María Micaela Guyunusa (September 28, 1806 in Paysandú, Uruguay – July 22, 1834 in Paris, France) was a Minuán-Charrúa native from present day Uruguay of Güenoa descent.
Identity
María Micaëla Guyunusa's mother was the Charrúa, María Rosa, born in what is today Paysandú, a department of Uruguay. She was raised as a Christian with Spaniard customs. The name Micaëla was chosen by her mother in memory of Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua, a native killed by the Spanish power in the eighteenth century. María Micaëla Guyunusa was born in an Indigenous village in the eastern coast of Uruguay (Paysandú), in a time of war. Micaëla was baptized by the Indigenous Victória Cambyaé and European expatriate Manuel Medína, at ten months of age by Silverio Antonio Martínez on July 26, 1807. Also, she was described as having her head "prominently elevated. She had less ability than Tacuavé with the steering wheel. She's more indolent, can sing and is accompanied by her violin. Her manner of speech is sweet.” Guyunusa was described to having "three blue stripes that extend vertically on the forehead from the hairline to the tip of her nose...", which were common for a female Minuán of her age, being that indigenous women were tattooed with the three stripes after first menstruating.
Biography
At five years of age, Guyunusa accompanied her people in the escort to the Exodus of the Western People. After 1820, her people were forced into exile. She grew up in the hills, in the Maroon resistance against the Portuguese, and as a teenager she and the charrúas supported the quest of leading the Thirty-Three Orientals. Her first son was born in the time that there was still hope for Ituzaingó and Sarandí to save the Uruguayan natives.
However, the Eastern State organized in 1830, which should have given the Charruas a place of respect, cruelly chased them. The son of Guyunusa was separated violently from his mother in the distributions of children after the ambush of Salsipuedes, Queguay Pass and residence of Bonifacio.
After the European conquest and colonization, the Charrúa population declined at the hands of local authorities, being practically exterminated in a massacre led by Bernabé Rivera on 11 April 1831.
Four surviving Charrúa were captured at Salsipuedes, on February 25, 1833: Guyunusa; her partner, young warrior, Laureano Tacuavé Martínez; Senacua Sénaqué, a 56-year-old medicine man and warrior; and Vaimaca-Perú Perico Sira, a 55-year-old warrior (cacique in charrúa) who was a very close friend and general of Karaí-Guasú. All four were taken to Paris, France, by François Curel on November 11, 1833, where they were exhibited to the public as a circus attraction.
Guyunusa and Vaimaca gave birth a few months after they were taken to a daughter, named María Mónica Micaëla Igualdad Libertad (filed as Caroliné Tacouavé by the French). Guyunusa played a violin and sang when in her pregnancy.
Guyunusa and daughter's fate
Original hypothesis
Pirú, Sénaqué and Guyunusa died during the first year in France. Micaëla died of tuberculosis and was buried in a mass grave for deaths of contagious diseases in the city of Lyon. Eventually they all died in France, including the baby.
Anna Donner Rybak
On October 10, 2010, Anna Donner Rybak, an Uruguayan author, published a personal hypothesis. First came the deaths of Vaimaca and Senacua:
"They did not adapt to the change of environment, they missed their families and could not stand the abuse, leading to their death, submerged in depression. -- The cause of death of Sénaqué, in June, was fever, fatigue and weakness. Two months later, under the same conditions Vaimaca ceased to exist. -- Senaqué, died at age 56, Allée d'Antin No. 19, on July 26, 1833 -- Vaimaca Peru. Chief Indian tribe, (America), died at age 55, (street) Chaussée d'Antin n ° 27, 13 September 1833."
She later wrote that Guyunusa, Tacuavé and the baby were assisted by local woman to escape, yet both Micaëla and daughter Caroliné died that same year: