Raoni Metuktire

Raoni is a leader in the big forest.

He belongs to the Kayapo people in Brazil.

He wants to keep the trees safe. He works to stop people from cutting them down.

A singer named Sting helped him. They traveled to many lands. This helped people learn about the forest.

Raoni wears beautiful yellow feathers. He also wears a wooden plate on his lip. He is a very famous leader.

He still fights for the trees today. He wants the forest to stay healthy.

Raoni Metuktire is a leader of the Kayapo people.

He lives in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Raoni was born in 1932. As a child, he traveled with his tribe. In 1947, he chose to wear a wooden lip plate. He is one of the last men to wear this.

Raoni works to save the forest. He fights against cutting down trees. He also fights against big dams. A dam is a wall built across a river to make power.

In 1987, he met a singer named Sting. They traveled to many countries together. This helped the world learn about the forest.

Raoni has a big dream. He wanted to join many tribal lands together. In 1993, this dream came true. It created a very large forest reserve. Raoni has met many famous leaders. He still works hard to protect the trees and his people.

Raoni Metuktire is a famous leader from the Kayapo people. He lives in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. He was born in 1932 in a village called Krajmopyjakare. This village is now called Kapôt. Raoni is a chief who works to protect the forest and his culture. He is a symbol for people fighting to save the Amazon.

Raoni's life changed many times as he grew up. His tribe traveled a lot through the Mato Grosso and Pará regions. In 1947, he chose to wear a wooden lip plate called a botoque. This is a tradition for his people. In 1954, he met people from the outside world for the first time. He learned the Portuguese language from a man named Orlando Villas-Bôas. He also wore trousers for the very first time back then.

Raoni became known all over the world because of his work. In 1987, he met the musician Sting in the Xingu region. They worked together to tell people about the rainforest. Sting and his wife helped start the Rainforest Foundation to support Raoni. In 1989, Raoni traveled to 17 different countries with Sting. This helped many people learn about the dangers of cutting down trees.

Raoni had a very big dream for the land. He wanted to join five different tribal areas into one huge area. These lands included Baú, Kaiapó, Panará, Kapôt Jarina, and Bàdjumkôre. He also wanted to include the Mekragnotire lands. In 1993, his dream finally came true. The united lands cover about 180,000 square kilometers of forest.

Today, Raoni still fights for the earth and his people. He has worked hard against the Belo Monte Dam project. This project was a big worry for the people living near the Xingu River. He has met many important leaders like Jacques Chirac in France. In 2023, he even stood on the stage during the inauguration of President Lula. Raoni still lives a simple life in a hut.

Raoni Metuktire is a prominent Indigenous Brazilian leader and environmentalist. Born in 1932, he is a chief of the Kayapo people. The Kayapo live in the Mato Grosso and Pará states of Brazil. Their lands are located south of the Amazon River. They also live along the Xingu River and its many tributaries. Today, Raoni is a global symbol for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. He also fights to protect Indigenous culture from being lost.

Raoni’s early life was shaped by the nomadic traditions of the Kayapo. As a child, he traveled constantly with his tribe. This lifestyle meant he witnessed many tribal wars. In 1947, at age 15, he followed his brother Motibau's guidance. He chose to have a painted wooden lip plate placed under his lower lip. This object is called a botoque by his tribe's warriors. He remains one of the last men to wear this traditional plate.

In 1954, Raoni encountered the outside world for the first time. He was 22 years old during this meeting. He began learning the Portuguese language from Orlando Villas-Bôas. Villas-Bôas was a famous Indigenous anthropologist in Brazil. During this time, Raoni also wore trousers for the first time. He began to understand the presence of the Kuben, or "the others." This contact marked the beginning of a new era for his people.

Raoni gained massive international attention through music and film. In 1987, the musician Sting visited him in the Xingu region. In 1988, they held a press conference together in São Paulo. Following this, Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, founded the Rainforest Foundation. This organization was created to support Raoni's specific projects. One major goal was the demarcation of Kayapo territory. This process uses legal boundaries to protect land from invaders.

Raoni used his fame to pursue a massive environmental goal. He wanted to unite five different demarcated Indigenous territories. These lands were Baú, Kaiapó, Panará, Kapôt Jarina, and Bàdjumkôre. He also sought to include the Mekragnotire lands. By 1993, global funds helped make this dream a reality. The united lands and the Xingu National Park cover 180,000 square kilometers. This area is nearly one-third the size of France.

One of Raoni's greatest challenges was the Belo Monte Dam project. He became a fierce opponent of this hydroelectric dam. The project threatened Indigenous territories along the Xingu River. In 2010, he traveled through Europe to campaign against it. He visited France, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, and Luxembourg. Despite his efforts, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) issued a license for the dam in 2011. Raoni remains a major symbol of opposition to this project.

Raoni’s influence extends to the highest levels of global politics. He has met leaders like former French President Jacques Chirac. In 2023, he participated in the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He climbed the palace ramp to help deliver the presidential sash. Even with this fame, Raoni lives a very simple life. He lives in a hut and owns no personal property. He always redistributes any gifts he receives to others.

Throughout his life, Raoni has received many high honors. He was named an honorary citizen of Paris in 2011. He has also received the medal of the French National Assembly. His lifelong defense of the forest led to a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2019. He has earned the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in France. He also holds the Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco from Brazil. These awards recognize his work to connect Indigenous cultures with the wider world.