Raoni Metuktire

Raoni Metuktire, born ca. 1930, is a chief of the Kayapo people, which live in the Amazon rainforest on the territory of Brazil.

First years, first fights

Raoni Metuktire was born in the State of Mato Grosso in 1930, in the heart of the Amazonian forest, in the village named Krajmopyjakare (today called Kapôt).

Raoni and the Kayapo encountered the Western World for the first time in 1954. Initiated to the Portuguese language by the Villas-Bôas brothers, famous indigenous anthropologist of Brazil, he meets King Léopold III of Belgium in 1964, while the latter is on an expedition in the protected indigenous reserve of Mato Grosso. In 1978 he becomes the subject of a documentary film shot in 35mm. Actor Marlon Brando, then at the height of his fame, has agreed to be filmed for the opening sequence and the Raoni movie is nominated for the Academy Awards.

An international campaign

Raoni with Sting in 1989 in Paris

Since 1988, Raoni Metuktire has achieved worldwide renown for his struggle for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. His fight has obtained public attention thanks to singer Sting who contributed in 1989 with his wife Trudy Styler to the creation of the Rainforest Foundation. With the presence of the singer, Raoni could spread his word worldwide and twelve foundations were created in the wake whose task was to raise funds for the protection of the rainforest. During his various world tours he met with world leaders like the French Presidents François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, but also the King of Spain Juan Carlos, Prince Charles or the pope John Paul II.

In 1993, the funds raised helped to create a national park in the Xingu River region situated in the Brazilian states Para and Mato Grosso, which eventually encompassed 180 0000 km2 (a third of the size of France), becoming thus one of the most important rainforest reserve in the world.

Raoni against Belo Monte

In 2010, Raoni Metuktire started to travel anew to warn the world of the impending destruction of the Amazon rainforest, which despite all the efforts faces new threats like the construction of the mega Belo Monte Dam Complex that some dubbed the 'monster dam'. During his travel in France, he publicly announced that he would go to war with all the indigenous tribes against the dam project, if it were to be eventually authorized. He was then invited by Prince Albert II of Monaco, who has for a long time been a fierce defender of the environment and especially the indigenous tribes.

On 1 June 2011, the Brazilian environmental institute IBAMA, the last defense against the construction of the Belo Monte Dam Complex, granted the final authorization to the consortium of Brazilian companies Norte Energia. Following this decision, Raoni Metuktire has decided to intensify his opposition and said that he would fight to his death if there is no other way to stop the construction.^[1]

Raoni receives supports of a lot of personalities as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigourney Weaver, James Cameron, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel...

See also

• Raoni (also known as Raoni: The Fight for the Amazon) is a 1978 French documentary film directed by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux and Luiz Carlos Saldanha. The film portrays issues surrounding the survival of the indigenous Indian tribes of north central Brazil. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

References

1. ^ "The wrath of Raoni". Official Site. http://www.raoni.fr/actualites-79.php. Retrieved 2011-06-10. 

External links

• (French) Official website
• (English) Rainforest Foundation
• (English) Amazon Watch

Persondata
Name	Metuktire, Raoni
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Date of birth	1930
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Date of death
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