Uncontacted Amazon tribe has been threatened by illegal
loggers
Remarkable close-up footage that appears to show an uncontacted tribesman in the Amazon rainforest has been released by an indigenous media group that wants to raise awareness of the threat posed by illegal loggers, miners and drug traffickers.
(...) The Awá have been described as the world’s most threatened tribe by the NGO Survival International, which has tracked killings by loggers, who surround and frequently encroach upon the group’s territory.
Many of the community have been forced to abandon the forest, but some remain in self-imposed isolation. Their existence has been called into question by commercial interests that want to move into the land, but the new footage has been cited as proof that they remain in the territory.
It was recorded by a member of a neighbouring tribe, the Guajajara, which is trying to defend one of the last pockets of intact forest in Maranhão, a massively deforested state in the north-east of Brazil. ―We hope this film produces something positive.
We hope it makes an impact around the world to help protect our people and our forest,‖ said Flay Guajajara, who shot the image while out hunting and released it through the Mídia Índia platform.
(...) Olimpio Guajajara, coordinator of the Guardians of the Amazon, said three of the group’s members have been murdered in this activity, which highlighted the need for more long-term support. He said: ―We Guardians are defending our people’s rights, defending the uncontacted Indians, and defending nature for all of us. We need the land to be protected for good."
Indigenous groups say successive governments have failed to adequately recognise their territorial rights and their role in protecting forests that are globally essential for carbon sequestration and natural habitats.
According to Survival International, loggers have been emboldened by the government and their camps can now be seen on the edge of Awá land.
Director Stephen Corry said: ―This video is further proof that the uncontacted Awá people really exist. And a glance at a satellite photo shows just how much danger they’re in. Loggers have already killed many of their relatives and forced others out of the forest".
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/22/uncontactedtribe-video-amazon-rainforest-awa-people.
