Uncontacted peoples
Encyclopedia
Uncontacted people, also referred to as isolated people or lost tribes, are communities who live, or have lived, either by choice or by circumstance, without significant contact with globalized civilisation.
Few peoples have remained totally uncontacted by modern civilization, and almost all current groups are in danger of being unwillingly contacted. Indigenous rights
activists call for such groups to be left alone in respect of their right to self-determination
. Some have chosen to make contact either exceedingly difficult or dangerous for those trying to reach them, such as the Sentinelese.
The majority of such communities are located in densely forested areas in South America
and New Guinea
. Knowledge of the existence of these groups comes mostly from infrequent (and often violent) encounters by neighboring tribes, and also from aerial footage. A major problem with contacting isolated people is that they will lack any immunity
to common diseases, which can be devastating to a closely contained population with no natural immunity.
, belonging to India
, have sought to avoid contact with the outside world.
The Sentinelese continue to actively and violently reject contact. They live on North Sentinel Island
, a small and remote island which lies to the west of the southern part of South Andaman Island. They are thought to number around 250 (median estimate). Based on helicopter surveys of the island, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
does not appear to have affected the Sentinelese adversely.
It is estimated that they have lived on their island for 60,000 years. Their language is markedly different from even other languages on the Andamans, which suggests that they have remained uncontacted for thousands of years. They are thus considered the most isolated people in the world, and they are likely to remain so, because India abandoned attempts to make contact.
Another Andamanese tribe, the Jarawa
, live on the main islands. They rejected all contact, but following the completion of a trunk road traversing their territory in 1997, some have begun emerging from the forest to beg for food. They are thought to number 300 persons.
, when first encountered by North Vietnam
ese soldiers during the Vietnam War
, were hunting-gathering tribes, dwelling in caves of eastern Quang Binh province. Since then, the government has made many attempts to relocate them.
people who were living a traditional hunter-gatherer
life were tracked down in the Gibson Desert
in Western Australia
. For the first time, they encountered people from European-Australian society. They are believed to have been the last uncontacted tribe in Australia
.
are yet to be explored by scientists and anthropologists due to a lack of safety.
The Indonesia
n provinces of Papua and West Papua in the island of New Guinea is home to an estimated 44 uncontacted tribal groups. Isolated tribes have been reported also in the eastern Indonesian islands.
, near the border with Guatemala
, were the last known isolated people in North America. They were contacted in 1924.
, a Yahi, is believed to be the last Native American
in Northern California
to have lived most of his life completely outside the European American
culture. In the year 1911, he emerged from the wild near Oroville, California
, leaving his ancestral homeland in the foothills near Lassen Peak
.
; three more uncontacted groups are believed to exist. The groups whose presence has been confirmed are: the Ayoreo in Kaa-Iya National Park
, the Mbya-Yuqui in the Yuqui Reservation and Rio Usurinta (most of the Yuqui are now contacted; only a few families remain uncontacted), the Yurakare in Santa Cruz
and Beni
, the Pacahuara in the Chacobo reservation, and the Araona in the Araona Reservation. The presence of other groups, such as the Toromona and Nahua in Madidi National Park, has yet to be confirmed.
reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 uncontacted tribes in Brazil
, up from 40 in 2005. With this reported increase, Brazil has surpassed the island of New Guinea (divided between Indonesia
and Papua New Guinea
) as the region having the highest number of uncontacted tribes (however, numbers are not available for Papua New Guinea
).
Brazil has the most uncontacted groups in the world. The seven Terras Indígenas
(TI) (Reservations) exclusively reserved for isolated people are:
Uncontacted groups living in other people's TIs are:
Of the known uncontacted peoples of Brazil, according to the above, 16 live in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, 7 in Rondônia, 8 in Pará, 2 in Acre, 3 in Mato Grosso, and one each in Amapá, Maranhão, Roraima and Tocantins. Keep in mind some migrate between state lines.
were contacted in 2003 and 65% of the tribal members died of disease. Around two or three dozen Nukaak still remain isolated.
survives now in Yasuni National Park
. In the 1990s when a member of Tagaeri was contacted by a lone Huaorani hunter, he told him that Tagaeri numbers only a handful of members and are in danger of being wiped out by their hostile neighbours – the Taromenane
. Since then there have been no more peaceful contacts. The Tagaeri hunter also mentioned about another group, the Oñamenane who numbered five or six individuals and there was one more tribe – the Huiñatare. In 2003 about 30 Taromenane were massacred by the Huaorani
in retaliation for the killing of a Huaorani hunter. In the same year 14 Tagaeri were killed by loggers. In April 2006 a logger was speared to death by the Taromenane (in 2005 another one was also killed by the same tribe, whose body was later found embedded with 30 spears and his face unrecognizable). In the same month a further 30 Taromenane and 10 loggers were killed in conflicts according to leader Iki Ima Omene (of Huaorani). In Jan 2007 the president of Ecuador declared the Southern part of Yasuni a forbidden zone (7,580 square kilometers) in order to protect the uncontacted people. At the same time CONAIE
reported that there are a total of 150–300 Taromenane (divided into two sub-tribes) and 20–30 Tagaeri surviving uncontacted there. The Oñamenane and Huiñatare are extinct. Ecuador continues to be the country with the largest number of uncontacted people killed since 2000.
