▁Yan om ami ▁has ▁mentioned ▁this ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁personal ▁motiv ation ▁to ▁speak ▁out ▁on ▁his ▁people ' s ▁beh alf . ▁Yan om ami ▁was ▁or phan ed ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁when ▁his ▁parents ▁died ▁from ▁dise ases ▁transm itted ▁by ▁out s iders . ▁ ▁Career ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁he ▁began ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁government ▁organization ▁Fund ação ▁Nacional ▁do ▁Í nd io ▁( F U NA I ) ▁at ▁a ▁post ▁in ▁Dem ini ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁Yan om ami ▁territory ▁as ▁an ▁inter medi ary ▁between ▁the ▁government ▁and ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁with ▁whom ▁out s iders ▁had ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁contact . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁accompanied ▁health ▁workers ▁to ▁Yan om ami ▁villages ▁and ▁has ▁worked ▁closely ▁with ▁organizations ▁such ▁as ▁Com iss ão ▁Pr ó - Y an om ami ▁( CC PY ) ▁and ▁Sur v ival ▁International ▁in ▁the ▁fight ▁for ▁the ▁integrity ▁of ▁Yan om ami ▁lands ▁in ▁Brazil . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Yan om ami ▁territory ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁by ▁illegal ▁gold min ers , ▁Yan om ami ▁has ▁worked ▁for ▁their ▁removal ▁from ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁park land ▁there in . ▁ ▁His ▁action ▁resulted ▁in ▁death ▁thre ats ▁from ▁the ▁min ers ▁and ▁an ▁award ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁Environment ▁Program me ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁After ▁a ▁major ▁international ▁campaign ▁led ▁by