Rare uncontacted tribe photographed in Amazon

[Jaxx]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080529/...razil_tribe_dc

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Amazon Indians from one of the world's last uncontacted tribes have been photographed from the air, with striking images released on Thursday showing them painted bright red and brandishing bows and arrows.

The photographs of the tribe near the border between Brazil and Peru are rare evidence that such groups exist. A Brazilian official involved in the expedition said many of them are in increasing danger from illegal logging.

"What is happening in this region is a monumental crime against the natural world, the tribes, the fauna and is further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilized' ones, treat the world," Jose Carlos Meirelles was quoted as saying in a statement by the Survival International group.

One of the pictures, which can be seen on Survival International's Web site (http://www.survival-international.org), shows two Indian men covered in bright red pigment poised to fire arrows at the aircraft while another Indian looks on.

Another photo shows about 15 Indians near thatched huts, some of them also preparing to fire arrows at the aircraft.

"The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct," said Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International, which supports tribal people around the world.

Of more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru, Survival International says. It says all are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed and ravaged by new diseases.

(Reporting by Stuart Grudgings; editing by Sandra Maler)

[abirken]

WOW! When I opened this to read the story and look at the photos, I was overwhelmed. It's simply amazing. We get so caught up in our day to day, with all of our material issues, daily grind, etc....that it's hard to believe there is another life form on this planet that has no clue WE (modern folks) exist. Can you imagine what they felt when they saw this helicopter fly over? It would probably be something similar to if we were to see a UFO land in our backyard!! Incredible!

[CarpeyBiggs]

Wow. Poor folks. We should immediately send in "peacekeeping" troops. Teach these people how important democracy is, maybe show them what indoor plumbing can do, help them reshape their opinions on god, and then help them export their minerals and resources and make them rich!

[Sombeech]

We should immediately send in "peacekeeping" troops.

Yeah, maybe they'll quit eating the hearts of their young boys after that.

[JP]

I guess it's no joke that they never seen the outside world We've all heard the saying, "Never bring a knife to a gunfight." What about bringing Bows & Arrows to an air strike

[Scott P]

I guess it's no joke that they never seen the outside world We've all heard the saying, "Never bring a knife to a gunfight." What about bringing Bows & Arrows to an air strike

You can't blame them though. If we would have had no contact with the outside world and some big noisy machine that we were completely unfamiliar with was hovering above that might appear frightening or threatening I think we would all be in defensive mode with whatever we had.

Anyway, on a completely different note I've been to quite a few villages that still have no roads, vehicles or modern conveniences and even a few places where we were told that we were the only Americans (but not the only Westerners) to ever visit and can say that people are still people everywhere and that just because we have our modern toys it doesn't mean that it always brings happiness. Some of the happiest and most friendly people I've ever met were in some of these remote villages though they often have a hard life.

Quite amazing photos. Hopefully they will remain unmolested or at least the first outsiders they meet whenever the time comes will be friendly. Even then they would have to be extremely careful as not to introduce things innocently/accidentally, such as disease that could quicky wipe out a population of a village.

[JP]

You can't blame them though...

...Some of the happiest and most friendly people I've ever met were in some of these remote villages though they often have a hard life.

Quite amazing photos. Hopefully they will remain unmolested...

Oh, I don't blame them at all. They're just ready to defend themselves. I'm just making light of the fact, they need a major overhaul in defense techniques

I don't doubt that, life would be so much more if we had less

Unmolested; unfortunately somehow I think that thought is now down the drain.

[Glockguy]

I wonder what they were thinking when these pictures were being taken? "Wow that's a BIG bird, we gonna eat good for a whole year!"

Perhaps they will be sued for all of the back taxes they have been skimping out on over the years. I mean there are water rights, hunting and fishing licenses, property taxes, and all kinds of fees they surely owe. Any do they have permits and registrations records for those dangerous weapons they are brandishing?

[DiscGo]

Wow. Way cool! That must be really trippy for them!

[denaliguide]

i think we should drop them a couple coke bottles.

[abirken]

i think we should drop them a couple coke bottles.

That cracks me up!! remember that movie? I can't remember the name of it but it was set in Africa and the Coke came falling out of the sky. HAHA!!!

[trackrunner]

i think we should drop them a couple coke bottles.

That cracks me up!! remember that movie? I can't remember the name of it but it was set in Africa and the Coke came falling out of the sky. HAHA!!!

There was also "Joe vs. The Volcano" where the islanders all drank a knockoff of Fanta orange drink.

[trackrunner]

Wow. Poor folks. We should immediately send in "peacekeeping" troops. Teach these people how important democracy is, maybe show them what indoor plumbing can do, help them reshape their opinions on god, and then help them export their minerals and resources and make them rich!

We could also introduce a culture concept that is hard for them to understand. Steel their land and introduce private property. Force them to move hundreds of miles away and isolate them from the rest of society. Force their children to attended boarding schools away from the loving arms of their parents. And wonder why they never integrated into society. [/sarcasm]

I agree with Scott. I hope that when or if they are ever contacted researchers will take the time to learn their story and culture. Despite mine (and ours) education degrees, cars, cell phones, computers and internet, $4/gallon gas, etc, I bet they have a lot to teach about life and how to live it.

I actually think this is a cool story. I hope the "civilized world" respects their choices and rights.

[Ih8grvty]

i think we should drop them a couple coke bottles.

That cracks me up!! remember that movie? I can't remember the name of it but it was set in Africa and the Coke came falling out of the sky. HAHA!!!

First, the second we saw the clip on the news the bride said the same thing, I wonder if they dropped a coke bottle?
and secondly, the movie was "The Gods Must Be Crazy"

[colbylee]

I saw this on cnn.com and it sent shivers down my whole body. I can't imagine being those people, and seeing a helicopter for the first time. In a way it's like the first time the Indians saw the ships that came to the new land. I find it amazing that tribes like this are still living. I hope the government there in Brazil let them be, an don't bother them anymore.

p.s. maybe drop them a six pack of Cutthroat Pale Ale

[denaliguide]

[quote="trackrunner"]

Wow. Poor folks. We should immediately send in "peacekeeping" troops. Teach these people how important democracy is, maybe show them what indoor plumbing can do, help them reshape their opinions on god, and then help them export their minerals and resources and make them rich!

We could also introduce a culture concept that is hard for them to understand. Steel their land and introduce private property. Force them to move hundreds of miles away and isolate them from the rest of society. Force their children to attended boarding schools away from the loving arms of their parents. And wonder why they never integrated into society. [/sarcasm]

quote]

you forgot to give them alcohol, smallpox, and vd.

[Sombeech]

[Axpence]

hm, i wonder why they're obama supporters

what do you guys think, are they nephites or lamanites?

[RugerShooter]

It looks like this tribe really wasn't "lost"

They are the amazing pictures that were beamed around the globe: a handful of warriors from an 'undiscovered tribe' in the rainforest on the Brazilian-Peruvian border brandishing bows and arrows at the aircraft that photographed them.

Or so the story was told and sold. But it has now emerged that, far from being unknown, the tribe's existence has been noted since 1910 and the mission to photograph them was undertaken in order to prove that 'uncontacted' tribes still existed in an area endangered by the menace of the logging industry.

The disclosures have been made by the man behind the pictures, Jos

[sparker1]

The pictures prove nothing. Since he was determined to prove a point, he might have staged the whole thing.