BRAZIL: UNCONTACTED TRIBE EMERGES FROM AMAZON FOREST (fwd)

[Harald Hammarström]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2007 12:46:25 +0100
From: Miriam Ross <mr at survival-international.org>
To: mr at survival-international.org
Subject: BRAZIL: UNCONTACTED TRIBE EMERGES FROM AMAZON FOREST

SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

6 June 2007

BRAZIL: UNCONTACTED TRIBE EMERGES FROM AMAZON FOREST

In an extraordinary encounter, a group of 89
uncontacted Indians suddenly appeared in an
Indian community in the Brazilian state of Pará
last week.

The Indians had travelled though the forest for
five days, probably fleeing from attacks by
loggers or miners. The area has been sealed off
to protect the isolated group from diseases which
could be fatal to them.

The first contact was reportedly made by two men
who made noises outside a house and were spotted
by two young people. The men were appealing for
help. Later the rest of the group came out of the
forest and camped near the village, where one of
the women gave birth.

The uncontacted group, like the villagers, are
Metyktire Indians. The Metyktire are a sub-group
of the Kayapó tribe. They made first contact with
Brazilians in 1950, but the group which has just
appeared chose to remain in isolation. Many
Metyktire believed that over the years the
isolated group had all died.

After the initial shock of meeting their kin
after fifty years, the group of uncontacted
Metyktire began to sing and dance with emotion.
Their songs were recorded and played over two-way
radio to other Kayapó communities.

One Kayapó Indian reports, 'Their language is
much more original than ours. When I heard them
talking on the radio I didn't understand much of
what they said, but my uncle understands them
much better.'

Survival's director Stephen Corry said today,
'More than 100 uncontacted tribes exist in the
world today, and many of them are being pushed to
the brink by those who want their land. Over the
coming weeks we will no doubt learn what led the
Metyktire to make contact.'

 		       -ENDS-

For further information contact Miriam Ross on
(+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email
mr at survival-international.org

To listen to the uncontacted Metyktire's songs
and to read this press release online visit
http://www.survival-international.org/news/2462

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