Amazing Photos: Untouched Native Amazon Tribe

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann in News+Opinion

This is a stray from our usual content but exciting enough to post for anyone interested in adventure, the outdoors, and the effects of industrialization and logging in South America. Recently an un-contacted (by “civilized man”) tribe was found in the far west reaches of Brazil’s Amazon Basin on the Peruvian border. They were photographed by aircraft and are seen painted bright red pointing their bow and arrow weapons at the craft in defense!

The integrity of the Amazon Basin has been under increased pressure from logging companies and new infrastructure allowing deeper penetration from said companies to pillage the jungle for precious woods. With each new road acres upon acres of deforestation can be seen (by google maps!) stretching out in square scars on either side. The Transamazonica Highway was one of the first built through the dense jungle to connect both sides of Brazil in the early 1970’s. The project was abandoned due to funding issues before its completion but it has served as a gateway to illegal logging and further road development in one of the world’s most precious jungles.

Indigenous peoples have inhabited this part of the country (considered “empty”) for thousands of years living in harmony with the ecosystem until logging activity has pushed them to the fringes. Although it is exciting to see that such people still exist, these are sad circumstances we are finding them under. Although it is easy to think that the sides are clearly divided such that there are those in the wrong and they know it and are greedy, the results of deforestation are also built on miscommunication, misunderstanding, and poverty. Greed and money by certain individuals does contribute of course to huge amounts of jungle loss, however the misplacement of subsistence farmers and mismanagement of farm lands by uneducated owners also leads to the sprawling decay of the Amazon as we are watching today. So although I was very intrigued to read about this tribe, the sad truth is that a part of the world that we could learn and benefit so much from is being lost. [via: Survival International] (See our follow up post)

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47 Responses to “ Amazing Photos: Untouched Native Amazon Tribe ”

Concerned.

30. May, 2008

Good thing we can isolate them even more by scaring them with overhead passes from a helicopter. *Congrats on the shot! (*please note highly disappointed and sarcastic tone.)

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Antonio

30. May, 2008

DO NOT ENTER!!!… leave those beings ALONE!!!

now!!…thanks to this article… it s there LAST STANCE!!

never fails!!!

damn technology!!! it SUCKSS

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Senator John White

30. May, 2008

you know what? i am appalled that you guys would take these photos, and expose them to the general public. whats wrong with you? i am the chief justice of the supreme court. you need to go suck a dick; and fast

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CRIES TIGER

30. May, 2008

what are the odds that they too would invent bows and arrows? are we sure this isnt a hoax?

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Mak

30. May, 2008

Come on people… was this blogger the one who took the photos themselves? It doesn’t sound like it. It also doesn’t seem like they are on a witch-hunt to out these indigenous people, they are forced out as such because of the deforestation, as discussed. All the finger pointing is ridiculous.

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GetÃºlio

30. May, 2008

NÃ£o! NÃ£o Ã© Boato!

O fato aconteceu de verdade!

I Brazilian and may say that the fact is true!

The Brazilian Government said that every possible efforts to keep them as they are today will be made!

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BIONIC MAN

30. May, 2008

All of these coments about not opening up the world to these people is silly. I am of african decent and come from a very impoverished part of Sudan… I am so glad that some of us Sudanees now have access to much of the new medicine…Antonio (above comment) is an idiot… I think that he should go find a tribe like that an move there… These are people not animals… Give them the access to medicine and mathematics… Unless of course you like to view them as animals… Antonio is a moran… and a racist who loves the fantasy of a perfect nature utopia above the needs of humans.

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julia

30. May, 2008

Indigenous peoples have inhabited this part of the country (considered â€œemptyâ€) for thousands of years living in harmony with the ecosystem…”

Both the blanket demonization *and* the blanket glorification of a culture/group of people is disturbing. It simplifies and “others” them in a patronizing way.