After Brazil (43 uncontacted groups confirmed) and New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Iriyan Jaya), Peru has the largest number of uncontacted tribes in the world. Some of the groups in Peru are in danger of extermination by loggers and oil development. As of 2006, the locations where uncontacted groups are confirmed to be living are as follows:
ethnicity, which numbers around 2,000. In the 1990s the main group attempting to contact them was New Tribes Mission. In 1979 and 1986, the New Tribes Mission was accused of assisting in the forcible contact of nomadic Ayoreo Indians, whose unsuccessful attempts to remain in the forest led to several deaths. Others died soon after being brought out of the forest. The incident forced some Ayoreo to flee to Bolivia. The main threat currently are the ranchers. In 2004 a group of 17 Ayoreo-Totobiegosode previously uncontacted made contact with the outside world and decided to settle down (five men, seven women and five children, according to Survival
). It was not known whether there were any more isolated Ayoreo left in the jungle. But in the first week of September 2007, another uncontacted band of Ayoreo-Totobiegosode were spotted by loggers in the Western Chaco. Ayoreo are believed to be the last uncontacted Indians south of the Amazon basin. In 2008, a Paraguayan ruling blocked a Brazilian company from clearing Totobiegosode to make room for cattle ranches. Although the forest is still being cleared illegally.
documentary in 2006 documented a controversial American tour operator who specializes in escorted tours to "discover" uncontacted peoples in West Papua similar to the BBC's own adventure in Papua New Guinea
to make their 1971 documentary A Blank on the Map
in which the first contact in over a decade was made with the Biami people.
Uncontacted tribes have also emerged in works of literature
and film
.
Few peoples have remained totally uncontacted by modern civilization, and almost all current groups are in danger of being unwillingly contacted. Indigenous rights
Indigenous rights
Indigenous rights are those rights that exist in recognition of the specific condition of the indigenous peoples. This includes not only the most basic human rights of physical survival and integrity, but also the preservation of their land, language, religion and other elements of cultural...
activists call for such groups to be left alone in respect of their right to self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
. Some have chosen to make contact either exceedingly difficult or dangerous for those trying to reach them, such as the Sentinelese.
The majority of such communities are located in densely forested areas in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. Knowledge of the existence of these groups comes mostly from infrequent (and often violent) encounters by neighboring tribes, and also from aerial footage. A major problem with contacting isolated people is that they will lack any immunity
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
to common diseases, which can be devastating to a closely contained population with no natural immunity.
Andaman Islands
Two tribes of the Andaman IslandsAndaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
, belonging to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, have sought to avoid contact with the outside world.
The Sentinelese continue to actively and violently reject contact. They live on North Sentinel Island
North Sentinel Island
North Sentinel Island is one of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It lies to the west of the southern part of South Andaman Island, and has an area of 72 km². Most of the island is forested...
, a small and remote island which lies to the west of the southern part of South Andaman Island. They are thought to number around 250 (median estimate). Based on helicopter surveys of the island, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
does not appear to have affected the Sentinelese adversely.
It is estimated that they have lived on their island for 60,000 years. Their language is markedly different from even other languages on the Andamans, which suggests that they have remained uncontacted for thousands of years. They are thus considered the most isolated people in the world, and they are likely to remain so, because India abandoned attempts to make contact.
Another Andamanese tribe, the Jarawa
Jarawa (Andaman Islands)
The Jarawa are one of the adivasi indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands. Their present numbers are estimated at between 250-350 individuals. Since they have largely shunned interactions with outsiders, many particulars of their society, culture and traditions are poorly understood...
, live on the main islands. They rejected all contact, but following the completion of a trunk road traversing their territory in 1997, some have begun emerging from the forest to beg for food. They are thought to number 300 persons.
Vietnam
The Ruc peopleChut people
The Chut are a small ethnic group located in the Minh Hóa and Tuyên Hóa districts of Quảng Bình Province, in Vietnam's North Central Coast. There are multiple sub-ethnic groups within the Chut designation including the Rục, Mày, Arem, Mã Liêng, and Sách...
, when first encountered by North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese soldiers during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, were hunting-gathering tribes, dwelling in caves of eastern Quang Binh province. Since then, the government has made many attempts to relocate them.
Australia
In 1984, a group of PintupiPintupi
Pintupi refers to an Australian Aboriginal group who are part of the Western Desert cultural group and whose homeland is in the area west of Lake MacDonald and Lake Mackay in Western Australia. These people moved into the Aboriginal communities of Papunya and Haasts Bluff in the west of the...
people who were living a traditional hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
life were tracked down in the Gibson Desert
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert covers a large dry area in the state of Western Australia and is still largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the 5th largest desert in Australia, after the Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Simpson deserts.-Location and description:The Gibson...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. For the first time, they encountered people from European-Australian society. They are believed to have been the last uncontacted tribe in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
New Guinea
Large areas of New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
are yet to be explored by scientists and anthropologists due to a lack of safety.
The Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n provinces of Papua and West Papua in the island of New Guinea is home to an estimated 44 uncontacted tribal groups. Isolated tribes have been reported also in the eastern Indonesian islands.
Mexico
The Lacandon of ChiapasChiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, near the border with Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, were the last known isolated people in North America. They were contacted in 1924.
United States
IshiIshi
Ishi was the last member of the Yahi, the last surviving group of the Yana people of the U.S. state of California. Ishi is believed to have been the last Native American in Northern California to have lived most of his life completely outside the European American culture...
, a Yahi, is believed to be the last Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
to have lived most of his life completely outside the European American
European American
A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
culture. In the year 1911, he emerged from the wild near Oroville, California
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
, leaving his ancestral homeland in the foothills near Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc which is an arc that stretches from northern California to southwestern British Columbia...
.
Bolivia
As of 2006, the presence of five uncontacted groups was confirmed in BoliviaBolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
; three more uncontacted groups are believed to exist. The groups whose presence has been confirmed are: the Ayoreo in Kaa-Iya National Park
Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area is the biggest national park in Bolivia and one of the largest in South America. It is a protected area in the region of the Gran Chaco and has a larger surface area than Belgium...
