Q & A: Isolated Indigenous Peoples of Brazil
May 30, 2008.
Yesterday, Funai – Fundação Nacional do Índio, the Brazilian Indian protection agency, released photographs of an uncontacted indigenous group living in the Brazil-Peru border region in the Amazon rainforest.
This Q & A will give you information about the isolated indigenous tribes of Brazil, some of the last uncontacted peoples on Earth.
The images were obtained during 20 hours of flight on a Cesna Skylane, between April 28 and May 2, 2008.
The Indians were photographed by the Front of Ethno-Environmental Protection - Envira River, one of Funai's six groups dedicated to locating and preserving the integrity of isolated indigenous groups.
Taking the photos will help Funai evaluate populational growth of isolated groups and inform policies to protect them.
On the left banks of the Envira River, in Acre State, near the Brazil-Peru border.
The flights covered territory that is already demarcated and approved as indigenous land and land that is still undergoing the process.
Ethnicity of the group couldn’t be determined. The front could tell the warriors photographed looked strong and healthy.
José Carlos Meirelles, coordinator of the Envira Front, said they spotted other huts near the igarapés (Amazon Basin waterways) on the right margin of the Envira River. He said there are four distinct isolated indigenous groups in the Envira River area and that Funai has been monitoring them for 20 years.
According to FUNAI, a 2006 study carried out by the Ethno-Environmental Protection Fronts and documented by the General Coordination of Isolated Indians (CGII) pointed to references about the existence of 68 groups of isolated Indians.
In the states within the limits of the Legal Amazon, that is: Acre, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia and Roraima. There is reference to a single group living in Goiás State.
The largest number of isolated tribes is in Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará and Rondônia.
They hunt, fish, and collect. They also grow certain foods. The group photographed by the Envira River lives in six large huts (malocas) and has a large cultivated area.
They live a semi-nomadic existence and avoid contact with other indigenous groups as well as with non-Indians. When invaders encroach on their territory, they move deeper into the forest.
It is not known what language they speak.
Today, 180 languages are spoken by the indigenous groups in Brazil. But it is estimated that about 1,300 were spoken at the time of the arrival of the first Portuguese colonizers in Brazil.
Elias Biggio, General Coordinator of Isolated Indians for Funai, said the fronts are not contacting the indigenous groups. Instead, they are working to define the limits of their territory, prevent invasions and keep the groups isolated and protected from violence.
Naturally, the survival of uncontacted groups and Brazilian indigenous tribes in general depends on environmental preservation. Everything that threatens the Amazon forest is also a threat to indigenous life.
Instituto Sócioambiental website has an excellent resource about Isolated Indians.
Watch the documentaries about Uncontacted Tribes made by Survival, an international organization that supports tribal people all over the world, including isolated indigenous groups in Brazil.
Yesterday, Funai – Fundação Nacional do Índio, the Brazilian Indian protection agency, released photographs of an uncontacted indigenous group living in the Brazil-Peru border region in the Amazon rainforest.
This Q & A will give you information about the isolated indigenous tribes of Brazil, some of the last uncontacted peoples on Earth.
When and how were the photos released on May 29, 2008 taken?
The images were obtained during 20 hours of flight on a Cesna Skylane, between April 28 and May 2, 2008.
Who took the photos and why?
The Indians were photographed by the Front of Ethno-Environmental Protection - Envira River, one of Funai's six groups dedicated to locating and preserving the integrity of isolated indigenous groups.
Taking the photos will help Funai evaluate populational growth of isolated groups and inform policies to protect them.
Where was the group located?
On the left banks of the Envira River, in Acre State, near the Brazil-Peru border.
The flights covered territory that is already demarcated and approved as indigenous land and land that is still undergoing the process.
What ethnic group do the groups photographed belong to?
Ethnicity of the group couldn’t be determined. The front could tell the warriors photographed looked strong and healthy.
Are there more groups nearby?
José Carlos Meirelles, coordinator of the Envira Front, said they spotted other huts near the igarapés (Amazon Basin waterways) on the right margin of the Envira River. He said there are four distinct isolated indigenous groups in the Envira River area and that Funai has been monitoring them for 20 years.
How many isolated indigenous groups are there in Brazil today?
According to FUNAI, a 2006 study carried out by the Ethno-Environmental Protection Fronts and documented by the General Coordination of Isolated Indians (CGII) pointed to references about the existence of 68 groups of isolated Indians.
Where do the isolated indigenous groups live?
In the states within the limits of the Legal Amazon, that is: Acre, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia and Roraima. There is reference to a single group living in Goiás State.
The largest number of isolated tribes is in Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará and Rondônia.
How do isolated indigenous groups live?
They hunt, fish, and collect. They also grow certain foods. The group photographed by the Envira River lives in six large huts (malocas) and has a large cultivated area.
How can they stay isolated?
They live a semi-nomadic existence and avoid contact with other indigenous groups as well as with non-Indians. When invaders encroach on their territory, they move deeper into the forest.
What language do isolated indigenous groups speak?
It is not known what language they speak.
Today, 180 languages are spoken by the indigenous groups in Brazil. But it is estimated that about 1,300 were spoken at the time of the arrival of the first Portuguese colonizers in Brazil.
How is Funai dealing with isolated Indians?
Elias Biggio, General Coordinator of Isolated Indians for Funai, said the fronts are not contacting the indigenous groups. Instead, they are working to define the limits of their territory, prevent invasions and keep the groups isolated and protected from violence.
Naturally, the survival of uncontacted groups and Brazilian indigenous tribes in general depends on environmental preservation. Everything that threatens the Amazon forest is also a threat to indigenous life.
How can I learn more about the isolated indigenous groups of Brazil?
Instituto Sócioambiental website has an excellent resource about Isolated Indians.
How can I learn more about the world's last isolated, or uncontacted, tribes?
Watch the documentaries about Uncontacted Tribes made by Survival, an international organization that supports tribal people all over the world, including isolated indigenous groups in Brazil.
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