Isolated Native Tribe In Brazil Makes First Contact With Outside World
- 10 years ago
An indigenous tribe in Brazil has made their first contact with a settled tribe in the Amazon rainforest near the border with Peru. According to the group Survival International, dozens of people belonging to a previously uncontacted tribe have been spotted near the Ashaninka Indian settlement in Brazil's Acre state next to the Envira River.
An indigenous tribe in Brazil has made their first contact with a settled tribe in the Amazon rainforest near the border with Peru.
According to the group Survival International, dozens of people belonging to a previously uncontacted tribe have been spotted near the Ashaninka Indian settlement in Brazil's Acre state next to the Envira River.
Follow up investigations by the Brazilian government have uncovered further evidence of the tribe including footprints, leftover food, and the remains of temporary camps.
José Carlos Meirelles, a former official with the Brazilian Indian Affairs Department FUNAI, is quoted in a statement saying: "It is not normal for such a large group of uncontacted Indians to approach in this way. This is a completely new and worrying situation, and we currently do not know what has caused it."
One report says that the tribe might be migrating because of illegal logging activity in the area that they normally inhabit, or danger from drug traffickers.
One potential issue with the uncontacted tribes making contact with other populations is that they haven’t acquired an immunity to certain diseases like malaria, or the flu.
Another issue is many can’t communicate with authorities because they speak a rare language.
An indigenous tribe in Brazil has made their first contact with a settled tribe in the Amazon rainforest near the border with Peru.
According to the group Survival International, dozens of people belonging to a previously uncontacted tribe have been spotted near the Ashaninka Indian settlement in Brazil's Acre state next to the Envira River.
Follow up investigations by the Brazilian government have uncovered further evidence of the tribe including footprints, leftover food, and the remains of temporary camps.
José Carlos Meirelles, a former official with the Brazilian Indian Affairs Department FUNAI, is quoted in a statement saying: "It is not normal for such a large group of uncontacted Indians to approach in this way. This is a completely new and worrying situation, and we currently do not know what has caused it."
One report says that the tribe might be migrating because of illegal logging activity in the area that they normally inhabit, or danger from drug traffickers.
One potential issue with the uncontacted tribes making contact with other populations is that they haven’t acquired an immunity to certain diseases like malaria, or the flu.
Another issue is many can’t communicate with authorities because they speak a rare language.