konknaijagirl | On 18, Mar 2013

Nilson Tuwe Huni Kui lives a long way from New York City. In fact, the 29-year-old lives a long way from anywhere.

His village in the Amazon rainforest has a population of only 600 people and it takes five days of travelling by boat to reach the nearest town.

Yet the son of the traditional chief of the Huni Kiu Kaxinawa tribes in Brazil has swapped the rainforest for the concrete jungle, and now calls the Big Apple home.

“My father is what Obama is for you”, he explains.

As a youth leader, Tuwe carries the responsibility of making his people’s culture and problems known to the world.

After being sent to a summit in Rio de Janeiro last summer he was given an opportunity to study in New York thanks to Tribal Link’s Indigenous Fellowship Program and the Nataasha van Kampen Foundation.

The BBC spoke to Tuwe about getting used to the city’s subway and fast food, his dream of becoming a documentary film-maker – he is currently learning to edit – as well as the challenges indigenous communities face from loggers, oil prospectors and drug cartels who threaten the continuance of their cultures and the future of their community.

Source BBC

Produced for the BBC by Anna Bressanin; images by Ilya Shnitser