Sydney Possuelo
Explorer, ethnologist, and former president of FUNAI (Brazil’s National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples), Sydney Possuelo is one of the foremost specialists on Brazil’s isolated Indigenous Peoples. A close friend of the Cacique Raoni and a historic defender of the Kayapo people, he has dedicated his life to the recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the protection of their territories, particularly in the Amazon.
He led FUNAI’s Department of Isolated Peoples for decades, conducting numerous field expeditions and contributing to the demarcation of vast Indigenous territories. Internationally recognized for his commitment, he advocates an ethical approach grounded in respect for the self-determination of uncontacted peoples.
Sydney Possuelo appears in the film Amazonia, the Heart of Mother Earth, which he strongly supports. He is also a valued ally of the broader project led by Planète Amazone, sharing the conviction that the survival of Indigenous Peoples is inseparable from that of the Amazon and of humanity as a whole.