloak to Brazil. The cloak, made from around 4,000 scarlet ibis feathers, is considered sacred by the Tupinambá people.

The repatriation ceremony took place at Rio de Janeiro’s National Museum, attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indigenous Peoples Minister Sônia Guajajara, and over 200 Tupinambá representatives. The event was marked by rituals and traditional dances, symbolizing the spiritual importance of the artifact.

However, debates continue over the cloak’s final location. Many argue it should be housed in Bahia, within Tupinambá territory, where it holds deep cultural and ancestral significance. Currently, it is planned to be part of Rio’s National Museum exhibition in 2026, when the institution reopens following its devastating 2018 fire.

The return of the cloak is part of a larger movement of Indigenous cultural restitution, with European institutions increasingly repatriating sacred objects to their original communities.

Latamarte