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Alex

30. May, 2008

Did you think that maybe these people are perfectly happy without “medicine and mathmatics” not to mention how long it would take for them to comprehend any kind of maths that you are probably referring to. I’m pretty sure they can count albeit not in ‘american english’. You seem to be relating them to your situation in the Sudan, and being impoverished. You really can’t link being poor to this kind of tribe. I bet they don’t consider themselves poor. Oh and it’s spelt moron. To the other person who said this could be fake because they have bows and arrows?…..two people can come up with the same idea, not to mention other tribes which they may encounter who live near them. I’d say this is pretty real. I also agree flying low in a helicopter/plane for them to be scared enough to get out weapons is completely reckless. Well done.

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MTHRFCKR

30. May, 2008

sweet

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gerry

30. May, 2008

well ,i expect it won’t be be long before there is a mc donalds at the centre of their community .

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Dude

30. May, 2008

Those of you saying these are fake or attributing the photographs to this blog are idiots. Take one second to do some research before you run your mouth off. This was reported on by the BBC here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7426794.stm where it states the photos were taken by the Brazilian government to prove the tribe exists and help protect them.

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Admin

30. May, 2008

I’m flattered that some of you think we have the resources to be flying around in remote parts of the Amazon snapping pictures and scaring tribesmen, however, the truth of the matter is that we did not take these pictures. We found this on the website that we referenced in the post and thought it was interesting and relevant and wanted to share it.

@Mak, Thank you for reading the post and understanding, and thank everyone else for your passionate responses.

@Julia, interesting comment, can you explain it a little more?

@Alex, good points! I think we are all guilty at some point or another, of projecting our own values and experiences on something foreign just to give it context.

@Gerry, Great comment, funny and sadly true

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ajay

31. May, 2008

in response to BIONIC MAN’s post..

who are we to say that this tribe will be better off with all the knowlegde and scientific advancements in science (i.e: medicines) that we have to offer? i’ve read numerous articles about this particular tribe and in most of them it was mentioned that they “appear” healthy. sending people there to provide “aid” this tribe, will, as the professionals have so bluntly put it, “put them in danger” of catching diseases and illnesses such as the common cold and the influenza virus. if we don’t introduce these, they wouldn’t need medications would they? and i’m quite sure these people aren’t concerned about mathematics in the slightest! these people don’t know any different and quite honestly i think that is exactly how they like it.

as someone who lives in a developed country, a little part of me is quite envious of these people. not having known any different than what they already have. not being corrupted by the adversities and hatred that we in the “civilized world” face each and every day. they have proved to us that they are better left alone by having survived all this time without any help from the “outside” and in such a reasonably “healthy” state.

so i think i’ve made my opinions re: this matter quite clear. we should leave them be and let them live their lives the way they have been. they do not need us meddling with the issue of whether they need mathematics of medications to be better people. and yes, they are human beings which means they should have the right to their own privacy.

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jtumi

31. May, 2008

Just give them a hundred dollar laptop and they’ll be fine.

- Karma Police

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dulay lama

31. May, 2008

natural selection.
they seemed to be surviving very well on their own.
why they need our medicine?

we too are native amazon tribes in this vast galaxy.
perhaps some people what some alien bringing us their medicine?

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Brian

31. May, 2008

“Disease is also a risk, as members of tribal groups that have been contacted in the past have died of illnesses that they have no defence against, ranging from chicken pox to the common cold.” BBC News

Even if we think that we should give them better shelter, food, medicine.
Chances are we would kill them by trying to help better them. Drop them books with pictures, or food, or something, but don’t kill them.

This whole debate makes me think “hypothetically” what aliens must think about when they visit planets. They must think, these people like where they are at, etc, etc. These people I am sure want to know whats out there, just like we do. But we don’t want to die from a virus or something that we have no immunity against.

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Kaleb

31. May, 2008

What is with everyone trying to be the hypothetical “Good Samaritin?” You can’t just assume that these people need help because they don’t live the commercialized, commodity based lifestyle that most of the world does. I did literally laugh out loud at Gerry’s post, but the sad thing about his post is that it has become true in most parts of this consumer world. Really, let these people be. They were fine before we showed up and will be fine when we are gone.

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Ryan

01. Jun, 2008

Did they throw a Coke bottle down?

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Ronny Bangalang

01. Jun, 2008

What I dont understand, is why dont these logging companies actually employ these teepee men and teach them to make a buck or two and get some medicine and not die from a bug bite at the age of 27!

