Located in the states of Mato Grosso and Para, in Brazil, the boundaries of the Kayapo reserve were drawn and officially recognized by presidential decree in 1993, following Chief Raoni's world tour in 1989 with the singer Sting and the filmmaker, Jean-Pierre Dutilleux. Together with the Xingu National Park and the Gorotire forest reserve on the planet (an area the size of the state of Florida or even a third of France).

Although the boundaries of the territory have been officially marked out, it is currently under increasing threat from logging, mining, cattle ranching interests.

After two years of research and consultation involving the Indians, experts and the Rainforest Association, the project to create an Institute in the heart of the Xingu national Park has been chosen as the most suitable solution to ensure it's long term survival.

The Xingu rainforest Institute will offer the Indian people the facilities to deal with all health and education related issues as well as the preservation of their culture and the forest, of which they are the guardians.

The Institute will endeavour to integrate the latest technologies relating to environmental protection.

It's purpose is also to serve as a pilot which can be used by other people and other threatened areas of the planet.

The feasibility study for the Institute, financed by the French government, was carried out by GRET (Research and Technological Exchange Group) whose experts visited the site during summer 2000. The report was ratified by the Minister of Foreign Affairs early in 2001.