, the Mbya-Yuqui in the Yuqui Reservation and Rio Usurinta (most of the Yuqui are now contacted; only a few families remain uncontacted), the Yurakare in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Department
Santa Cruz, with an area of 370,621 km², is the largest of the nine constituent departments of Bolivia. In the 2001 census, it reported a population of 2,029,471. The capital is the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The state is one of the wealthiest states in Bolivia with huge reserves of...
and Beni
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
, the Pacahuara in the Chacobo reservation, and the Araona in the Araona Reservation. The presence of other groups, such as the Toromona and Nahua in Madidi National Park, has yet to be confirmed.
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinabo/Kapuibo (Nahua) | under 200 | Between the lower Beni Beni River The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs... and the lower Yata Yata River -References:*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993.... |
|
| Yanaigua | 100–200 | Between the Rio Grande and Upper San Miguel |
|
| Yuqui | 100 | Between Upper Ichilo and Upper Yapacani |
Amboró National Park Amboró National Park in central Bolivia is a nature reserve with over 800 species of birds, over 125 mammalian species including puma, ocelot, and the rare Spectacled Bear. Covering an area of 4,425 km² , it is protected from human settlements, hunting, mining and deforestation, though... . |
Brazil
On January 18, 2007, FUNAIFundação Nacional do Índio
Fundação Nacional do Índio or FUNAI is a Brazilian governmental protection agency for Indian interests and their culture.It was originally called the SPI and was founded by the Brazilian Marshal Cândido Rondon in 1910, who also created the agency's motto, "Die if necessary, but never kill." The...
reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 uncontacted tribes in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, up from 40 in 2005. With this reported increase, Brazil has surpassed the island of New Guinea (divided between Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
) as the region having the highest number of uncontacted tribes (however, numbers are not available for Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
).
Brazil has the most uncontacted groups in the world. The seven Terras Indígenas
Indigenous Territory
In Brazil, Indigenous Territories or Indigenous Lands are areas inhabited and exclusively possessed by indigenous people. The Brazilian Constitution recognises the inalienable right of indigenous peoples to lands they "traditionally occupy"Further defined as those lands "on which they live on a...
(TI) (Reservations) exclusively reserved for isolated people are:
- TI Alto Tarauacá in AcreAcre (state)Acre is one of the 27 states of Brazil. It is situated in the southwest of the Northern Region, bordering Amazonas to the north, Rondônia to the east, Bolivia to the southeast and the Ucayali Region of Peru to the south and west. It occupies an area of 152,581.4 km2, being slightly smaller...
– Various tribes. (Isolados do Alto Tarauacá) - TI Hi-MerimãHi-Merimã peopleThe Hi-Merimã people live between the Juruá and the Purus rivers, in the state of Amazonas in Brazil.Their numbers are uncertain, but in 1943 it was estimated that the Hi-Merimã consisted of more than 1,000 individuals. They were known primarily through their conflicts with neighboring tribes....
in Amazonas – Himerimã. (Isolados do médio Purus) - TI Massaco in RondôniaRondôniaRondônia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country. To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, and in the south is Bolivia. Its capital is Porto Velho. The state was named after Candido Rondon...
– Sirionó (Isolados do rio São Simão) - TI Igarapé OmerêIgarape OmereThe Rio Omerê Indigenous Territory is a reserve for isolated indigenous peoples in Rondônia, Brazil. The territory consists of 26,000 hectares of forest on the Omerê River and is home to the Kanoê and Akuntsu tribes. Both tribes were the victims of severe massacres by cattle ranchers in the 1970s...
in Rondônia – Kanoe do Omerê & AkuntsuAkuntsuThe Akuntsu are an indigenous people of Rondônia, Brazil. Their land is part of the Rio Omerê Indigenous Territory, a small forest reserve which is also inhabited by a group of Kanoê... - TI Rio Muqui in RondôniaRondôniaRondônia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country. To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, and in the south is Bolivia. Its capital is Porto Velho. The state was named after Candido Rondon...
– Isolados das cabeceiras do rio Muqui (Given as Miqueleno-Kujubim in the table). - TI Rio Pardo in Mato Grosso and Amazonas – Isolados do Rio PardoRio Pardo (tribe)Rio Pardo is a small aboriginal tribe located in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Little is known about the reclusive hunter-gatherers, not even their language, but they are believed to be at risk of extinction.-External links:*...
(Tupi–Guarani–Kawahibi). - TI Xinane isoladosTerra Indigena Xinane IsoladosTerra Indigena Xinane Isolados is an Indigenous Territory in Acre State, Brazil, which has been dedicated to uncontacted Indians.It has a total area of 1,750 km² and contains no contacted human population...
in Acre – Unidentified.
Uncontacted groups living in other people's TIs are:
- TI Awá in Maranhão – Awá.
- TI Nivarura in Amazonas. First Contacted by Xionity missionaries in 2010.
- TI Avá-Canoeiro in GoiásGoiásGoiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...
– Avá-Canoeiro. - TI Arara do Rio Branco in Mato Grosso – Isolados da margem esquerda do médio Rio Roosevelt/Rio Branco.
- PI Aripuanã in Rondônia – Isolados da margem esquerda do médio Rio Aripuanã, Isolados do Río Pacutinga/Aripuanã, Isolados do Médio Rio Branco do Aripuanã.
- TI Bujiwa in Amazonas. (First contacted in 1943).
- TI Caru in Maranhão – Awá (Isolados do igarapé Água Branca).
- TI Inãwébohona in TocantinsTocantinsTocantins may refer to:* Tocantins, a state in Brazil* Tocantins River, a river in Brazil* Survivor: Tocantins, a reality show set in Tocantins, Brazil* Tocantins Esporte Clube, a Brazilian football club...