Yeah bud, its called a chopper, go waste your arrows on a baby tapir cause youre not bringing that thing down! People shouldnt be so unaware of the outside world this is 2008, not 1308!

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Marcio Aloisio de Oliveira

01. Jun, 2008

We don’t want to gamble.
You bet,this is amazing!
Just between the two of us, â€¦- So far, so good.I’m very sorry for those people,the future of indigenous will be equal to the other, - I don’t think that’s funny!!!!

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ripus

01. Jun, 2008

ITS TOTALLY TRUE, I M PERUVIAN AND I KNOW THEY PUBLISHED THIS PICTURES TO ALERT AUTHORITIES ABOUT THESE HUMAN BEINGS.

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BIONIC MAN

01. Jun, 2008

Response to Ajay’s response

Did you know that there are a number of diseases among tribes in the Amazon that we don’t know about… Why do you think that the average number of the average tribe in the Amazon numbers between 20 - 30 people? That’s lower than most tribes in Africa. Check it out for yourself.

Also..in response to your post “Who are we to say that this tribe will be better off with all the knowledge and scientific advancements in science (i.e: medicines) that we have to offer?”

I agree with you… So let them decide… We shouldn’t view them as objects of living museum.

They are people not animals… Give them the same option that you have… To choose whether you want to live in the stone age or not..

Having said all of that I do wish to say that I admire your care and concern for these people

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ill

02. Jun, 2008

of fck they’re wearing pants

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Carol

02. Jun, 2008

I’m Brazilian and I’m pretty sure most of our population agrees that we (and you people) should LEAVE THEM ALONE. I truly believe they’re much better off without our corruption, diseases, pollution and greed. They’ve been ok so far. LEAVE THEM ALONE!

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bob roberto

02. Jun, 2008

bionic man is right, these people are just as human as us. the analogy of aliens coming from space and meddling in our world is ridiculous. the tribesmen are not animals or a different species. that view is incredibly condescending. also, how do you all know ‘they’re getting along fine without us’? maybe they are and maybe they aren’t, none of us know either way. however i doubt they live in some kind of utopian ideal world, as they are prone to the same human frailties that we are, and BBC article tells us that their body paint is used as a sign of aggression - meaning that of course war exists among the tribes of the brazilian forest just as it does among the ‘civilized’ people of the world.

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marcus

03. Jun, 2008

Its a fact, the civilization human race is a virus on the earth!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!!!

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emphaya

04. Jun, 2008

Photoshop Fake
Â¿indÃgenas untouched? Â¡mÃ¡s que retocados retocados!
A nadie le llama la atenciÃ³n el color de los supuestos indÃgenas reciÃ©n descubiertos?

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BIONIC MAN

04. Jun, 2008

In response to Marcus’s post,

“Its a fact, the civilization human race is a virus on the earth!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!!!”.

Marcus you may not realize it but you and many of your Ultra Green Peace buddies sound like Nazi.

you are on the brink of losing your human identity and becomeing like Hitlar.. Be careful wtih your ideology. Humans are not viruses they are humans with weaknesses like yourself.

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Ajay

04. Jun, 2008

BIONIC MAN…

see their guarded/agressive stance… i think it’s proof enough that they are trying to defend themselves and their territory. Why not leave them in peace? a low life expectancy is not uncommon even in this day and age.. as an example, Australian aborigines’, average life expectancy for them is 40 and they have access to help provided by the government.

2008 has no meaning for that tribe… for all they, they could still be living in the 1300s… they will make their way to “modern advancement” in their own time and in their own devices. for now it’s about preserving one of the many rarities in this world.

and i definitely agree with what ALEX said… you can’t compare poverty with an uncontacted tribe, your own personal experience is one of the many success stories (as i gather) but these are 2 totally different scenarios.

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The Horrorist

06. Jun, 2008

Ajay…What are you talking about? Has anyone in this discussion proposed a forced assimilation of these people? No. In fact the consensus has generally been to leave them alone to their own devices.
That, at least in my view is not up for debate. What is up for debate though is your naive view of this primitive culture. Your belief that this tribe is some sort of a marvel to be studied is just awful and brutish. Why be set on a constant? Is change such an awful thing?

