Almir was born in 1974, a few years after the first contact of his people with white men. The diseases brought in from outer society decimated the Suruí - which were about 5,000 but soon dropped to almost 300. But the indigenous warrior resisted. Despite the cultural shock, Almir sought knowledge in both worlds, the forest and the city - and that is how his interest in technology grew.
When he was leading the indigenous movement in the state of Rondônia, Almir Suruí discovered the computer and realised that even at a distance, the whole world was connected via the internet - but his village and his ethnic group were not. So he decided to use the web so that everyone could see his people's fight for the forest. Far from the city, the Surui resisted alone against invaders and loggers who were destroying their land.
Almir discovered the world through the internet and wanted to see it up close. So he began traveling to several countries denouncing deforestation in the Amazon and seeking sustainable alternatives to the forest. Chief Suruí spoke at the UN General Assembly, spoke with the Organization of American States, debated with international leaders and was even awarded in Switzerland by the International Society for Human Rights.
Class (2016) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
In this way, he not only brought computers and technology plans to the village, but also won income-generating projects.
Nursery of seedlings (2017) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
Today the Suruí run a seedling nursery and reforest what the white man has destroyed. They have also pioneered the sale of carbon credits within indigenous lands.
All of these achievements while great for the indigenous people, were terrible for those who took advantage of the forest illegally, such as loggers and invaders. For this reason, Almir Suruí and his family began to receive death threats. For a while, they even had to be escorted by national security. But the fight for the Amazon never stopped.
Daughter (1998) by Acervo KanindéKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
Indigenous school (2017) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
Thanks to Chief Almir, today the Suruí people have both their traditional culture and the technology of the white man. In the schools within the villages, the children learn in Tupi-mondé and in Portuguese.
"Maloca" (2017) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
And now, always with an eye on the future, the leader is trying to preserve not only the forest, but also the knowledge of his people, and to this end he is planning an indigenous university.
Daughter (2007) by Acervo KanindéKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
Human Rights Awards (2017) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
In 2012 Forbes magazine quoted Chief Almir as the most creative Brazilian in the business area and the following year he was elected by the UN as the "Hero of the Forest."
Chief Suruí is an example of how different cultures can work together for the benefit of everyone, whether they live in a village or a city. Because in the end, the Amazon is the wealth of the entire planet.
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