The Lost Tribe that Wasn't

[Elphaba]

Secrets of the Lost Tribe that Wasn’t

From the story:

They are the amazing pictures that were beamed around the globe: a handful of warriors from an 'undiscovered tribe' in the rainforest on the Brazilian-Peruvian border brandishing bows and arrows at the aircraft that photographed them.

Or so the story was told and sold. But it has now emerged that, far from being unknown, the tribe's existence has been noted since 1910 and the mission to photograph them was undertaken in order to prove that 'uncontacted' tribes still existed in an area endangered by the menace of the logging industry.

I have read at least one post on the board that mentioned this tribe before this new information was known. I had a feeling it was a hoax at the time, as it seemed impossible to me that no contact had ever happened.

However, I have been wrong enough times I've learned to keep my mouth shut; unfortunately, this is one of those times I should have been mouthy. If I had you all would have been bowled over by my powers of discernment.

Elphaba

[MattSurvivalInternational]

There was no hoax. There may have been some media misunderstanding, but from the beginning, Survival International and FUNAI (the Brazilian Government National Indian Foundation) have not said that the tribe was 'unknown'. The tribe was and remains ‘uncontacted’: no outsider has been known to have any peaceful contact with its members.

This is true of about 100 tribes worldwide. Since the photographs were released, Peru has acknowledged the lands of uncontacted tribes on its side of the border, and sent a team to investigate the illegal logging that threatens their survival.

Find out more about the world's uncontacted tribes at Uncontacted Tribes - Survival International and read Survival's article on the supposed hoax at Uncontacted tribe photos no hoax - News from Survival International

Matt
Survival International

[WANDERER]

It would seem that contact is being left as their decision from what I have read...but they aren't technically lost.

[Moksha]

I have suspected that Duane Dibbley from Red Dwarf was one such member of this lost tribe.

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by MattSurvivalInternational

There was no hoax. There may have been some media misunderstanding, but from the beginning, Survival International and FUNAI (the Brazilian Government National Indian Foundation) have not said that the tribe was 'unknown'. The tribe was and remains ‘uncontacted’: no outsider has been known to have any peaceful contact with its members.

Thank you very much for the clarification. It appears, once again, I should have kept my mouth shut.

I can see how the media misinterpreted FUNAI's information. According to numerous news stories: “Jose Carlos dos Reis Murielle’s, an expert on uncontacted tribes at Funai. "This is very important because there are some who doubt their existence."

“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."

Merielles’ quote obviously addresses whether the tribes exist or not. Additionally, he tells how he studied the tribes for approximately three years. Thus, I would have probably interpreted his comments to mean the tribes had only been discovered about three years ago.

And obviously FUNAI agreed as it disclosed the tribe had been known about far longer than that.

Hoever, I do think someone conflated "existence" with "contact," and I am glad you have shown the difference between the two.

I have a question. I think a case could be made that the Indians were “contacted.“ When they saw and heard the plane, they reacted to it by preparing to defend themselves.

Is there a reason why the planes flying overhead would not be considered a contact?

Thank you again for the clarification. I am very glad to hear the photos have been effective in bringing to light the illegal logging in the area.

Elphaba