Caramuru (-1557) was the Tupi name of the Portuguese colonist Diogo Álvares Correia, who is notable for being the first European to establish contact with the native Tupinambá population in modern-day Brazil and was instrumental in the early colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese crown. Notably, Caramuru's native-born wife, Catarina Paraguaçu, was the first South American native to be received in France in 1526. He and Catarina became the first Christian family in Brazil and had three children: Gaspar, Gabriel and Jorge, all named knights by Tomé de Sousa.
Life
Correia was born in Viana do Castelo. He departed to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in 1509, probably aboard a French vessel. His ship wrecked, probably in the reefs off Rio Vermelho, Correia married Paraguaçu or Paraguassu, the daughter of Morubixaba (the Tupinamba's word for chief) Taparica.
During the following twenty years, Correia kept contact with European ships and used his influence on local natives to help the Portuguese crown and missionaries during the early years of colonization. In 1526, he traveled to France with his wife. Paraguaçu was baptized by Mary Catherine des Granches, wife of Jacques Cartier, under the name Katherine du Brézil, thereby creating the first Brazilian Christian family.