NationStates Jolt Archive

Photos have been taken of one of the last tribes to supposedly be free from any contact with the rest of the world.

The images, taken by the Brazil's department for Indian affairs (Funai), reveal a number of thatched roof huts in a small clearing in the forest, in the western Amazon, close to Envira, which is
not far from the border with Peru.

Funai warned that logging in the region threatened the existence of the few remaining uncontacted indigenous communities.

"We did the overflight to show their houses, to show they are there, to show they exist,' said Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles, an expert on uncontacted tribes at Funai. "This is very important because there are some who doubt their existence."

My question is, did they have to do it by flying over in a plane, wouldn't that freak them out a little?

Seems it did...

The Brazilian government has a policy of not contacting the few tribes which are untouched by the outside world and whose way of life has apparently changed little in thousands of years. It is not known to which tribe they belonged, Funai said.

It is understood that when the plane first overflew the village, the people scattered into the forest. When it returned a few hours later they had painted themselves red and fired arrows into the sky.

"They must have suffered some sort of trauma in the past and must know that contact is not a good thing," Fiona Watson, of Survival International, said.

Trauma in the past? Compared to the trauma of seeing some huge, loud buzzing thing in the sky?

Link for photo (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/30/brazil.conservation)

They're either shooting to protect or to feast on a really large bird, Christmas come early...

So, amm, would there be a better way to prove they exist and/or imagine you're a tribes person, what would you think?

high res satellite imagery? a glider rather than a plane?

a big scary buzzing plane does sound a bit tactless

This is an opportunity for practical jokes on an epic scale.

This is an opportunity for practical jokes on an epic scale.

*throws coke bottle out of plane*

...wait a minute...

*throws Bottle out of plane*

That'll fuck 'em up.

*throws coke bottle out of plane*

And thus begins a story of tragic hoarding and murder and then a zany adventure of attempts to return it to the gods from whence it came and that's how they find civilization.

you mean by Brazilian wood arm chair is being held up by a bunch of red painted natives shooting arrows at things. move them to the city and tell them to get a job like everyone else.

*throws coke bottle out of plane*

...wait a minute...

*throws Bottle out of plane*

That'll fuck 'em up.
O.o

If I remember the plot correctly, the hapless bottle is taken to the edge of the world and thrown over! I want nothing to do with these dangerous bottle-murdering people!

Though, I must admit, I'm impressed with the attitude of this tribe, since they appeared ready to confront the plane when it returned. Honestly, that's gotta take guts. If I'd never seen a plane before I'd be scared shitless of them.

This actually reminds me of a news article from just after the 2004 tsunami:

"Happily, most of the Andamans' Negritos seem to have survived December's tsunami. The fate of one tribe, the Sentinelese, remains uncertain, but an Indian coast guard helicopter sent to check up on them came under bow and arrow attack, which is heartening." - Armand Marie Leroi, New York Times.

<snip>

So, amm, would there be a better way to prove they exist and/or imagine you're a tribes person, what would you think?
If I was really interested in being polite and in following Brazil's "prime directive," I would have to assume they exist rather than prove it. Otherwise, contact is inavoidable, and if you're going that way, then a slow process of personal visits, preferably through the agency/reference of a tribe they have prior contacts with, is the only way to go. I mean, really, it's a matter of going over to someone else's house. How would you do that in your own neighborhood?

If I were a tribes person, my first thought on seeing that plane would be, "There goes the neighborhood." And I'd probably grab my weapons.

This actually reminds me of a news article from just after the 2004 tsunami:

"Happily, most of the Andamans' Negritos seem to have survived December's tsunami. The fate of one tribe, the Sentinelese, remains uncertain, but an Indian coast guard helicopter sent to check up on them came under bow and arrow attack, which is heartening." - Armand Marie Leroi, New York Times.
:D Love it. I wish I could put certain people under bow and arrow attack when they come to my house.

O.o

If I remember the plot correctly, the hapless bottle is taken to the edge of the world and thrown over! I want nothing to do with these dangerous bottle-murdering people!

Though, I must admit, I'm impressed with the attitude of this tribe, since they appeared ready to confront the plane when it returned. Honestly, that's gotta take guts. If I'd never seen a plane before I'd be scared shitless of them.

Are you kidding? You'd have them worshipping you inside a week of your arrival.

