"Uncontacted" Amazon Tribe Actually Known for Decades

"Recent photos of an uncontacted tribe firing arrows at a plane briefly made these Amazon Indians the world's least understood media darlings.

Contrary to many news stories, the isolated group has actually been monitored from a distance for decades, past and current Brazilian government officials say.

No one, however, is known to have had a face-to-face meeting with the nomadic tribe, which lives along the Peru-Brazil border. And no one knows how much, if anything, these rain forest people know about the outside world.

The tribe—whose name remains unknown—was first discovered by outsiders around 1910, according to José Carlos Meirelles, an official with Brazil's Indian-protection agency (FUNAI).

It was Meirelles who released the photos on May 29 through the indigenous-rights advocacy group Survival International.

Meirelles said he made the photos public to prove the group exists. Activist and former FUNAI president Sydney Possuelo agreed that—amid development and doubt over the existence of such tribes—it was necessary to publish them.

Full story;

news.nationalgeographic.com...



This doesn't really surprise me- i was a bit suspicious when a supposedly completely unknown tribe came to light. However i can understand the tribes protectors not wanting to contact them- afterall, as long as they're protected, there's little need to contact them (and they're probably better off that way).
This is quite suspicious though;

"

"When they hear the noise of the plane, they hide in the forest, leaving their communities empty," Meirelles said.

"It seems that something very bad, related to an airplane, happened to them. … I think maybe bombs were thrown at them, or they were shot at," he said."

I wonder if the logging companies tried to eradicate the tribes or some such similar thing?


[edit on 20-6-2008 by Tokis Phoenix]


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[edit on 23-6-2008 by Jbird]

Originally posted by Tokis Phoenix
afterall, as long as they're protected, there's little need to contact them (and they're probably better off that way).

Better off how? Knowledge may shock, awe, disgust, cause fear, etc and so on but its not like they cant just stay where they are, or move somewhere else if they want to stay "hidden".

I dont think hiding from planes are all that suspicious though. If I saw what looks like a predatory bird the size of a tree, I'd run. Run real fast.

Originally posted by merka

Originally posted by Tokis Phoenix
afterall, as long as they're protected, there's little need to contact them (and they're probably better off that way).

Better off how? Knowledge may shock, awe, disgust, cause fear, etc and so on but its not like they cant just stay where they are, or move somewhere else if they want to stay "hidden".

I dont think hiding from planes are all that suspicious though. If I saw what looks like a predatory bird the size of a tree, I'd run. Run real fast.

They've been doing fine where they are for a long time, they would have a massive culture shock if we tried to make closer contact with them and it would be very stressful for them. There are loads of tribes like this in the jungles, they are not culturally unique or on the brink of extinction or in need of our help or anything like that etc, so there's no pressing need to make proper contact with them.
Also if they have been isolation for a very long time, you do not want to risk introducing diseases or viruses to them which they may have little or no immunity against.

I agree that if they do not want to join civilization - it has to be respected. Pluses come with minuses, and i am sure that people in this "uncivilized" tribe are sad or happy no more and no less then us.
And as long as their land is not invaded by lumberjacks and other benefits of civilized areas of the world they will be able to survive as they did for all that time.
Also i love it when journalist will do anything for scoop or headline - so what if it is a known tribe? Rating never was a bad thing...

Yeah. There are afew groups in that neck of the woods that people have known about for a while through third and fourth-hand reports that remain relatively "virginal."
Encampments /clearings observed from satelite and high altitude flyovers.
No need to bug them.

Problem is that logging is pushing up into those Amazonian headwater regions. Stop using toothpicks ASAP. Boycott Mitsubishi.

Why do you get to judge wether the tribes should remain
uncivilized or not?

we should let them know about us and the world, then let them decide
how to keep living.

theres tribes in the pacific islands who know about modern civilization
but choose to stay out of it.

Its cruel to keep knowledge from others.

reply to post by Tokis Phoenix


the tribune version of this story that came out noted that they were uncontacted but known about since the 70s

The REAL truth behind the tribe...
the truth

"t wasn’t so much a hoax as a publicity stunt. The famous photos of the “lost tribe” in the Amazon forest are real, but the remarkable story behind them is not."