Built in 1937 at the initiative of local residents, it refers to the story of a young Indigenous woman who would dive from the rock every day, always accompanied by a margay (wild cat). One day, she did not return from her dive, and the animal is said to have remained there, waiting for her until its death.
Indigenous presences in the city, despite successive attempts at erasure, can be noticed, for example, in place names. On Ilha do Governador it’s no different. In the neighborhood of Cocotá, whose name comes from Tupi and refers to “fields” or “cultivated lands,” and in Tauá, which carries interpretations such as “red clay,” “yellow clay,” or “ancient city.” Beyond these, Tapera — a hill located in the Praia da Bandeira neighborhood — means “abandoned village.”
Before the drownings and landfills, many islands and islets floated in the arc of Guanabara Bay — at least 127 — such as those seen from this beach (Ilha Rasa, Ilha do Mestre Rodrigues and Ilha das Palmas). For Indigenous peoples, they served as fishing spots, places to gather shellfish, and resting points during sea journeys. They could also function as strategic observation sites.
It handles the receiving, storage, and shipment of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and petroleum derivatives. Guanabara Bay has already suffered a serious accident related to these operations, which allows us to reflect on the importance of environmental safety — one of the key priorities in Indigenous peoples’ struggles.
It invites us to reflect on Afro-Brazilian religious traditions and on the interactions between Indigenous and African peoples in the colonial context. The contact between these two groups fostered cultural, social, and religious exchanges that have left lasting marks up to the present day. Religiosity is one of the fields where these interactions became most visible, as spiritual resistance to attempts to impose Catholicism led to the development of religious syncretism.
The name of the avenue refers to the Island of Paranapuã, the original name of the territory when it was inhabited by the Temiminó people, who lived near sources of fresh water in areas that today correspond to the neighborhoods of Freguesia, Portuguesa, Cacuia, Zumbi, and Ribeira. Coexistence with other Indigenous groups was marked by disputes, especially with the Tupinambá. The island’s strategic location and its proximity to the shores of Guanabara Bay made it one of the first areas to be effectively occupied by Portuguese colonizers.
A symbol of the Portuguese invasion, the parish was established in 1710 and is the oldest on Ilha do Governador. The island then became the seat of the Parish of Our Lady of Help. Its building, largely preserved since 1743, is recognized by researchers as the oldest surviving structure in the region. In 1938, it was listed as a protected heritage site by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN).
Lima Barreto was a Black Brazilian man, writer, journalist, and chronicler active during the First Republic. He arrived on Ilha do Governador at the age of nine and lived there until he was 21. In his works, he denounced the exclusion of the popular classes from republican projects that deepened inequalities and consolidated a model of nationhood that excluded those who had sustained the colonial economy for more than three hundred years, while also treating Indigenous peoples as obstacles to national progress.
Along the waterfront of the Freguesia neighborhood, it is possible to observe layers of the urban history of Ilha do Governador. At the end of the 19th century, the island’s profile began to change. Lands that had previously been used for production started to be divided into residential lots. We can still see houses built between the 1930s and 1960s, with façades that preserve typical elements of those periods, when residential construction was oriented toward community living.
Ilha do Governador became a strategic location for the Armed Forces due to its position, which contributed to the installation of military structures such as the naval complex. From this institution, we can reflect on another military action against Indigenous rights that took place on Ilha do Governador during the civil-military dictatorship (1964–1985): the Casa do Índio.
The Temiminó, the Indigenous people who lived on Ilha do Governador, were also known by their enemies, the Tupinambá, as maracajás. Maracajá means “wildcat” in Tupi and was a derogatory nickname used to identify the people and the region, associating them with the felines that lived in the area. The name is also linked to Chief Maracajaguaçu, whose name means “big cat,” an important leader of the Temiminó.
Even though it is structured in the Portuguese heraldic style, the coat of arms of Ilha do Governador carries the memory of the Indigenous peoples who inhabited the territory long before colonization. On the shield, the bow and arrow represent the presence of the Sambaqui peoples and the Temiminó. The other symbols represent different stages in the island’s historical formation.
During construction work at Tom Jobim International Airport (Galeão), a sambaqui dating back approximately 4,000 years was discovered — a rare remnant of the first inhabitants of Guanabara Bay. Located at a depth of about 4 meters, the archaeological site contained oyster and shellfish shells, bones, quartz flakes, and a polished stone artifact known as a quebra-coquinho (“nutcracker”).
The Galeão neighborhood on Ilha do Governador was named after the Portuguese galleon Padre Eterno, a large war and trade ship built in the region in the 17th century. Considered the largest ship in the world at the time, it was constructed using enslaved labor, which during that period was composed of both Africans and Indigenous peoples.
Rolé da Ilha is a cultural project that rescues and celebrates the history of Ilha do Governador through historical walks, workshops, talks, and visits, promoting local heritage and memory. For more information, follow the Instagram account @roledailha8.
Written by journalist Rafael Freitas, the book explores the history of Tupinambá Guanabara and its ancestral villages, the conflict between the Portuguese and the French, the genocide against Indigenous peoples, and the battles that marked the founding of Rio de Janeiro.
Also written by Rafael Freitas, this book tells the biography of the Temiminó Indigenous leader Arariboia, who played a fundamental role in the founding of Rio de Janeiro.
