The huts of the uncontacted group, as seen by the crew from the air. Picture by Pete Eason, sound recordist.
On 7 February 2008* the crew flew over the Vale do Javari to take aerial shots of the area and interview a FUNAI representative (FUNAI are the Indigenous Peoples' Protection Service and are run by the Brazilian Government). On the way, they came across an uncontacted tribe. The group had been seen only twice before. The first encounter was with a woman from a neighbouring tribe who was collecting firewood and saw two unknown men who immediately fled into the forest. Through her chief she alerted one of the leaders of the local branch of FUNAI, who then glimpsed the tribe on a flight over the Javari reserve. The crew had the third sighting of evidence of this group, as explained by Rob, the director, .
Population of the Amazon
The total population of the Amazon basin is around 26 million people. The population of indigenous peoples is around 700,000 people: only 2.5 % of the total population of the Amazon basin. The indigenous people live in over 230 ethnic groups, speaking hundreds of different languages. 66 percent of these groups have less than 2,000 members. These figures are, however, based on the 1991 census, so the current population of indigenous peoples may be greater; most evidence suggests the total indigenous population is growing, despite the vulnerability of isolated groups to disease and assimilation.
Uncontacted Tribes of the Amazon
The Amazon basin is thought to be home to an unspecified number of uncontacted tribes and at least five but possibly seven of these groups live in the Vale do Javari Reserve. Due to the tragic history of contact in Brazil and elsewhere, the current FUNAI policy is to leave uncontacted groups alone, largely to avoid the transmission of deadly diseases. Estimates of the pre-colonial population of the Amazon basin are between five and seven million - with more recent estimates towards the higher number; the majority of this indigenous population has been assimilated or annihilated since the first contacts with Europeans and their descendants.
from the air near the Javari area, just over the border in Peru, and in May 2008, in Brazil's Acre region of the Amazon. Publicising the whereabouts of isolated groups is a sensitive issue. Contact with outsiders has historically led to death and disease and FUNAI's policy is to respect the isolation of groups that have chosen to avoid contact. Proving the presence of isolated indigenous people can also lead to conflicts within a country, as it affects decisions about land management and legal access to areas.
*Although Bruce and the crew spotted evidence of the tribe in February, this has not been publicised until June, so as to avoid disruption to the tribe, and to respect FUNAI policies.
