António Filipe Camarão

Who was António Filipe Camarão?

António Filipe Camarão was a indigenous Brazilian from the tribe of the Potiguara near the Rio Grande do Norte area of the Portuguese colony of Brazil. His original tribal name was Poti, which means prawn. He was born in the neighbourhood of Igapó, in Natal, or, according to some other historians, in the state of Pernambuco, or in Aldeia Velha.

On the occasion of his conversion to the Christian faith on the 13 June in 1612 he chose the Portuguese version of the name António and the middle name of Filipe in honor of King Philip II of Portugal, adding the Portuguese version of his tribal name Poti. He married the very next day in the Capela de São Miguel de Guajeru to a lady from his tribe who also converted to Christianity and took the name Clara. Besides knowing perfect Portuguese, he was also well-versed in Latin because of his education in a missionary school led by Jesuit monks.

Since 1630, he fought against the Dutchmen, which tried to take over Brazil. He fought them as the leader of an Indian regiment on various battles until his death in 1648.