Rock star, Amazon chief bring hope to rain forest.

The territory of the Menkragnoti people in central Brazil, which has a perimeter of nearly 1,500 kilometers and is covered with rain forest, has been the subject of an international campaign led by the Kayapo leader Raoni and rock music artist Sting. Raoni has waged a lifelong battle against the encroachment by farmers, gold miners and lumber companies into the traditional tribal territory. Following a visit to the Amazon village, rock singer Sting agreed to tour the world in 1989 with Raoni to highlight the threat to the rain forests and indigenous people and to meet the estimated cost of $1.2 million needed to demarcate the area. The signing of the decree in November 1991 came just days after a similar agreement by the government to set aside an area for the Yanomami Indians. Sting said that these courageous and historic decisions are victories not just for the Yanomami and for Raoni and his people but for everyone who cares about human rights and the environment. Thanks in part to the tour, the Rainforest Foundation and its Brazilian partner, the Fundacao Mata Virgem, were founded and nearly $1 million has gone to Brazil to develop and implement programs to protect indigenous territories; maintain and preserve natural and genetic resources; and provide education, medical services, and political support to the indigenous people of the rain forest.