The Indigenous Museum, dedicated to the history and culture of Native Brazil

The Indian Museum, also known as the Indigenous Museum, is dedicated to the history and culture of native Brazilians. The museum is focused on promoting a better understanding of the Native Brazilian culture. Constructed in 1880, the museum is a beautiful example of early residences built during the urbanization of the Botafogo neighborhood. A scientific-cultural arm of the National Indian Foundation, the museum contains 14,000 objects, 16,000 national and foreign works on indigenous etymology, 550,000 textual documents. As well as, 50,000 images, 28 films, 41 records, 61 video and 48 sound tapes.

Recently, the Indigenous Museum enlisted a group of Native Brazilians to build a Une, which is a large Indian home approximately 5 meters tall and 15 meters wide. The home was created authentically and includes hammocks, cooking pans, flutes and straw skirts. It gives an accurate portrait of how the natives decorate their homes. There are also genuine Indian crafts available for sale in the Museum store.

The Indigenous Museum is home to some of the most innovative and artistic exhibits in the world, there are wall-sized black and white photos adorned with colored feathers and a large display of children’s toys that hang from the ceiling. An exhibit of hunting artifacts and history is set up in a dark room with a single ray of light illuminating the floor which casts a glow on spears and animal skulls.

Although the exhibits in the Indigenous museum are presented in Portuguese text, the vivid exhibits speak for themselves. There is even a children’s gallery which includes washable body paint and a selection of stamps so that children can adorn themselves as warriors, chiefs, hunters, or shamans. Many of the displays and exhibits are outside and there is also a beautiful garden consisting of medicinal herbs, corn, manioc peanuts, and beans that surround the Une which was constructed by Guarni Indians from Bracui. The Indigenous Museum is open from Tuesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 17:30 p.m. and weekends from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Also located in the Botafogo Quarter near the Indigenous Museum are many other great sites including the Casa de Rui Barbosa. Formerly the home of Rui Barbosa, the building is now a museum that includes his furniture and personal possessions as well as a library of law and native Brazilian literature. Mirante do Pasmado is a area in a natural park that has a beautiful view of Guanabara Bay and the Sugar Loaf. Also close by is the Palacio da Cidade, an absolute gorgeous piece of architecture that formerly housed the prefecture. All of these locations are well worth the stop and are near enough to each other that they can be visited on the same day as the Indigenous Museum.