But yes, they definitely would be scared. My guess is the Brazilian government didn't have anything else available to go look for the tribe, or else they'd not have used such a loud plane.

they attacked a civilian aircraft?!?

I'm sure Russia has already begun shipping out the latest anti-aircraft technology

This actually reminds me of a news article from just after the 2004 tsunami:

"Happily, most of the Andamans' Negritos seem to have survived December's tsunami. The fate of one tribe, the Sentinelese, remains uncertain, but an Indian coast guard helicopter sent to check up on them came under bow and arrow attack, which is heartening." - Armand Marie Leroi, New York Times.

When I saw that, I first wondered if it was a joke, given the name of the tribe "Sentinelese". Then I realized - assuming this tribe shoots everyone who comes nearby, there has never been peaceful contact, we would know almost nothing about them. We'd give them a name based on what we know about them. "Sentinelese" is one of the more respectful names I could come up with.

When I saw that, I first wondered if it was a joke, given the name of the tribe "Sentinelese". Then I realized - assuming this tribe shoots everyone who comes nearby, there has never been peaceful contact, we would know almost nothing about them. We'd give them a name based on what we know about them. "Sentinelese" is one of the more respectful names I could come up with.

its much better than just calling them pikies;)

its much better than just calling them pikies;)

Or pricks. That's the nicest I could be towards people shooting at me.

Or pricks. That's the nicest I could be towards people shooting at me.


I wonder if anyone who holds to the "life was beautiful back when we all lived in harmony with the Earth" philosophy has noticed that whenever these idyllic harmonious pre-technological people encounter something highly unusual and inexplicable, like an aircraft, their first reaction always seems to be: kill it!

I wonder if anyone who holds to the "life was beautiful back when we all lived in harmony with the Earth" philosophy has noticed that whenever these idyllic harmonious pre-technological people encounter something highly unusual and inexplicable, like an aircraft, their first reaction always seems to be: kill it!

Well, I suppose if there was a giant something that looked like a danger to me, I might have to try and kill it as well. After all, it could destroy my beautiful harmonic life with Mother Earth.

Well, I suppose if there was a giant something that looked like a danger to me, I might have to try and kill it as well. After all, it could destroy my beautiful harmonic life with Mother Earth.


This is how the whole pre-emptive war concept got going, I suppose.

Alas, it's probably in our genes, considering how the villagers who were a little more hesitant with the spear were probably the ones the tigers ate.

When I saw that, I first wondered if it was a joke, given the name of the tribe "Sentinelese". Then I realized - assuming this tribe shoots everyone who comes nearby, there has never been peaceful contact, we would know almost nothing about them. We'd give them a name based on what we know about them. "Sentinelese" is one of the more respectful names I could come up with.

Um... They're named for the island they live on. North Sentinel Island, one of the islands in the chain of Andaman Islands. I assume that name was given to both the place and the tribe by people who did not belong to either.

(It amazes me that, here on the internet, people see something they don't quite understand, but never think to ask google about it.)

Or pricks. That's the nicest I could be towards people shooting at me.
Considering the history of the region (and the world in general), I'm going to guess that the Sentinelese have good reason to shoot those arrows and are/have been surrounded by pricks just as or more pricky than them.

I wonder if anyone who holds to the "life was beautiful back when we all lived in harmony with the Earth" philosophy has noticed that whenever these idyllic harmonious pre-technological people encounter something highly unusual and inexplicable, like an aircraft, their first reaction always seems to be: kill it!
Yeah, I've always hated that "noble savage" bullshit. Life without pavement and plumbing is fucking hard. Pre-technological peoples don't get anywhere by not kicking ass. That's why they kick so much ass. They are not happy little primitive pixies dancing with bunnies in their tropical meadows. In their world, wasting time on some citified asshole who wants to fly in and sell you Tupperware and change your language only makes the road to death shorter and less amusing.

I wonder if the tribe will make some new myth regarding the plane or something. It'd be interesting to know what rationale they used to explain the phenomenon.

I can imagine the Sentinelese feeling pretty tough at scaring off the plane. We shouldn't assume they've never seen a plane before, probably just not that close. Good for them.