– Avá-Canoeiro (Isolados da Mata do Mamão). - TI Kampa e Isolados do Rio EnviraEnviraEnvira is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Its population was 13,548 as of 2005, and its area is 13,369 km²....
in Acre – Isolados do rio Envira. - TI Kaxinawa do Rio Humaitá in Acre – Unidentified.
- TI Koatinemo in ParáParáPará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
– Unidentified. - TI MenkragnotiTerra Indigena MenkragnotiTerra Indigena Menkragnoti is an Indigenous Territory in Para state, Brazil. It is home to the Menkragnoti tribe, which belongs to the Kayapo nation. It has a total population of 626 people living in 49,142.55 km². The Terra Indigena is also home to an unknown number of isolated Mengra Mrari...
in Pará – Mengra Mrari. - TI Raposa Serra do SolRaposa Serra Do SolReserva Indígena Raposa/Serra do Sol is an Indian reservation in Brazil, intended to be home to the Macuxi people...
in RoraimaRoraimaRoraima is the northernmost and least populated state of Brazil, located in the Amazon region. It borders the states of Amazonas and Pará, as well as the nations of Venezuela and Guyana. The population is 400,000 and the capital is Boa Vista...
– Unidentified, Discovered in 2006. Near Monte Roraima and Monte Caburaí (2 to 4 km from Brazil-Venezuela-Guyana tri-junction). - TI Mamoadate in Acre – Mashko (Isolados do Alto Iaco).
- TI Jaminaua-Envira – Isolados das cabeceiras do rio Jaminaua. (Part of Papavo)
- TI Riozinho do Alto Envira in Acre – Isolados do Riozinho/Envira. (Part of Papavo)
- TI Rio Teá in Amazonas – Four bands of Nadeb(?): Cabeceira dos rios Waranaçu e Gururu, Médio rio Tiquié, Cabeceiras dos rios Curicuriari e Dji and Cabeceiras do rio Teá. Two more bands nearby in Eneiuxi (Médio rio Eneiuxi) and Urubaxi (Cabeceira do rio Urubaxi e Bafuanã) are possibly Nedeb (Given as Nadeb in the table).
- PI Tumucumaque in Pará – Akurio.
- TI Uru-Eu-Wau-WauTerra Indigena Uru-Eu-Uaw-UawTerra Indigena Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw is an Indigenous Territory located in central Rondônia, Brazil. It has a contacted Indian population of around 168 people belonging to Amondaua, Uru Pa In, Juma, and Jupaú tribes . There remains an unknown number of uncontacted Indians who belongs to 4 to 6 different...
in Rondônia – four to six groups of isolated people, Including Isolados das cabeceiras do rio Muqui, Isolados do rio Cautário, Cabeceiras do rio Água Branca and JurureiJurureiJururei is a tiny uncontacted Indian tribe numbering 8-10 people living in the Parque Nacional Pakaas Novas inside the Terra Indigena Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw in Rondônia State, Brazil. In 2005 their land was invaded by loggers who tried to wipe them out. It is not known how many of the tribespeople were...
. - TI Vale do JavariVale do JavariVale do Javari is one of the largest reservations for indigenous peoples in Brazil. It lies at the western end of Amazonas state, next to the border with Loreto Region, Peru, and derives its name from Javari River, which is the most important of the region...
in Amazonas – seven groups of isolated people: Cabeceiras de Santana e igarapé Flexeira, KoruboKoruboKorubo or Korubu is the name given to a tribe of indigenous people living in the Javari Valley, in the Western Amazon Basin. The group calls themselves 'Dslala', and in Portuguese they are referred to as caceteiros...
, Isolados do Coari-Río Branco, Isolados do rio Quixito, Isolados do Rio Jandiatuba, Isolados do Rio Jutaí e Isolados dos rios Jaquirana/Amburus. - TI Waimiri Atroari in Amazonas – Formadores do rio Alalaú (Piriutiti) and Formadores do rio Jatapu (Karafawyana or Chamakoto).
- TI Xikrin do Cateté in Pará
- TI Araribóia in Mato Grosso – Isolados dos rios Buriticupu e Taruparu.
- TI Cuminapanema – Zo’é.
- TI Tanaru – Only one individual, the "Tanaru Isolated Indian." Remaining members of the tribe were massacred or wiped out by disease.
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apiaká | over 100 | Mato Grosso Mato Grosso Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest... – Between Lower Juruena and Lower Teles Pires |
|
| Apurinã | over 50 | Amazonas – Upper rio Sepatini | Arawak. |
| Aruá Aruá language Aruá is an extinct language of Brazil. The last speaker died in 1877. All that survives is a word list from 1869.... |
75 at most | Rondônia |
|
| Avá-Canoeiro | 30 | Northern Goiás Goiás Goiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community... and Bananal Island Bananal Island Bananal Island is a large island formed from the bisection of the Araguaia River, in southwestern Tocantins, Brazil. The island is formed by a fork in a very flat section of the Araguaia River. Bananal Island is the largest fluvial island in the world, at 350 km long and 55 km wide... , in Tocantins Tocantins Tocantins may refer to:* Tocantins, a state in Brazil* Tocantins River, a river in Brazil* Survivor: Tocantins, a reality show set in Tocantins, Brazil* Tocantins Esporte Clube, a Brazilian football club... . |
|
| Guaja | 120 [already counted among the known group] | Maranhão Maranhão Maranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent... – Scattered throughout the western part of the state |
|
| Ingarune | around 100 | North Pará Pará Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state... – Rio Cuminapanema and Paru de Oeste |
|
| Kanibo (Mayo) | 120–150 | Rio Quixito, Javari Basin, Amazonas | Probably Pano.
