San Francisco Frontiers - Amazonian tribal leader Raoni hospitalized in intensive care

Raoni, who is over 90 years old, was taken Sunday to Dois Pinheiros Hospital in Sinop, a city in Brazil's western region. He was previously hospitalized there in May after suffering from vomiting and abdominal pain.

"The patient is hospitalized in the intensive care unit under continuous monitoring," the hospital said in a statement. "His condition is considered serious," it added, citing "changes in kidney function and indicators consistent with a severe infectious process."

Raoni, chief of the Kayapo people, has traveled around the world for decades to advocate for the Amazon rainforest and traditional Indigenous communities, lobbying heads of state, monarchs and popes.

According to his doctors, Raoni is 94 years old. When hospitalized in May, he was initially treated for a hernia, and later for chronic bronchopulmonary disease and heart problems.

Despite his advanced age, Raoni has remained active in recent months, although he appeared weakened. In April, he attended the Free Land Camp, the largest annual gathering of Indigenous peoples, in Brasilia, the capital.

The chief first gained prominence in the 1970s when he campaigned against the construction of a trans-Amazonian highway during Brazil's military dictatorship (1964–1985).

He made his first international tour in 1989 after meeting British musician Sting in the Amazon.

B.Turner--SFF