Félix

Félix José Rodrigues was a quilombola who took part in the Paraguayan War. A known fugitive, he surrendered himself to his owner fearing that his son, Simeão, would be forced to serve in the Brazilian army. During the war, he gained his freedom and prestige as a brave fighter. He was rewarded in 1871 with a plot of land in the hinterland of Tocantins. Félix was one of the founders of Barra de Aroeira, one of many Black villages that emerged at that time. In 2006, the community was recognized by the Fundação Cultural Palmares as a quilombo remnant.