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When Megaron Txucarrame was born roughly half a century ago in the heart of Brazil’s Amazon, he was among a rare number of indigenous Indians who had never seen anyone who came from beyond the rainforest.

Today, as one of the leaders of Brazil’s Kayapó, Megaron is defending his homeland from an onslaught of destruction driven by modern economic forces. The Amazon forest is increasingly threatened by deforestation caused by fires burning massive areas for agriculture production. Logging, gold mining, and dam construction are other serious threats.

Because deforestation is one of the leading causes of climate change, not only does this loss threaten the survival of many indigenous communities such as the Kayapó, it impacts people the world over. Often called the “lungs of the earth,” tropical forests help stabilize climate by absorbing the carbon dioxide. The destruction of forests is the second largest source of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.