Indigenous athlete from Brazil denounces racism after headdress seized in the US

Fabyo Cruz – From Cenarium

BELÉM (PA) – Paddler Nanda Baniwa, the only indigenous member of the Brazilian delegation competing in the Hawaiian Canoe World Championships (VA’A) in Hawaii, shared on her social networks an experience of discrimination she faced when she arrived in the United States. During immigration, her headdress was seized.

For the amazonian woman who lives in Pará, the cocar (headdress) is not just an ornament, but a symbol of her identity, struggle and culture, which were hurt at the time. She pointed out that, as well as racism being hard enough to deal with, suffering discrimination without being able to react and just letting it happen is a distressing experience.

“My headdress is my great ally in my struggles, it’s part of me. And since the origin of everything, it belongs to us, and that’s how it is for all native peoples”, she shared.

Nanda described how she and her team, made up of four women, were treated rudely and with prejudice by an immigration officer, who seemed determined to harm them. Despite presenting documents proving her indigenous identity, the rower was told that she would need a letter of authorization from the brazilian government to enter the country with the headdress, which she considered an affront to her dignity and culture.

In an interview with CENARIUM, Nanda Baniwa, 20, shared the difficulties she is facing in the United States. “The situation is still a bit complicated for us here. I haven’t looked for any Brazilian organizations in the US yet, because I haven’t had time to look for the right guidance since training has started. As we’re close to the competition, it’s complicated to deal with this now”, she said.

Nanda Baniwa also took to social media to express her gratitude for the support she received from friends and family.

“I just have to thank you for all the support and affection I’m receiving from you. After everything that has happened, it’s not easy to be on the other side, with the fear of going through similar situations on the way back. For some, it may seem like a simple and easy law, but it wasn’t just words; we felt the expressions and the use of arrogance in every word during the procedure. I feel the different look and the way of expressing anger. The satisfaction in turning that into an embarrassing scene for pure ostentatious pleasure is regrettable”, she said.

Born in Amazonas, Nanda Baniwa moved to Pará at the age of 15 to continue her studies. As well as rowing, she is a psychology student at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).

What does Itamaraty say?

CENARIUM contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain a position on the case. Itamaraty’s communications department said that, to date, there is no record of the athlete’s contact with the Brazilian Consulate in the United States. They also stressed that “the Consular Network is at the athlete’s disposal in the USA”.

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) heard about what happened to the indigenous athlete and said it had already contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) so that the Brazilian consulate in the US could request the return of the headdress. The ministry also stressed that the ethnic identity of a people cannot be discriminated against. “The headdress must be respected because it is a symbol of a people’s struggle, culture and dignity”, it added.

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Edited by Marcela Leiros