Mãe Cleusa Millet

Cleusa da Conceição Nazaré de Oliveira, wey pipu sabi as Mãe Cleusa Millet abi Mother Millet (1923–1998), na di pesin wey tek ova as di spiritual leader (iyalorixá) for one big Candomblé temple for Brazil, wey dem dey kol Terreiro do Gantois. Dis temple dey for Alto do Gantois for Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Afta shi kpai, di govment declare one day to mourn ha, an dem stil giv am one big awod for Bahia.

How shi stat life an skul

Cleusa bin bon for 1923 inside Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Her mama na Maria Escolástica da Conceição Nazareth, wey people sabi as Mãe Menininha do Gantois or Mother Menininha, an her papa na Álvaro MacDowell de Oliveira. For some Afro-Brazilian people, dem dey uze ha mama nem as surname.

Ha mama, Menininha, na one of di most respected iyalorixá for Brazil. Shi get Yoruba royal blood an shi bi di leader of Terreiro do Gantois for almost 65 years. Cleusa gro insaide di religious grup wey dem dey kol Ilê Ìyá Omi Àse Incomes (Hauz of di Mother of Wotas). Normally, di first daughter sopos tek ova di spiritual wok if di mama kpai, but Cleusa no wan do di religious wok.

Shi go Federal University of Bahia go stodi medicine, an for 1946, shi graduate as doktor.

How shi wok as doctor

Afta shi finish skul, shi waka go Rio de Janeiro go wok as doktor wey dey hep wumen bon pikin. Shi wok for seven years as doktor for Rio before shi mari Eraldo Diogenes Millet for 1953. Ha hosband na Navy ofisa, an dem bon three pikin Toledo. Di famili travu go meni ples for di wod.

For 1965, wen ha hosband retire, Cleusa klose ha hospital for Rio, an dem muv go bak Salvador. Shi stil dey wok as doktor, but di more shi hep pipu for free, di more she stat to focus on di community wok. Shi go dey diliva pikin for hauz, hep di poor, an do difren kaind wok for di neighborhood. Shi leta stop to wok for hospital so shi fit hep her mama wey don old.

Ha mama kpai for 1986, an for di tradition, dem sopos wait three years bifor dem pick niu leader. For 1989, dem pick Cleusa as di new iyalorixá, afta dem use oracle (shells wey represent di orisha) choose her. From dat time, she come be di head priestess for Terreiro do Gantois.

Life as spiritual leader

As iyalorixá, Cleusa come be one of di big leaders for Candomblé religion. She dey advise people, predict tins wey go happen, lead religious service, and still do community work. She use her position take protect di faith and di culture wey dem ancestors don leave.

Cleusa die for 15 October 1998 for Alliance Hospital for Salvador. Di governor of Bahia dat time, César Borges, declare official mourning for di state. Dem bury her for Jardim da Saudade Cemetery. For 2008, di state government give her di Order of Merit of Bahia because of di good tins wey she do for di community around Terreiro do Gantois.

Smol Histri Abaut di Gantois Temple leaders

Di person wey first stat Ilê Ìyá Omi Àse Iyámasé (House of the Mother of Waters) for 1849 na Maria Júlia da Conceição Nazaré. Afta she die, her pikin Pulchéria Maria da Conceição Nazaré take over for 1900, but she die for 1918. Since she no get pikin, her niece Maria da Glória Nazaré suppose take over, but Maria die before she fit enter office. So, for 1922, na Cleusa mama, Mãe Menininha do Gantois, dem choose as leader. Afta Menininha die, Cleusa take over, and when Cleusa die, dem later pick her younger sister for 2002.