A newly released video shows an indigenous tribe living in Brazil's Amazon jungle that is thought to have been almost entirely isolated from the outside world. The video was shot in 2011 by a government agency overseeing indigenous affairs, but was released in August 2013 (published on YouTube 15th August 2013).
The rare images show several members of the Kawahiva tribe walking through dense foliage. Naked men carry bows and arrows, and a woman totes a child on her back. The woman runs away after noticing the camera, and one man briefly doubles back to investigate.
Loggers first reported the existence of the Kawahiva in 1999. A reservation was created last year in the western state of Mato Grosso, but members of the tribe still face grave threats from loggers and farmers.
The video clip, which clocks in at 1 minute, 26 seconds, was made by a team of explorers from the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) - the Brazilian government agency responsible for mapping out and protecting lands traditionally inhabited by indigenous communities.
The video shows nine members of the rarely seen Kawahiva tribe walking naked through the jungle, armed with bows and arrows. They were spotted while travelling from one village to another in the heart of the forest bordering the states of Mato Grosso and Amazonas, according to the Brazilian site Jornal Hoje. The Kawahiva are hunters-gatherers and lead a nomadic lifestyle, which requires a large territory.
Based on information from YouTube and other sources.
Stein Morten Lund, 25th September 2013
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