I wonder if the tribe will make some new myth regarding the plane or something. It'd be interesting to know what rationale they used to explain the phenomenon.
I call dibs in the betting pool on the myth motif that involves crazy white people. :)

I can imagine the Sentinelese feeling pretty tough at scaring off the plane. We shouldn't assume they've never seen a plane before, probably just not that close. Good for them.
To head off confusion:

The Sentinalese live in the Andaman Islands, and they definitely have seen planes before. They're the ones famous for shooting arrows at them.

The tribe that freaked out and are assumed to not be familiar with planes live in Brazil. They are not the Sentinelese.

O.o

If I remember the plot correctly, the hapless bottle is taken to the edge of the world and thrown over! I want nothing to do with these dangerous bottle-murdering people!

I dunno Bottle... everytime I read this post,
*throws coke bottle out of plane*

...wait a minute...

*throws Bottle out of plane*

That'll fuck 'em up.

I imagine a flyover the next year showing you leading the charge of a tribe of Amazons as they take over the area.

I just find it fascinating that unencountered tribes still exist. The thought of an entire culture that has remained isolated from the world and which have remained independent of the changes that have happened in their history is pretty amazing.

I just find it fascinating that unencountered tribes still exist. The thought of an entire culture that has remained isolated from the world and which have remained independent of the changes that have happened in their history is pretty amazing.

You have little idea then of the challenges posed to movement on the ground by the Amazon rain forest, nor of the scale of the place. These people live a very long way from anything that could be remotely described as the known world.

O.o

If I remember the plot correctly, the hapless bottle is taken to the edge of the world and thrown over! I want nothing to do with these dangerous bottle-murdering people!

Though, I must admit, I'm impressed with the attitude of this tribe, since they appeared ready to confront the plane when it returned. Honestly, that's gotta take guts. If I'd never seen a plane before I'd be scared shitless of them.

Well, you might try to kill it, like they did.

I wonder if the tribe will make some new myth regarding the plane or something. It'd be interesting to know what rationale they used to explain the phenomenon.

I think that'd be a given. It'd be interesting to be an anthropologist going in afterwards to hear what they came up with.

I just find it fascinating that unencountered tribes still exist. The thought of an entire culture that has remained isolated from the world and which have remained independent of the changes that have happened in their history is pretty amazing.

Well, since the Brazilian government knew where they were, I doubt they're unencountered.

This actually reminds me of a news article from just after the 2004 tsunami:

"Happily, most of the Andamans' Negritos seem to have survived December's tsunami. The fate of one tribe, the Sentinelese, remains uncertain, but an Indian coast guard helicopter sent to check up on them came under bow and arrow attack, which is heartening." - Armand Marie Leroi, New York Times.
:p

Excellent!

I just find it fascinating that unencountered tribes still exist. The thought of an entire culture that has remained isolated from the world and which have remained independent of the changes that have happened in their history is pretty amazing.
Reminds me of a story I heard in a Soviet Studies class I took last year:

After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the new Russian administration was surveying its remoter regions, to get a clearer picture of what the new Russia contained. They came across an isolated village and decided to stop by. The village leaders came out to greet the strangers, welcoming them warmly and, rather embarrassed, explained they hadn't had much contact with the outside world for quite some time.

With a great beaming smile, one of village leaders ventured, "So, who's the Tsar now?".

The village had no inkling whatsoever of the Russian Revolution, the setting up of the USSR, or anything after 1916; missing out on perhaps the greatest political event in twentieth-century history. Eventually, it was decided that the children and young adults of the village would be educated on their missing history, while the elders would be kept in ignorance. It was deemed too much of a shock.

How do I get declared an "indigenous tribe" so people (and especially government) will leave me the hell alone?

With a great beaming smile, one of village leaders ventured, "So, who's the Tsar now?".


Jonathan Spence tells a similar story in Treason by the Book.

The emissaries of the 4th Qing emperor - Yongzheng - are conducting enquiries deep in the mountains, hunting down some errant scholar, to be consistently be met with:

"We are emissaries of the Qing Emperor"
"Qing? What the hell happened to the Ming?"

This is a good 100 years into the Qing dynasty.

I just find it fascinating that unencountered tribes still exist. The thought of an entire culture that has remained isolated from the world and which have remained independent of the changes that have happened in their history is pretty amazing.

I agree. I think it's slightly better that they are discovered now rather than earlier, when the general attitude was: "zomg these are uncivilised people! we must civilise them blah blah..."

Let's just hope we really leave them alone.