|
| Kaniwa (Korubo Korubo Korubo or Korubu is the name given to a tribe of indigenous people living in the Javari Valley, in the Western Amazon Basin. The group calls themselves 'Dslala', and in Portuguese they are referred to as caceteiros... ) |
300 | 9 maloca Maloca A maloca is an ancestral long house used by the natives of the Amazon, notably in Colombia and Brazil. Each community has a maloca with its own unique characteristics. For many years, these long houses were Jesuit missionaries’ objects of attack. Several families with patrilineal relations live... s in Between Lower Ituí and Lower Itacuaí, Amazonas |
Pano.
|
| Karafawyana and other isolated Carib tribes. | 400–500 | Four locations in Roraima and north Pará.
|
Mostly Cariban.
|
| Karitiana | 50–100 | Upper Rio Candeias, Rondônia. | Tupi–Arikem. Identified by the small group that has been contacted. |
| Katawixi | 50 | Upper Rio Muquim, tributary of the Purus, Amazonas. | Isolated language. One community only has been located. |
| Kayapó do Rio Liberdade | over 100 | Lower Rio Liberdade, northern Mato Grosso. | Gé. Identified by other Kayapó towards whom they are hostile. |
| Kayapó-Pu'ro | 100 | Lower Rio Curuá, South Pará. | Kayapó. Group which has broken away from the Mekragnoti since 1940. Outside Kayapó I.T. |
| Kayapó-Pituiaro | 200 | Rio Murure, South Pará. | Kayapó. Group which has broken away from the Kuben-kranken since 1950. Partly outside Kayapó I.T Terra Indigena Kaiapo Terra Indigena Kaiapo is an Indigenous Territory located in Para State, Brazil. As of 2002, it has a population of 3,319 Kaiapo and a total surface area of 32,840.05 km². There are evidences of uncontacted Indians inside the TI.... . |
| Kayapó-Kararao Kararao The Kararao are a tribe of the Kayapo nation of Brazil. As of 2004, contacted Kararao numbered only 29 individuals and a further 50 or so remain uncontacted. The Kararao live in the Terra Indigena Kararahô in Pará .-External links:*... |
around 50 | Lower Rio Guajara, South Pará. | Kayapó. Group which has broken away from the Kararao. Struggles are part of their traditions. |
| Kulina | unknown | Rio Curuça, tributary of the Javari, Amazonas. | Arawan. Small isolate communities belonging to the big Kulina group. |
| Maku (Nadeb) | around 100 | Uneiuxi and Urubaxi Basins, Amazonas. | Isolated language. Isolated elements of Maku groups that have already been contacted. Hunter-gatherers. |
| Mamaindé | 50–100 | Upper Rio Corumbiara, Rondônia. | Isolated language. Isolated group of Nambikwara. A no-entry zone was allocated and then cancelled under local pressure. Recently massacred. |
| Hi-Merimã Hi-Merimã people The Hi-Merimã people live between the Juruá and the Purus rivers, in the state of Amazonas in Brazil.Their numbers are uncertain, but in 1943 it was estimated that the Hi-Merimã consisted of more than 1,000 individuals. They were known primarily through their conflicts with neighboring tribes.... |
1,500 | Riozinho, tributary of the Cuniuã, Purus Basin, Amazonas. | Arawan(?). Their area has recently been declared protected. |
| Mayoruna | 200–300 | 3 locations in Amazonas:
|
Pano. Small isolated communities of the large Mayoruna group. |
| Miqueleno (Cujubi) | ? | Upper Rio São Miguel, Rondônia | Isolated Chapakura language. Area invaded by loggers. Recently massacred. |
| Nereyana | around 100 | Rio Panama, headwaters of Paru do Oeste, North Pará. | Karib. Perhaps more closely related to the Kachuyana than to the Tiriyo. |
Pacaás Novos
|
around 150 | Serra dos Pacaás Novos, Rondônia.
|
Isolated Chapakura language. Isolated groups belonging to the major Pacaás Novos group. Included in the Uru-eu-wau-wau I.T Terra Indigena Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw Terra Indigena Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw is an Indigenous Territory located in central Rondônia, Brazil. It has a contacted Indian population of around 168 people belonging to Amondaua, Uru Pa In, Juma, and Jupaú tribes . There remains an unknown number of uncontacted Indians who belongs to 4 to 6 different... . |
| Papavo Supergroup, which includes:
|
over 400 | Acre (Scattered over a single large territory)
|
Many isolated communities belonging to four distinct groups. Struggling is part of their traditions: reciprocal hostile contacts with the Kampa (whom they plunder), and peaceful ones with the Kulina; they plunder the loggers' encampments.