And to all the people afraid that their ‘peaceful culture will be tainted by modern man’s ‘virus”, you need a serious understanding on what society is, and essentially always has been. These people run on the same motives as we do today, just in a far more simple form. They fight, they hate, they die, they struggle etc…

Having so much disdain for your society must be very depressing.

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ajay

06. Jun, 2008

to THE HORRORIST

i was merely stating the fact that some people actually think that it’s perfectly safe to give them “medications and mathematics” because after all “they are human.” Regardless of what is being done to keep this tribe safe and to leave them to their own devices, there will always be some who’ll go through great lengths to do the opposite. it’s a fact of life… if you’re curious then you go and find out!

and are you listening to yourself? i have made myself perfectly clear that these people should be left alone! i wasn’t at all FOR the idea that they should be studied! so by you saying that my “belief that this tribe is some sort of a marvel to be studied is just awful and brutish” is in fact the exact point i was trying to make. read before you make assumptions on where i stand in this argument.

and it is not about being unappreciative of this society, it’s about being envious of the simplicity of how they live their lives.

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The Horrorist

07. Jun, 2008

Ajay, The fact that you are all for actions to restrict contact with these people is a testament to your interest in them. You even said earlier “itâ€™s about preserving one of the many rarities in this world.” Why preserve anything. I say let the world take its own course. If they are so content with their simplicity than mere contact with modern civilization shouldn’t change much now should it? ‘Preserving’ these people is only denying them an opportunity that many may wish to take. By preserving them, you are indirectly forcing them to remain in a neutral state, no progress, nothing. And looking back at history, almost all process has come from the spread of information. ‘Preserving’ these people is in effect denying them the ability to advance.

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ajay

08. Jun, 2008

well reading what you’ve just posted, i say you have more of an interest in “studying” them than i do… clearly!

and just for the record, also looking back at history, this so called progress that you’re talking about was also achieved by a thing called invasion. voyagers who ‘discover’ bodies of land (populated by it’s original inhabitants) in the past claim each find as their own and during this process, they impose their own beliefs and culture towards them. now, can you tell me, that these people (long term) aren’t at risk of losing their own identity as a tribe, pretty soon they’ll be eating on fine china with knives and forks, getting take-away from McDonald’s and shopping at some boutique in the city.

think about it…. if change was so great then why are people from all over the world fighting to keep what is rightfully theirs.

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The Horrorist

08. Jun, 2008

First of all, you cannot stop change. Just because human nature causes people to object change, doesn’t mean that change is a necessary thing in the world. The idea that progress through change involves invasion is incredibly ignorant. Just look at everything around you. Look at the news etc.

Secondly you say; “now, can you tell me, that these people (long term) arenâ€™t at risk of losing their own identity as a tribe, pretty soon theyâ€™ll be eating on fine china with knives and forks, getting take-away from McDonaldâ€™s and shopping at some boutique in the city.”

To answer your question, assuming they are as you say they are (trying to protect their way of life etc…) Then yes I can. If they really despise our way of life then they will not take part in it because of mere
contact.
But, you and I both know that many if given the chance would probably experience the modern world and I feel that it would be wrong to give them that chance.

Im not sure what you are for in this ‘debate’. I am not for a forced assimilation. I am strongly opposed to things like that. I hope to see the native basic rights of liberty and private property maintained. But why is contact such a bad thing? Why are you so fervently against this interaction? Is it because it could and probably would alter the course of this culture forever?
“Protecting” these people from whatever evil you have in mind will not be doing anyone a favor. Simply sheltering these people from the world around it is wrong, and frankly would do no good. People, especially in that region of the world would most likely continue to make ventures to those people regardless of the what the law says.
In case I hadn’t made my feelings clear enough through this dialog, my stance on this position is basically as follows:
Respect Natives land claims
Respect government of the tribe.
Contact should be allowed

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Matt

11. Jun, 2008

UPDATE: http://greenupgrader.com/1973/follow-up-uncontacted-tribe-photographed-in-amazon-jungle/

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Charles Daeda

23. Jun, 2008

Hello:

These natives should be allowed to flourish untouched by modern society. Reason, when modern society parishes because of wars, global warming, desease, etc. then these natives may be the only surviving humans left on the planet.

