Let uncontacted tribes live undisturbed!

Photo. Indians in Amazon. © Reiseliv & Per Henriksen www.Reiseliv.no

All tribal people need to be protected from tourists in order to preserve their unique lifestyle and cultures. Travellers should understand that some tribes would like to live undisturbed, and that visit would be an intrusion.

As we in Travel Explorations wrote about for 2 weeks ago, members of one of the world's last uncontacted tribes have been observed and photographed from the air near the border between Brazil and Peru. According to the organisation Survival International, the photos were taken during several flights over one of the remotest parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil's Acre state.

What will be next for these Indians?
The Brazilian Government released also some incredible photographs of one the Amazon’s last remaining uncontacted tribes, but what if they allow people to invade their lives?

It was recently reported the Brazilian Government has accepted that some researchers could get in contact with these Indians. We in Travel Explorations support the idea of that the Indians should be protected against all kind of contact from outside. Let them live their own life in peace.

We are aware of that many Indian tribes are under increasing threat from illegal logging over the border in Peru. Survival International (www.Survival-International.org) estimates that there are over 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide.

Protect their lifes
Survival International helps tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures. As Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International, recently said: "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," which supports tribal people around the world.

Photo. One Indian in Amazon playing a traditional instrument. © Reiseliv & Per Henriksen  www.Reiseliv.no

We understand that many people may be excited by meeting uncontacted tribal groups, but they should be aware that it could cause serious negative impact on this people. Survival International campaigns on uncontacted tribes are not only necessary to ensure their land is protected, but also to protect them from contact, even on a 'backpacker' scale. Uncontacted Indians do not have immunity to outsiders' disease and in the past entire tribes have been wiped out. Even the 'common cold' can be fatal to uncontacted groups. Recent reports from Peru confirmed that 4 people, including children, died, as a result of contact with a small exploration group (based on information from Survival Interational on e-mail).

Peruvian authorities have announced they will be taking steps to ensure the protection of tribes that have had no contact with 'modern' man. One step being taken is to ensure logging ceases in the areas close to tribal villages.

The decision by Peru to protect tribes comes after the discovery of an unknown tribe close to the Peru-Brazil border. Brazilian sources have said there are dozens of tribes living on both sides of the border.

The biggest threat
Missionaries are the biggest imperialists in our opinion. They tell lies and break down the local’s identity and culture. The missionaries as we see them convert people because they don`t respect their belief and way of living. Missionaries are just struggling for power so they can control other people. We see this as the biggest threat against isolated tribes, and we hope that the governments Brazil, Peru and in other countries do everything they can to prevent missionaries from approaching the tribes.

Read more on Survival International`s website Survivial International

For further information please contact Miriam Ross on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email mr@survival-international.org

Act now to help uncontacted Indians!
Follow Survival International`s (www.Survival-International.org) request. Please write a letter to Peru’s president asking him to recognise his country’s isolated Indians’ land rights – and by doing so protect uncontacted peoples on both sides of the Peru-Brazil border.

Early Day Motion 88 calls on the UK government to ratify the international law for tribal peoples; ask your MP to sign. Go to http://www.survival-international.org/campaigns/law

Stein Morten Lund, 11 June 2008

Additional information
Read more about exotic tribes on our global travelguide www.TravelExplorations.com