Raoni Metuktire

Raoni Metuktire is a Kayapó leader from Brazil who has campaigned internationally to protect Indigenous lands and the Amazon rainforest.

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Payakan: A Kayapó leader and Indigenous rights advocate from Brazil. Payakan and Raoni are Kayapó leaders whose advocacy has brought Indigenous land rights to wider attention.
Kayapó territories: Indigenous lands in Brazil inhabited and governed by Kayapó communities. Protecting Kayapó territories is a central focus of Raoni’s advocacy.
Kayapó protests: Public demonstrations by Kayapó communities against threats to their lands and rights. Raoni’s leadership has been associated with Kayapó mobilization against projects threatening Indigenous territories.
Mebêngôkre: The Indigenous people also widely known as the Kayapó, living mainly in central Brazil. Raoni’s identity and public role are rooted in Mebêngôkre society and political life.
Sting: An English musician and co-founder of the Rainforest Foundation Fund. Sting joined Raoni in publicizing rainforest protection and Indigenous rights during the 1980s.
Demarcation of Indigenous lands in Brazil: The legal process of identifying, delimiting, and recognizing Indigenous territories in Brazil. Raoni’s campaigns press Brazilian authorities to recognize and protect Indigenous boundaries.
Altamira gathering: A 1989 gathering in Brazil where Indigenous leaders opposed the proposed Belo Monte dam complex. Raoni became an internationally visible figure through opposition to the planned dam at Altamira.
Mebêngôkre language: The Jê language spoken by the Mebêngôkre people of Brazil. Raoni’s name and public identity are connected to a living Indigenous language and culture.
Claudio Villas-Bôas: A Brazilian sertanista who helped establish and administer the Xingu Indigenous Park. His work in the Xingu region forms an earlier chapter in debates over Indigenous protection in Brazil.
Amazon rainforest: A vast tropical rainforest and river basin spanning several South American countries. Raoni links the defense of Indigenous lands with protection of the wider Amazon.