Uncontacted Tribe Photographed in Brazil.

[Tim]

Saw it and thought it was interesting...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7426794.stm

One of South America's few remaining uncontacted indigenous tribes has been spotted and photographed on the border between Brazil and Peru.

The Brazilian government says it took the images to prove the tribe exists and help protect its land.

The pictures, taken from an aeroplane, show red-painted tribe members brandishing bows and arrows.

More than half the world's 100 uncontacted tribes live in Brazil or Peru, Survival International says.

Stephen Corry, the director of the group - which supports tribal people around the world - said such tribes would "soon be made extinct" if their land was not protected.

'Monumental crime'

Survival International says that although this particular group is increasing in number, others in the area are at risk from illegal logging.


Uncontacted tribe near Brazil-Peru border

What do the pictures tell us?
In pictures: Brazil tribe

The photos were taken during several flights over one of the most remote parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil's Acre region.

They show tribe members outside thatched huts, surrounded by the dense jungle, pointing bows and arrows up at the camera.

"We did the overflight to show their houses, to show they are there, to show they exist," the group quoted Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Junior, an official in the Brazilian government's Indian affairs department, as saying.

"This is very important because there are some who doubt their existence."

He described the threats to such tribes and their land as "a monumental crime against the natural world" and "further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilised' ones, treat the world".

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.

I'd love to live as they do.

[sexyalex]

been there, done that, not going back that road

[SlickyPants]

It makes me wonder what's going through their heads when they look up into the sky and see a plane flying overhead.

Originally Posted by SlickyPants

It makes me wonder what's going through their heads when they look up into the sky and see a plane flying overhead.

Gods.

[Blitzkrieg]

I can't say that I'm not happy to be born where I was..

[Hepcat]

I saw this in the newspaper and I find it really interesting as well.

Coool

Originally Posted by sexyalex

been there, done that, not going back that road

??

The artical talks about them as if they were animals o.0

[TyraBanksIsFierce]

They're really orange...


/jealous

[beckyg]

Originally Posted by SlickyPants

It makes me wonder what's going through their heads when they look up into the sky and see a plane flying overhead.

That's exactly what I was thinking and wondering if maybe we think the same thing if others are visiting us that we don't clearly understand yet. Hmmmm........

[dictionary]

The article i read said they flew over once and they were wihit with no paint and when they flew over again they had the war paint on..

[musicgirl112233]

I saw that on the news the other day. I think it is cool that ppl still live like that.

[panda]

My concern is that some "well meaning" scientist will interfere with their lives.

[Étoile]

I thought this was an incredible find. Who knew people still lived like this? They probably didn't know what to think when they saw the planes flying over them. It was probably like what we think when we spot UFOs.

I feel as long as they do not cause any harm to anyone, then the tribes should be left alone.

[beckyg]

Originally Posted by Synedoche Boy

I thought this was an incredible find. Who knew people still lived like this? They probably didn't know what to think when they saw the planes flying over them. It was probably like what we think when we spot UFOs.

I feel as long as they do not cause any harm to anyone, then the tribes should be left alone.

I totally agree with that!

[Martin]

Hmmm, some of them look pretty pissed off that they're being photographed.

I definetly won't be popping in for a quick chat.