Amazonian Tribe Massacred by Loggers Dwindles to 5 Members

Deforestation has many prices – not the least of which is the loss of an entire Amazonian tribe, which will inevitably die out now that there are only five members left. The once-vibrant, ancient Akuntsu tribe of Brazil lost almost all of their numbers to a massacre by loggers intent on stealing their land in the 1990s.

From The Independent:

Much of the Akuntsus’ story is – for obvious reasons – undocumented. For millennia, they lived in obscurity, deep in the rainforest of Rondonia state, a remote region of western Brazil near the Bolivian border. They hunted wild pig, agoutis and tapir, and had small gardens in their villages, where they would grow manioc (or cassava) and corn.

Then, in the 1980s, their death warrant was effectively signed: farmers and loggers were invited to begin exploring the region, cutting roads deep into the forest, and turning the once verdant wilderness into lucrative soya fields and cattle ranches.

Fiercely industrious, the new migrant workers knew that one thing might prevent them from creating profitable homesteads from the rainforest: the discovery of uncontacted tribes, whose land is protected from development under the Brazilian constitution.

As a result, frontiersmen who first came across the Akuntsu in the mid-1980s made a simple calculation. The only way to prevent the government finding out about this indigenous community was to wipe them off the map.

The seven members of the tribe who escaped the massacre retreated deep into the wilderness to survive, and were not formally “contacted” until 1995. They include Konibú, the tribe’s elderly chief and shaman, Pugapía, his wife, their two daughers Nãnoi and Enotéi and a cousin, Pupak. Konibú’s sister Ururú, the sixth last member pictured at front left, recently passed away. Tribal custom does not allow outsiders to marry in.

A documentary of their struggle called ‘Corumbiara: they shoot Indians, don’t they?’ which was filmed over a period of twenty years, is now showing in Brazil. Campaigners hope that the story of the Akuntsu tribe will persuade the Brazilian public to strengthen government protections for indigenous people.

The Akuntsu represent yet another reason why we must make protecting the rainforests of the Amazon, and elsewhere in the world, a top priority. Not only are these forests five times more effective than carbon capture at combating catastrophic climate change, they also harbor so many wonders of the human, animal, insect and plant worlds.

Link [The Independent]

Brazilian Cattle Ranchers Ask to Destroy Forest Lands of Uncontacted Tribe

In yet another battle between ranchers and indigenous peoples of South America, a cattle ranching company is set to destroy the forest where one of the last ‘uncontacted’ tribes in the world live. Survival International reports that the company, Yaguarete Pora S.A., requested permission from the Paraguayan government to tear down the forest on the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode Indians’ land.

From Twilight Earth:

“We urge Paraguay’s government not to allow Yaguarete to work on the Totobiegosode’s land. To do so would violate their rights under international law and the UN’s Declaration on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, and may well destroy them as a people.” – Stephen Corry, director of Survival

The cattle company, Yaguarete Pora S.A., already own the land, but their license to work the area was rescinded by the government after satellite photos showing the destruction of the forest were published last year. The company also kept an investigative team from Paraguay’s Environment Ministry out of the area, adding to the questions many local organizations have about the impact of Yaguarete’s business on the forest.

A local support group for the tribe, GAT, said, “The Environment Ministry must not grant a new licence to Yaguarete. If it does, the last of the uncontacted Totobiegosode could be wiped out.”

It’s not a done deal – yet. The Paraguayan government has yet to respond. But, unfortunately, South American countries struggling to improve their economies tend to side with business when it comes to issues like this.

Survival International is working to protect tribal peoples and their land, and they need our help. Please consider donating even a small amount to help them in this battle.

Link [Twilight Earth] + [Survival International]

Photo credit: Survival International

Brazil Government Threatens Uncontacted Amazon Tribe with a Highway

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]