Terra Indigena Xinane Isolados Terra Indigena Xinane Isolados is an Indigenous Territory in Acre State, Brazil, which has been dedicated to uncontacted Indians.It has a total area of 1,750 km² and contains no contacted human population... . have been set up for them. |
| Pariuaia | over 100 | Rio Bararati, tributary of the Lower Juruena, Amazonas. | Probably Tupi–Kawahib, Tupi–Guarani. Have refused all contact since 1930. |
| Piriutiti | 100–200 | Rio Curiau, Amazonas. | Related to the Waimiri-Atroari (Karib). Some live in, others outside, the latter's I.T. |
| Sateré | unknown | Rio Parauari, tributary of the Maués-açu, Amazonas. | Tupi. Communities that split away from the Sateré-Maué a long time ago. |
| Tupi–Kawahib (Piripicura) | 200–300 | Between the Madeirinha and Roosevelt rivers, northern Mato Grosso. | Tupi–Guarani. A no-entry zone has just been allocated for them. |
| Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau | 300 | Serra dos Pakaás-Novas, Rondônia. | Tupi–Guarani. There remain over 3 uncontacted groups. Several hostile encounters with gold-seekers and loggers. All are included in the vast Uru-eu-wau-wau I.T Terra Indigena Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw Terra Indigena Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw is an Indigenous Territory located in central Rondônia, Brazil. It has a contacted Indian population of around 168 people belonging to Amondaua, Uru Pa In, Juma, and Jupaú tribes . There remains an unknown number of uncontacted Indians who belongs to 4 to 6 different... . |
| Wayãpi (Yawãpi) | 100–150 | Upper Ipitinga, between the Jari and the Paru do Leste, northern Pará. | Tupi–Guarani. Group which formerly broke away from the Southern Wayãpi. |
| Yakarawakta | 20–30 | Between the Rios Aripuanã and Juruena, Mato Grosso Norte. | Tupi–Guarani. Probably an Apiaka sub-group. |
| Yanomami | 300 | Amazonas
|
Yanomami.
|
| name unknown | around 100 | Between the Upper Amapari and Upper Oiapoque, Amapa Amapa Amapa can refer to:*Amapá is one of the states of Brazil.*Amapá , a municipality in that Brazilian state.*Amapa, Nayarit, a town in the Mexican state of Nayarit.... . |
Unspecified language family. According to the Southern Wayãpi, a group that formerly broke away from them. According to the Northern Wayãpi, one of their former enemy groups, the Tapüiy. |
| name unknown (Isolados do Jandiatuba) | 300 | Between the Upper Jandiatuba and the Itacuaí, Amazonas. | Maybe a Katukina group. |
| name unknown (Isolados do São José) | 300 | Igarapé São José, tributary of the Itacuaí, Amazonas. | Seems to be a group distinct from Isolados do Jandiatuba. |
| name unknown | unknown | Igarapé Recreio, Cruzeiro do Sul municipality, Upper Juruá, Acre. | Panoan(?) |
| name unknown (Isolados do Igarapé Tueré) | unknown | Igarapé Tueré, tributary of the Itacaiúnas, Pará. | Tupi(?) |
| name unknown (Isolados do Arama e Inaui) | around 100 | South of Rio Inauini, Purus Basin, Amazonas. | |
| name unknown (Isolados do Igarapé Umari) | unknown | Igarapé Umari, tributary of the Ituxi, Amazonas. | |
| name unknown (Isolados da Serra do Taquaral) | unknown | Serra do Taquaral, source of the Rio Branco, Rondônia. |
Of the known uncontacted peoples of Brazil, according to the above, 16 live in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, 7 in Rondônia, 8 in Pará, 2 in Acre, 3 in Mato Grosso, and one each in Amapá, Maranhão, Roraima and Tocantins. Keep in mind some migrate between state lines.
Colombia
Due to ongoing paramilitary conflict, Colombia is a country that offers little protection for isolated groups. Carabayo-Aroje is the one such group, living in the Parque Nacional del Rio Pure. It is not known whether any Yari (another tribe believed to be uncontacted) survives now. Nukaak MakuNukak
The Nukak people live between the Guaviare and Inírida rivers, in the depths of the tropical humid forest, on the fringe of the Amazon basin, in Guaviare Department, Republic of Colombia. They are nomadic hunter-gatherers with seasonal nomadic patterns and in addition they practice a shifting...
were contacted in 2003 and 65% of the tribal members died of disease. Around two or three dozen Nukaak still remain isolated.
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carabayo | 150 | Amazonas Amazonas Department Amazonas is a department of Colombia in the south of the country. Its capital is Leticia. Its name comes from the Amazon River that drains much in the department and the rainforest that covers a large part of the department.... – Source of the Purué River, north of the Putumayo River ICA - Business :* Empresas ICA , large construction company in Mexico* ICA AB, a Swedish corporate group in the food retail business, formerly named ICA Ahold AB.... |
|
| Guaviare Macusa (Now Nukaak) | 300 | Guainia Guainía Department Guainía is a department of Colombia. It is in the east of the country, bordering Venezuela and Brazil. Its capital is Inirida. In 1963 Guainía was split off from Vaupés. The northern part and the Inírida River are included in the Orinoco river basin; the rest is part of Amazonia... – Between the Guaviare River Guaviare River The Guaviare is a tributary of the Orinoco located in Colombia.The Guaviare has its source in two other rivers, the Ariari and the Guayabero, which in turn have their own sources in the eastern part of the Andes. At long, it is the longest river on the Orinoco and is navigable for of its total... and the Inírida River Inírida River -References:*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993.... |
Nukak language The Nukak language is a tone language, perhaps part of the small Nadahup language family. It is mutually intelligible with Kakwa.-Vowels:There are six oral and six nasal vowels.... is unclassified. |
| name unknown (Isolados dos Rio Yari) | unknown | Caqueta – Upper Rio Yari |
|
Ecuador
It is not known whether any TagaeriTagaeri
The Tagaeri are a clan of Huaorani people living in Yasuni National Park, at the Ecuadorian Amazon Basin, named for their association with the warrior Taga...
survives now in Yasuni National Park
Yasuni National Park
Yasuni National Park is in Ecuador with an area of 9,820 km2 between the Napo and Curaray rivers in Napo and Pastaza provinces in Amazonian Ecuador. The park is about 250 km from Quito and was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1989...
. In the 1990s when a member of Tagaeri was contacted by a lone Huaorani hunter, he told him that Tagaeri numbers only a handful of members and are in danger of being wiped out by their hostile neighbours – the Taromenane
Taromenane
The Taromenane are an uncontacted clan living in Yasuni National Park, at the Ecuadorian Amazon Basin.Together with the Tagaeri they make up the two last known indigenous groups living in voluntary isolation in Ecuador....
