Brazil Government Threatens Uncontacted Amazon Tribe with a Highway

by Stephanie Rogers · View Comments

Last week, the Brazilian government released amazing photographs of one of the last uncontacted tribes in the Amazon. They stated that the reason for releasing the photos was to alert the world to threats to these native people – the same threats that have made other previously secluded tribes virtually unrecognizable, they’ve become so alarmingly enmeshed in modern life. And those are the lucky ones. Many tribes have been displaced and killed by unscrupulous loggers, miners and other opportunists who sought something valuable within the tribe’s land.

From MSNBC:

“We put the photos out because if things continue the way they are going, these people are going to disappear,” said Jose Carlos Meirelles, who coordinates government efforts to protect four “uncontacted” tribes for Brazil’s National Indian Foundation.

The (not so) funny thing is, the Brazilian government is saying one thing and doing another. A highway currently in the works would bring more than unwanted noise to these uncontacted tribes. They would likely bring outsiders – and with them, all of the ills of modern society.

The Belfast Telegraph has it:

The 711-mile Trans-Oceanic Highway, which will eventually link the Amazon river ports of Brazil with the Pacific ones of Peru, is the biggest threat to the indigenous peoples – uncontacted or otherwise – in that part of South America, says John Hemming, celebrated expert on Brazilian peoples and author of many books, among them the acclaimed Tree of Rivers. “The bad news,” he says, “is that the Chinese have persuaded Brazil and Peru to cut a road through this region, and it’s blazing ahead. In theory, it should not affect these peoples, and it won’t go slap through their land. But when it’s built, the settlers will come pouring in.” And, as he points out, one main road grows spurs and side roads, allowing those who do directly threaten the tribes – illegal loggers and mineral prospectors – far better access to the uncharted areas than they have now.

Fabulous. Thank you, Brazilian government! Just what these people need – we’re going to save them from their ignorance and introduce them to a life of modern convenience! How lucky they are! Soon they’ll be able to shop at El Bath y Beyond and eat Big Macs for lunch. Onward with progress!

Link [MSNBC] + [Belfast Telegraph]

Tagged as: Amazon, Corruption, Indigenous People, Mining

Manny

I'll like to mention something, related to specially missionaries and religion, Is that it angers me when people specially religious missionaries, think is their duty for either religious or whatever other reason to introduce other tribes,natives, and other cultures to modern society and to catholic/Christian based religions. All throughout history evertime new people get introduce to society, other religious, They loose culture,happiness,customs, And all they gain is abuse,death,sickness from new world diseases, drugs and alcoholism. This has happened all over the world over and over. And these missionaries that talk about the bible this and that, yet try to impose their beliefs on others, for their personal egos and satisfaction

Logger

I know this has been de-bunked as an anti-logging skreed, but really! Can't you plainly see, as I did immediately, that there are 2 different colored peoples there? Hello? Outside contact!

Andrade

evilasiok98@hotmail.com

Andrade

My friend obliged by talking a bit of Brazilian culture, but you said: "Fabulous. Thank you, Brazilian government! Just what these people need - we're going to save them from their ignorance and introduce them to a life of modern convenience! How lucky they are! Soon they'll be able to shop at The Bath and Beyond and eat Big Macs for lunch. Onward with progress! "

sorry to warn you that Brazil is big enough to save what is yours.
Do you really think the Brazilians want Big Macs?
and passarema be consideros the most fat of the world think that not expensive! cn this wrong. They believe that Brazil is a sink equal to Iraq?
vcs can even happen to win, but first we vcs will be reduced to crumbs or perhaps you get to eat their big shit!

Andrade

Meu amigo obrigado por falar um pouco da cultura brasileira, mas vc disse: "Fabulous. Thank you, Brazilian government! Just what these people need – we’re going to save them from their ignorance and introduce them to a life of modern convenience! How lucky they are! Soon they’ll be able to shop at El Bath y Beyond and eat Big Macs for lunch. Onward with progress! "

desculpa por ti alertar que o Brasil é grande o suficiente para guardar o que é seu.
Você realmente acha que os Brasileiros querem Big Macs ?
e passarema ser consideros os mais gordos do mundo acho que não cara! vc esta equivocado. Acreditam que o Brasil é um pia igual ao Iraque?
pode até acontecer de vcs ganharem, mas antes disso vcs serão reduzidos a migalhas talvez vc nem fique para comer os seus big merdas!

stereogirl

I'm excited to see a more thoughtful discussion about the topic of indigenous peoples and modernity. Kudos earthfirst!

I think about issues here in America, even, where we must ride the line between cultural and ethnic preservation, while considering the necessity of bringing all cultures into a more contemporary political climate. Preserving a way of life for indigenous people is very romantic, but giving all people power over their own political destinies and representation will be a necessity as global expansion becomes a fact of life.

Also, I saw these photos on Digg a few weeks ago and seriously thought they were fake.

Stephanie Rogers

Thanks for visiting and commenting, Rachel. No offense was intended with the 'El Bath y Beyond' thing, just an attempt at a joke.

I certainly don't blame Brazil alone for destruction in the Amazon and agree that they have a fine line to walk to improve their economy to help out their very large population of disadvantaged people. Indeed, America and other rich nations could lend Brazil a hand to improve the situation and hopefully some steps will be made toward that (we keep on hoping that 2009 will bring us a better future through an enlightened government...)

And I would never scoff at indigenous people and their needs and desires. I studied anthropology in college and was extremely personally touched by the plight of previously uncontacted tribes and how they were affected by the advance of civilization into their land - particularly the Yanomamo. Certainly, it is difficult for outsiders to determine what is best for these people, but it seems as if experience has shown that contact with civilization has not helped most indigenous tribes, but only harmed them. So many of them have been killed and exploited. These people seem to represent the innocence of humanity untouched by the corruption of modern life. I wouldn't begrudge them all the things you mentioned if that's what they wanted, but it certainly seems 'helping' them by introducing them to the rest of the Brazilian population would be cruel considering they would likely end up sharing the poor favela dwellers' same fate. Perhaps I'm not educated enough on this issue, but, that's my opinion for the time being until I learn more about it.

Rachel Barge

For your information, Brazilians speak Portuguese, not Spanish, so "El" would never be a part of the moniker for a Brazilian Bed Bath and Beyond. But beyond that, I would keep in mind the fact that the main reason Brazil is building these horrific highways through the Amazon is because they're looking for ways to economically develop in order to pay off their massive foreign debt. Right now they spend billions annually servicing foreign debt, and that seriously disables them from addressing the staggering poverty that exists in Brazil. Alleviating poverty - lifting the millions of favela dwellers from their miserable conditions - is justifiably the top priority of this democratic government, not environmental conservation, as much as we would like them to make it so.

I think blaming Brazil alone for Amazon destruction entirely isn't really fair - first world nations need to forgive debt before Brazil can have the financial means to preserve more rain forest. Getting free from debt would both create the financial means for Brazil to enforce their actually rather progressive environmental legislation, and also give them the means to invest in poverty reduction and their economy so that Amazonian development is less of a priority.

And in terms of indigenous contact, I also desperately hope they can retain their autonomy of culture and freedom from modern society if that's what they choose. But I would shy away from discrediting the very genuine sentiments of many third world citizens (not necessarily indigenous peoples, although in some cases them too) that desire a modern lifestyle and all the privileges that you and I take for granted - an education, personal autonomy (ex. freedom to marry who we choose), access to quality health care, a varied diet, benefits of technology, etc. To people who have never experienced an ounce of this privilege, it can be very attractive - and we shouldn't scoff at them and act like we know what they should want.