Raoni’s Visit

Who Are They?

2:31 min. - The Kayapo nation of the Amazon and their chief Raoni come to visit the Côte-Nord.

Transcription

Narrator - In August 2001, a world known celebrity was invited by the chiefs of Unaman-shipu, Pakut-shipi, and Ekuanitshit to come and visit Nitassinan’s forest and rivers. It was Raoni, Chief of the 8,000 Kayapos Indians, who made international headlines fighting for environment issues in the rain forest, while struggling for aboriginal rights, as well.
Jean-Charles Pietacho - What we’ve got here, is a legend, Raoni is a legend for the fight he held against Brazil government and for the fact he was successful in many ways. Make sure you’ll always remember the day with Chief Raoni!
Narrator - Raoni’s greatest victory was having Brazil concede the Kayapo Nation ownership of over 180,000 square kilometers of rain forest land, which was more he could expect, since then the Kayapos have ruled out dams, mines, timber activities, and no trespassers are allowed on this territory, about as large as the Innus traditional land claim. Raoni, whose face can be seen on books, websites, T-shirts, and posters, met with statesmens like President Jacques Chirac of France, campaigned around the world with rock star Sting, and inspired a movie whose narrator was Marlon Brando.
In one word, Raoni is a living hero, recognized on all five continents, not so bad for someone who, as the story goes, only met the world outside the rain forest in the ‘60’s.
The idea is to have Raoni know the state of the territory, and give some advice to the Innu chiefs, which, of course, could be helpful in the ongoing negotiation with the governments of Canada and Quebec.
Raoni’s visit would also help everyone, white people included, to review the absolute necessity of hydroelectric, forest, mining and other huge natural resource projects.


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