. Since then there have been no more peaceful contacts. The Tagaeri hunter also mentioned about another group, the Oñamenane who numbered five or six individuals and there was one more tribe – the Huiñatare. In 2003 about 30 Taromenane were massacred by the Huaorani
Huaorani
The Huaorani, Waorani or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate name Auca is a pejorative exonym used by the neighboring Quechua Indians, and commonly adopted by...
in retaliation for the killing of a Huaorani hunter. In the same year 14 Tagaeri were killed by loggers. In April 2006 a logger was speared to death by the Taromenane (in 2005 another one was also killed by the same tribe, whose body was later found embedded with 30 spears and his face unrecognizable). In the same month a further 30 Taromenane and 10 loggers were killed in conflicts according to leader Iki Ima Omene (of Huaorani). In Jan 2007 the president of Ecuador declared the Southern part of Yasuni a forbidden zone (7,580 square kilometers) in order to protect the uncontacted people. At the same time CONAIE
CONAIE
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or more commonly, CONAIE, is Ecuador's largest indigenous organization. Formed in 1986, CONAIE has pursued social change on behalf of the region's significant native population using a wide range tactics including direct action...
reported that there are a total of 150–300 Taromenane (divided into two sub-tribes) and 20–30 Tagaeri surviving uncontacted there. The Oñamenane and Huiñatare are extinct. Ecuador continues to be the country with the largest number of uncontacted people killed since 2000.
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huaorani Huaorani The Huaorani, Waorani or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate name Auca is a pejorative exonym used by the neighboring Quechua Indians, and commonly adopted by... |
100–200 | Oriente – Between the Upper Napo and Upper Curaray |
|
Guyana
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wapishana | 100 | Between the sources of the Essequibo River Essequibo River The Esequibo River is the largest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil-Guyana border, the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,010 km through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean.-Geography:There are countless... and the Tacutu River; Serra Acarai |
|
| name unknown | around 100 | Between the Upper Courantyne and the New River |
|
French Guiana
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayãpi Wayampi The Wayampi are a Tupi–Guarani-speaking group located in the south-eastern border area of French Guiana at the confluence of Camopi and Oyapock rivers, and the basins of the Amapari and Carapanatuba Rivers in the central part of Amapá state, Brazil... |
100 | Between the Eureupoucine and the Upper Camopi |
|
Peru
There are now five reserves in the Peruvian Amazon meant to protect the lands and rights of isolated peoples. Most of the reserves are currently entered by illegal loggers and petroleum companies with legal concessions to work in those lands, although their activities jeopardize the lives of the isolated populations.After Brazil (43 uncontacted groups confirmed) and New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Iriyan Jaya), Peru has the largest number of uncontacted tribes in the world. Some of the groups in Peru are in danger of extermination by loggers and oil development. As of 2006, the locations where uncontacted groups are confirmed to be living are as follows:
- Amarakaeri Communal ReserveAmarakaeri Communal ReserveThe Amarakaeri Communal Reserve is a protected area in Peru located in the Madre de Dios Region, Manú Province. It protects parts of the Southwest Amazon moist forests and Peruvian Yungas ecoregions.- External links :*...
: Groups are YoraYora languageThe Yora language also called Yura or Yuranahua is an indigenous language of Peru in the region of Manú National Park on the Panagua River. It belongs to the Panoan language family which also counts Cashibo language, Shipibo language the languages most closely related to Yora are the Yaminahua and...
and other unidentified Panoan tribes. - Zona Reservada Biabo Cordillera Azul: Cacatibo.
- Parque Nacional del Manu: Mashco-Piro, uncontacted bands of Matsiguenga, tribes belonging to Yura family and unidentified tribes.
- Reserva Communal Asháninka, Reserva Communal Matsiguenga and Parque Nacional Otishi: uncontacted bands of Ashaninka.
- Parque Nacional Alto Purús and Reserva Communal Purús: Yaminahua, Chitonahua, Curajeño and Mashco-Piro-Iñapari.
- Reserva Territorial del Estado: Kungapakori, Nahua, Matsiguenga, Nanti, Krineri and other unidentified tribes.
- Reserva Territorial del Murunahua y Chitonahua: Murunahua, Chitonahua.
- Reserva Territorial del Isconahua: Isconahua.
- Reserva Territorial del Mashco-Piro: Various tribes belonging to Mashco-Piro such as Mascho-Piro-Iñapari.
- Reservas territoriales del Cacataibo: Cacataibo.
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morunahua | 150 | This group is probably related to the group that used to be called Papavo in Brazil. | |
| Parquenahua | 200 | Pano. They live in the Manu national park. | |
| Pisabo | 200 | Pano. |
Suriname
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akulio | 50 | Watershed between Suriname and Brazil. Between the sources of the Itani and the Jari |
|
Venezuela
| Name | Pop (Est) | Location | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yanomami | 300–400 (already included in the total for Yanomami populations) | Amazonas – Upper Siapa |
|
Paraguay
There remain perhaps as many as 300 Totobiegosode who have not been contacted; they belong to the AyoreoAyoreo
The Ayoreo are a native ethnic group living on Gran Chaco, in an area among rivers Paraguay, Pilcomayo, Parapetí and Grande, stretching both in Bolivia and Paraguay. They speak the Ayoreo language, which is classified under Zamucoan, a small language family of Paraguay and Bolivia...
ethnicity, which numbers around 2,000. In the 1990s the main group attempting to contact them was New Tribes Mission. In 1979 and 1986, the New Tribes Mission was accused of assisting in the forcible contact of nomadic Ayoreo Indians, whose unsuccessful attempts to remain in the forest led to several deaths. Others died soon after being brought out of the forest. The incident forced some Ayoreo to flee to Bolivia. The main threat currently are the ranchers. In 2004 a group of 17 Ayoreo-Totobiegosode previously uncontacted made contact with the outside world and decided to settle down (five men, seven women and five children, according to Survival
Survival International
Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples, seeking to help them to determine their own future. Their campaigns generally focus on tribal peoples' fight to keep their ancestral lands,...
