Incredible pictures of one of Earth's last uncontacted tribes firing bows and arrows

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Skin painted bright red, heads partially shaved, arrows drawn back in the longbows and aimed square at the aircraft buzzing overhead. The gesture is unmistakable: Stay Away.

Behind the two men stands another figure, possibly a woman, her stance also seemingly defiant. Her skin painted dark, nearly black.

The apparent aggression shown by these people is quite understandable. For they are members of one of Earth's last uncontacted
who live in the Envira region in the thick rainforest along the Brazilian-Peruvian frontier.

Thought never to have had any contact with the outside world, everything about these people is, and hopefully will remain, a mystery.

Their extraordinary body paint, precisely what they eat (the anthropologists saw evidence of gardens from the air), how they construct their tent-like camp, their language, how their society operates - the life of these Amerindians remains a mystery.

'We did the overflight to show their houses, to show they are there, to show they exist,' said Brazilian uncontacted tribes expert José Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Junior. 'This is very important because there are some who doubt their existence.'

Meirelles, who despite once being shot in the shoulder by an arrow fired by another tribe campaigns to protect these peoples, believes this group's numbers are increasing, and pointed out how strong and healthy the people seemed.

But other uncontacted groups in the region, whose homes have been photographed from the air, are in severe danger from illegal logging in Peru and populations are being decimated.

Logging is driving uncontacted tribes over the border and could lead to conflict with the estimated five hundred uncontacted Indians already living on the Brazilian side.

'What is happening in this region [of Peru] is a monumental crime against the natural world, the tribes, the fauna and is further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilised' ones, treat the world,' said Meirelles.

It is extraordinary to think that, in 2008, there remain about a hundred groups of people, scattered over the Earth, who know nothing of our world and we nothing of theirs, save a handful of brief encounters.

The uncontacted tribes, which are located in the jungles of South America, New Guinea and a remote and the beautiful and remote North Sentinel island in the Indian Ocean (the inhabitants of which have also responded to attempts at contact with extreme aggression) all have one thing in common - they want to be left alone.

And for good reason. The history of contact, between indigenous tribes and the outside world, has always been an unhappy one.

In our overcrowded world their very future hangs in the balance. Almost all of these tribes are threatened by powerful outsiders who want their land. These outsiders - loggers, miners, cattle ranchers - are often willing to kill the tribespeople to get what they want.

Even where there is no violence, the tribes can be wiped out by diseases like the common cold to which they have no resistance.

According to Miriam Ross of Survival International, which campaigns to protect the world's remaining indigenous peoples, 'These tribes represent the incredible diversity of humankind. Unless we want to condemn yet more of the earth's peoples to extinction, we must respect their choice. Any contact they have with outsiders must happen in their own time and on their own terms.'

As to who these people are, how they live their lives, what language they speak - we know nothing. 'Normally you can tell who tribes are by their language, how they wear their hair, how they adorn their bodies and so on, but in this case the photos don't allow us to get close enough to see,' says Ms Ross.

When anthropologists first overflew the area, they saw women and children in the open and no one appeared to be painted. It was only when the plane returned a few hours later that they saw these individuals covered head-to-toe in red. 'Tribes in the Amazon paint themselves for all kinds of different reasons - one of which includes when they feel threatened or are aggressive,' Ms Ross says.

'And they are almost certain to feel threatened by or aggressive towards a plane, which was where the photos were taken from. They are almost certain not to understand what the plane is - perhaps a spirit or a large bird.

'The jungle is fundamental to their lives and survival. It's their home, their source of food, the source of their culture etc. Without it, they could not exist as a people.'

Contact is usually a disaster for these remote tribespeople, who live a life probably unchanged for more than 10,000 years. Even if the loggers do not shoot them (which they often do) or force them off their land, diseases against which these isolated humans have no resistance typically wipe out half an uncontacted tribe's numbers in a year or two.

Ms Ross added: 'These pictures are further evidence that uncontacted tribes really do exist. The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct.'</div>



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...ows-arrows.html

 

I'm really glad I'm out of South America when I think about stuff like this...

 

They do appear hostile

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>It is extraordinary to think that, in 2008, there remain about a hundred groups of people, scattered over the Earth, who know nothing of our world and we nothing of theirs, save a handful of brief encounters.</div>
I find stuff like this so fascinating.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jun 4 2008, 08:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Let's see.

They're dirt poor, so they need a poverty program. They're uneducated, too, so we ought to send 'em to public schools. But hey, we have separation of church and state, so we'll wipe out any individuality they have in their culture and effectively wipe out any distinct religion they have. At the same time, we'll force 'em to learn in english, so they'll forget whatever language it is they speak. They probably make their own booze, can't have that. And they're not paying taxes, so we'll send in the tax collectors. The food they're eating isn't USDA approved, oh no!

If they don't want to do things our way, we'll surround their compound with ATF and FBI agents, then set their home on fire.</div>

Yeah I'm definitely jealous of their lifestyle. We should let things like this happen more often in the States.

 

I don't care what happens to them, all I said was that I was EXTREMELY jealous of them.

 

I like this quote:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Mystery: The tribespeople are likely to think the plane that took this photograph is a spirit or large bird</div>

 

I was totally surprized that they completely, absolutely completely painted themselves with their body paint. They must be able to manufacture lots of the stuff.

It's too bad they didn't paint themselves blue, then the blue man group would have an unofficial fan club.

 

Trying to get these people some help doesn't mean the end of their civilization; with the right precautions.

 

LOL i show a friend, he replys

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>look like some fuckin oompa loompas...</div>

LOL

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jun 5 2008, 12:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I was totally surprized that they completely, absolutely completely painted themselves with their body paint. They must be able to manufacture lots of the stuff.

It's too bad they didn't paint themselves blue, then the blue man group would have an unofficial fan club.

</div>

Lol Britney spears in the middle LMAO

Also someone said they're poor. How can they be poor when presumably they have no currency???

 

I think you have to be wary about assuming that these people need help. They've been surviving for years on their own.

 

These uncontacted tribes would actually help in studying the issue of morality and whether or not it is truly subjective or innate. I'd lean towards it being subjective, but we'll never truly know unless we study a person uninfluenced by mainstream society, much like these people.

The whole situation is extremely interesting on so many levels.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chutney @ Jun 5 2008, 09:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think you have to be wary about assuming that these people need help. They've been surviving for years on their own.</div>
Well how are they going to see the NBA Finals, if someone doesn't help them?