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CRIES TIGER

24. Jun, 2008

anyone remember this?

“CRIES TIGER

what are the odds that they too would invent bows and arrows? are we sure this isnt a hoax?

May 30th, 2008″

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shayna

26. Nov, 2008

this was a hoax, people have known about this tribe for 100 years. they should still be protected, but its nothing new

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/comments/0,21590,23911019-948,00.html

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Legend One

21. Feb, 2009

We will never survive nor finish this Human Race… Leave them alone… Experiment on them… What the F*** is this? Sooner or later, we will overpopulate the world excessively, and there will be no room for tribes like this to exist. Medical advances make us live longer, have erections and have bigger breasts, and don’t think for a minute that human cloning is not happening… we are coming full circle… we’re evolving, but not in the Darwin-ian way. I wish this tribe could be left alone. i wish that my son didn’t know what racisnm was. The fact is that we bring more kids into this infected world by choice. I hate to be a pessimist, but look around. Shit’s not getting better. Watch the f***ing news for 30 seconds. We’re destroying ourselves, AND OTHERS, by the looks from this blog! What you see in that tribe is innocence. no Ben Franklin or a banking system. no conspiracies nor religion. just a family of people who do what need to be done to survive. Aggression, YES! to protect my son, I will strike down any flying metallic object in the sky BY ANY MEANS! (Malcolm X) That’s my life and my bloodline I’m protecting. I have one job as a parent, and that to protect my young King, by death or murder… We’re all on this blog infecting ourselves. WE make the choices to submit to technology or the government… but because we find comfort in that. There are still some of us that would rather be INTO THE WILD and leave the modern corporate world behind. People that don’t need shiny rims on a car nor a million dollar home…

listen closely to what the world is telling you… and I gotta express, I’m the most ANTI-RELIGIOUS person you’ll ever meet… but the world is bleeding and nobody, not even me, is doing anything to stop it. We’re all waiting for someone else to figure it out. Leave the tribe alone, yeah, but then who feeds the contractors kids? We’re in a catch 22.

It’s a shame, but whether you like it or not, that tribe will meet civilization. They will succumb… That’s a truth we need to live with, like poverty, diseases, diseased children, orphans and oxymoronic recycling programs.

Whatever happened to that D.A.R.E. program? The nation gave in… You see it on TV, hear it in radio… drugs are every day. We’re evolving. I may sound like an idiot, I’m not political in the least, but I have one priority in my life… Protect my son with my life against ANY harm. I’d rather have my boy playing video games all day than watching the news. Matter of fact! I’m glad he stays in the house, rather than be outside with the kids that are littering, lying to their parent and getting into all kinda sh*t with their friends… But see… I’d do that whether I was in a tribe that knew nothing of civilization or even if I was a trained assasin/hacker paid by the government to clean up political spills on all borders of America… Either way… with a bow and arrow or 40 cal, I’m taking care of business. It has nothing to do with civilization nor medicine, it has to do with the best interest of the people I love…

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TheArtist

10. Apr, 2009

To them it was just a UFO !

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danny

25. May, 2009

to “legend one”, that post was amazingly well written,
i totally agree with you on that, i may not be as smart as alot of you on here but i think these people should be left alone aswell, they have no everyday worries like we do, eg, they dont have to remember to put the bin out on a wednesday, they dont have to sort finances out and all that shit, they dont need to watch the depressing news on the telly, the only thing they have to do is surrvive, eat, drink, and live.

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Larry

21. Aug, 2009

If you crash how will they know who cooked you for supper. This is about as dumb as poking a sleeping tiger. See if you can trade them some stuff you know like we did the indians and the africans and then steal there resouses like gemstones and medical cures . Or drop them guns so they can shoot at you. What if they decided to wonder around in your back yard Would they get arrested or would you be eager to discover them what a waste of time and money

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