). It was not known whether there were any more isolated Ayoreo left in the jungle. But in the first week of September 2007, another uncontacted band of Ayoreo-Totobiegosode were spotted by loggers in the Western Chaco. Ayoreo are believed to be the last uncontacted Indians south of the Amazon basin. In 2008, a Paraguayan ruling blocked a Brazilian company from clearing Totobiegosode to make room for cattle ranches. Although the forest is still being cleared illegally.
In popular culture
Uncontacted tribes remain a fascination in Western culture. Recently, the idea of tour operators offering extreme adventure tours to specifically search out uncontacted peoples has become a controversial subject. A BBC FourBBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
documentary in 2006 documented a controversial American tour operator who specializes in escorted tours to "discover" uncontacted peoples in West Papua similar to the BBC's own adventure in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
to make their 1971 documentary A Blank on the Map
A Blank on the Map
A Blank on the Map is a BBC documentary written and presented by David Attenborough. It was first transmitted in 1971 and is part of the Attenborough in Paradise and Other Personal Voyages collection of 7 documentaries...
in which the first contact in over a decade was made with the Biami people.
Uncontacted tribes have also emerged in works of literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
- The Lost WorldThe Lost World (Arthur Conan Doyle)The Lost World is a novel released in 1912 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals still survive. It was originally published serially in the popular Strand Magazine during the months of April 1912-November 1912...
by Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan DoyleSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
released in 1912. It depicts early human hominids in the jungle of South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
- A Russian novel written in 1924, Sannikov Land, describes an island off the Siberian coast populated by an isolated Siberian tribe of Onkilon (another name for non-fictional YuitSiberian YupikSiberian Yupiks, or Yuits, are indigenous people who reside along the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula in the far northeast of the Russian Federation and on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. They speak Central Siberian Yupik , a Yupik language of the Eskimo–Aleut family of languages.They were also...
thought to be extinct at the time), followed in 1973 by a Soviet movie The Sannikov Land.
- The 1980 film The Gods Must Be CrazyThe Gods Must Be CrazyThe Gods Must Be Crazy is a 1980 film, written and directed by Jamie Uys. The film is the first in The Gods Must Be Crazy series of films. Set in Botswana and South Africa, it tells the story of Xi, a Sho of the Kalahari Desert whose band has no knowledge of the world beyond...
dealt with a fictitious uncontacted tribe in South Africa. The tribe enjoy idyllic lives until they are set into chaos simply by contact with an object (a Coca-Cola bottle) from modern society. One of the tribe's elders (played by a !Kung man) sets out to throw the bottle off the "edge of the earth" to save his tribe.
- The 1985 film The Emerald ForestThe Emerald Forest (film)-External links:* - a British Library recording....
features a Western boy kidnapped by a previously uncontacted AmazonAmazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
ian tribe called the "Invisible People".
- The 1986 film The Mission about the experiences of a Jesuit missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in 18th century South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
with the Guarani people, staring Robert De NiroRobert De NiroRobert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
and Jeremy IronsJeremy IronsJeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
. This took place near the present-day borderBorderBorders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
s of ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. The land on which the Jesuit missions were located had unknowingly been transferred to the PortuguesePortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(Brazil) who allowed slaverySlaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, from the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(Argentina/Paraguay) who did not.
- In the 1991 film At Play in the Fields of the LordAt Play in the Fields of the LordAt Play in the Fields of the Lord is a drama film directed by Héctor Babenco adapted from the 1965 novel of the same name by American author Peter Matthiessen. The screenplay was written by Babenco and Jean-Claude Carrière...
(based on the novel of the same name), an American pilot parachutes from an airplane into the AmazonAmazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
where he encounters and lives with a previously uncontacted tribe.
- The 1995 film Last of the DogmenLast of the DogmenLast of the Dogmen is a 1995 adventure Western film written and directed by Tab Murphy about the search for and discovery of an unknown band of Dog Soldiers from a tribe of Cheyenne Indians...
tells the story of a group of uncontacted CheyenneCheyenneCheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
discovered living in a remote part of MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
- In 2006, the docudrama End of the SpearEnd of the SpearEnd of the Spear is a 2006 docudrama film that recounts the story of Operation Auca, in which five American Christian missionaries attempted to evangelize the Huaorani people of the jungle of Ecuador...
recounts the story of Operation Auca, in which five American Christian missionaries attempted to evangelize the HuaoraniHuaoraniThe Huaorani, Waorani or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate name Auca is a pejorative exonym used by the neighboring Quechua Indians, and commonly adopted by...
people of the jungles of Ecuador.
See also
- Indigenous peoplesIndigenous peoplesIndigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
- Indigenous peoples of the AmericasIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
- List of ethnic groups
- Terra nulliusTerra nulliusTerra nullius is a Latin expression deriving from Roman law meaning "land belonging to no one" , which is used in international law to describe territory which has never been subject to the sovereignty of any state, or over which any prior sovereign has expressly or implicitly relinquished...
- Stateless societyStateless societyA stateless society is a society that is not governed by a state. In stateless societies, there is little concentration of authority; most positions of authority that do exist are very limited in power and are generally not permanently held positions; and social bodies that resolve disputes through...