“The process started 40 years ago,” said Almir. “Since then, we are seeking a way to value the preservation of our forests. It has everything we need to survive. It was being destroyed in the name of development. Consequently, our people’s lives were in danger. Forty years ago, my people still used bows and arrows to defend themselves. However, a decade ago, we realized we needed dialogue to earn respect.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxvM386ojpg

When Surui people carried out the first survey on their land status in 2004, they found out 7% of the area of 248,000 hectares had been deforested. Nowadays, according to Almir, they are recovering this area and setting up programs so that people continue to live from the forest and protect themselves from pressures of illegal loggers that are active in the surrounding areas.

The United States government and also the governments of several American states are interested in paying for avoided deforestation in Brazil as a way of getting credits to fulfill their emission reduction goals. A framework for carbon trading may result from international treaties, such as those negotiated in Copenhagen as well as from laws and regulations in the United States.