Kayapó leadership honored with the title of Honorary Member of the IUCN for services rendered in favor of environmental protection.
Ropni Metyktire, better known as Chief Raoni, leader of the Kayapó indigenous people, received the title of Honorary Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The announcement was made on Wednesday, September 8th, during the program of the Union's World Congress, which takes place in Marseille, France, until September 11th (in Brazil, the date marks National Cerrado Day). At the opening ceremony of the international event, French President Emmanuel Macron greeted the awardee alongside actor Harrison Ford and photographer Sebastião Salgado.
The honor is awarded every four years in recognition of exceptional service to the conservation of nature and natural resources. Chief Raoni was honored alongside three other personalities: Fijian ornithologist Richard John Watling, Lebanese environmentalist Assad Serhal, and British scientist Jane Goodall, whose contribution revolutionized the understanding of the relationship between primates and humans.
The indication of Cacique Raoni The award was given by the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN), in partnership with the Raoni Institute and the Protected Forest Association, with the intention of expanding knowledge about the great contribution of leadership to global climate balance. “We nominated Raoni as a representative of the importance of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities for nature conservation,” comments Fabio Vaz, general coordinator of ISPN. Vaz highlights that this importance was recently reiterated in a study published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“We believe that Chief Raoni’s historical contribution to the struggles for nature conservation and the defense of indigenous rights was, and continues to be, fundamental to the socio-environmental field,” congratulates the coordinator. As a form of gratitude, the Kayapó leader, who inhabits a transition region between the Amazon and Cerrado biomes in the state of Mato Grosso, sent his message asking for an end to the war against indigenous people and an end to deforestation. Watch:
Who is Raoni?
At 91 years old, Chief Raoni has a history of resistance in the pursuit of peace. Nationally, he gained prominence in the 1970s when he led protests against the construction of the BR-080 highway (now MT-322) in defense of the demarcation of the Capoto Jarina Indigenous Territory. In 1987 and 1988, he played a leading role, alongside other indigenous leaders, in securing the rights of indigenous peoples in the Federal Constitution. Politically, over the years, he has met with political leaders to raise awareness of the indigenous cause. He fought against the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam and, in 2020, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.Learn moreIn 2021, he contracted Covid-19, was hospitalized, but recovered and remains an inspiration to all people fighting for environmental conservation around the world.