NYT Blog: Brazil releases photos of an isolated tribe in the Amazon


"Brazilian officials have released new aerial photographs of a highly isolated tribe living deep in the Amazon rainforest in a bid to draw attention to the threat posed to its existence by illegal logging in neighboring Peru.

This is the second time the tribe has been photographed by Brazil’s Indian Affairs department. In 2008, images of tribe members shooting arrows at an airplane quickly circulated the globe and were characterized by some of the news media as evidence of a “lost” Amazon tribe, although the Brazilian authorities said they had long been aware of the presence of uncontacted tribes in the area.

Some advocates called the new images necessary to remind the world of the existence of highly isolated tribes in the region. For years, the Peruvian government has denied their presence on their side of the border and pushed ahead with oil exploration in remote jungles where some scientists say uncontacted tribes still exist.

“It is necessary to reaffirm that these peoples exist, so we support the use of images that prove these facts,” said Marcos Apurina, an advocate for indigenous rights in Brazil, according to a statement by Survival International, which released the images of the tribe."

Get the Story:
Green Blog: Isolated Amazon Tribes Threatened by Logging, Groups Say (The New York Times 2/3)

Also Today:
Photos of isolated Amazonian tribe raise awareness of deforestation in Brazil, Peru (The Christian Science Monitor 2/3)

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