He would have been born in the early 1930s. But not so sure. The chief cacique Raoni, probably aged around 90 years old, dedicated his life to the fight against the deforestation of the Amazon and the grabbing of his lands by the “white man”. Struggles which, far from having been won, deserve, even today, to be brought to the international stage to be heard.
So, after a year 2023 made up of disappointments but also victories – like this decision of the Supreme Court fell in September which consolidated the right of the indigenous peoples of Brazil to their Amazonian lands – Raoni Metuktire continues her quest.
Emmanuel Macron and Sting, his two “sons”
For several decades, the man who was born on the Brazilian lands of Mato Grosso, has traveled the world to meet heads of state and influential personalities. After a world tour ending in June 2023 in Paris, he made another stop in the capital, six months later, in the middle of COP28.
Last December 10, 20 minutes therefore took advantage of the opportunity to slip through the doors of the Le Meurice hotel, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, to meet the cacique chef and cook him a little. Far from having his tongue in his pocket, it was with frankness and unvarnished that he spoke to us about his friendships with the singer Sting and President Macron, whom they both consider “his sons”. And also his ambivalent relationship to the “white man”. The one who, for years, tried to grab the land on which it was born. Those of his tribe that he cherishes more than anything and will continue to defend at all costs.
Chef Raoni’s interview in front of the camera 20 minutes can be discovered in the video at the top of this article.