A Barbie – the most famous doll in the world – turns 65 in 2024. Female icons are honored with their own dolls in the Inspiring Women project and, this year, the first Brazilian indigenous woman got a Barbie to call yours: Maira Gomez known as @cunhaporanga on the social networks.
The influencer, who has more than 6 million followers on TikTok, is from the Tatuyo ethnic group. The doll wears the traditional painting and clothes of her community.
A CNN Brazil , Maira spoke about what it's like to have your own version of the doll and the impact of this on indigenous girls across the country. “It is a great representation that we, the indigenous people, are having and it is a great achievement”, she celebrated.
“Having a doll with your likeness, your characteristics, your clothes… shows that you can never give up on your dreams. Because I dreamed and didn’t believe that this would be possible – and today I’m here, by her side,” she said.
“I have no words to say what I'm feeling, but it's an immense joy. It is a great opportunity for visibility of indigenous peoples and women [indígenas]”, he said.
“The girls end up learning not to stop believing and to bounce back”, said Maira Gomez about the importance of representation for indigenous girls.
Maira is from the Tatuyo ethnic group, which is located in the Alto Rio Negro region, in Amazonas. On the doll, the paint on her face is the same as what Maira carries: graphics that mean protection. Each people has its own symbolism, hers also symbolizes the “human beings of the day”, which represents the Sun. “Because we, the Tatuyo people, are from another universe”, she explained.
The clothes are made with objects from nature itself. “Everything is protection and all costumes like this are sacred, there is a certain moment when you use them and make the paintings”, she explained.
On social media, Maira goes by the name cunhã-poranga – which means “the most beautiful woman”. In the traditional Parintins Festival , one of the biggest cultural events in the country and which takes place in Amazonas, each ox (Caprichoso and Garantido) has a cunhã-poranga in its delegation. In Boi Garantido, for example, it is Isabelle Nogueira, who is currently on BBB24.
In total, nine women were honored in the Inspiring Women project (from the original in English “Role Models”) this year. In addition to Maira, they also received their dolls in 2024: Viola Davis (EGOT, actress and activist from the United States), Lila Aviles (director, producer and screenwriter from Mexico), Helen Mirren (renowned UK actress), Shania Twain (singer from Canada), Nicole Fujita (Japan model), Enissa Amani (comedian and activist from Germany) and Kylie Minogue (Australian pop star).
According to the announcement made by Mattel, the honorees are women who “broke barriers and are sources of inspiration for future generations, with the aim of reminding girls that they can be whatever they want”.
When you found out that you would receive the doll, Maira Gomez's father gave you some advice: to be grateful and talk about the culture. “He said, 'You're getting [a boneca]it’s a great opportunity to represent indigenous peoples and women through dolls and help you get more visibility to show our culture.”
The initiative was launched in 2018 and has already honored four other Brazilian women: the surfer Maya Gabeira The Dr. Jaqueline Goes (who led the genome sequencing of a Covid-19 variant in Brazil), professor Doani Emanuela Bertan and the singer IZA .
Finally, Maira hopes that her doll will help boys and girls “never stop believing in their dreams”. “You can be whatever you want, whether it’s what profession you want to pursue or whether you want to achieve something. As you fight, you will succeed. I, for example, dreamed, but I didn't believe. Today I'm here with the doll by my side and it's very important because it represents my culture a lot and I'm fighting for more people to know and value indigenous culture more.”
Barbie's 65th birthday will be next Saturday (09).
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
