Dandara, Queen of the Quilombo

Dandara is a name which, in Brazil, is attached to black history, culture and resistance during slavery. There is a lack of documentation on Dandara’s early life; it is unclear whether she was born in Africa or Brazil, and when exactly she fled slavery to reach the Quilombo dos Palmares. However, her story transcends the absence of documentation, and her existence perpetuated through tales and oral tradition.

Dandara was a warrior, trained Capoeirista and leader of her community. Together with her spouse Zumbi and their three sons Harmodio, Aristogiton and Motumbo, they not only defended their freedom against Portuguese and Dutch attacks. They also planned strategies on the development of the Quilombo, the freeing of other slaves and the dismantling of slavery altogether.

One way of showing resistance against the oppression was through the creation of ‘Quilombos’, communities in which former slaves sought refuge and tried to live as freely as possible. During the colonial period, Brazil counted hundreds of Quilombos all over the country. The biggest and until nowadays most known is the Quilombo dos Palmares, located by the Serra da Barriga. It was, between 1597 and 1695, the main centre of black resistance against slavery in Brazil. At its peak, it gathered between 30 000 and 50 000 residents, scattered in the dozens of villages that composed the Quilombo. The residents of the Quilombo engaged in a variety of activities such as hunting, woodwork, ceramics, agriculture and conducted trade with neighbouring cities.

Drawing by Lole in: Extraordinarias mulheres que revolucionaram o Brasil

Dandara’s fight for liberty represents more than an individual fight; she sought to change the narrative and rewrite history for her entire community. When Ganga-Zumba, the former leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares, signed a peace treaty with the Governor of Pernambuco in 1678, Dandara and her spouse Zumbi took a strong stand against it. The treaty guaranteed the freedom of the residents of Palmares and allowed for trade agreements. However, it obliged the handing in of any new slaves seeking protection at the Quilombo. It did not provide for the end of slavery, but only guaranteed the liberty of a few. Ganga-Zumba was murdered by those who were against the treaty and Zumbi became the new leader of the community.

Dandara is said to have had a fundamental role in the positioning against the treaty and the fight for her community. She played a role that was usually destined for men, was a trained fighter and engaged in missions to save slaves from farms and boats arriving from Africa.

The story of Dandara – and black resistance to slavery more generally – suffered perpetual attempts of erasure in official history books. According to writer Jarid Arraes, this is the result of a racist and sexist Brazilian society. Jarid herself only heard about Dandara when she started her activism as a black feminist, and decided to write about the Quilombo warrior when people doubted her existence.

The story of Dandara is still little known, although it has been increasingly acknowledged and celebrated.

The Quilombo reopened in 2007 as the Parque Memorial Quilombo dos Palmares, reconstructing many aspects of life there during colonial rule and slavery. It was recognised in 2017 as cultural heritage of the Mercosul. In addition to the Brazilian Dia da consciência negra on November 20th, Rio de Janeiro added to its official state calendar the Dia de Dandara e da consciência da mulher negra, commemorated on the 6th of February.

Dandara died in February 1694 during an attack on the Quilombo. She threw herself from a cliff, preferring death to captivity. Despite the recognition she was recently given, her fight lives on more than ever in a country where crimes like the murder of politician and activist Marielle Franco still go unpunished.

Sources

Main source: Extraordinarias mulheres que revolucionaram o Brasil, Duda Porto de Souza and Aryana Cararo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T00Oce1SSdc

http://www.esquerdadiario.com.br/Dandara-Mulheres-negras-na-luta-contra-a-escravidao-no-Brasil

https://observatorio3setor.org.br/noticias/dandara-guerreira-que-viveu-no-brasil-e-preferiu-morte-a-escravidao/

https://www.geledes.org.br/dandara-a-face-feminina-de-palmares/#gs.hwgsjMk

http://www.ihu.unisinos.br/noticias/537524-descrita-como-heroina-dandara-mulher-de-zumbi-tem-biografia-cercada-de-incertezas

https://agenciapatriciagalvao.org.br/violencia/racismo/assembleia-do-rio-aprova-dia-de-dandara-e-da-consciencia-da-mulher-negra/

http://www.ihuonline.unisinos.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2323&secao=281