Born: Unknown, Brazil or Africa
Died: February 6, 1694
Country most active: Brazil
Also known as: NA
Dandara was an Afro-Brazilian warrior during Brazil’s colonial period. She was part of the Quilombo dos Palmares, a settlement of Afro-Brazilian people who freed themselves from enslavement, in what is now the state of Alagoas. Not much is known about her life, and stories about her vary; she is believed to have been born in either Brazil or Africa. As a young girl, she joined a group of Afro-Brazilians to fight against slavery in Brazil. Known as a hero, Dandara mastered the techniques of capoeira and fought many battles to defend Palmares, which was established in the 17th century in the Serra da Barriga because the dense vegetation made it difficult to access. Her skills extended beyond fighting – she helped create strategies to protect Palmares and had interests in hunting and agriculture. She planted corn, cassava, beans, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, and bananas, helping establish Palmares as a self-sustaining community that could trade with other villages.
Attacks to Palmares became frequent starting in 1630, when the Dutch invaded Brazil. According to stories, Dandara played an important role in making her husband cut ties with his uncle Ganga-Zumba, the first leader of Quilombo dos Palmares. In 1678, Ganga-Zumba signed a peace treaty with the state government of Pernambuco. It stated that people of Palmares who had been arrested were to be released and those born in Palmares were to be free people, not slaves, and they were granted permission to engage in commerce. But in exchange, the people of Palmares had to stop giving refuge to any new runaway slaves must turn them over to the Portuguese authorities instead. Dandara and her husband are said to have opposed the deal because it did not end slavery, and in fact made Palmares complicit in its perpetuation. Ganga-Zumba was killed by one of the Palmarinos who opposed his proposal.
After being arrested on February 6, 1694, Dandara committed suicide, refusing to return to a life of slavery.