I first saw photos of this tribe a few years ago.  Now they have video.  See the video and read more HERE

There's a link at the end of the article to more recent photographs.  When I went to that page there were comments at the end.  One person named "Gene" made this comment: "I think their chances of survival would be enhanced by electricity, plumbing and medical care, Maybe even school books." 

I shook my head trying to understand where this guy was coming from, then I reminded myself how so many of us face this kind of clueless attitude.  You know, the "my way is best" type of attitude.  Thankfully there are people who are working to preserve these isolated tribes, who could possibly be wiped out by just the common cold, like native Hawaiians almost were.

I watched the video and it reminded me of what happened when Europeans first came to America. After awhile the colonizers started taking over everything. Disease and slavery followed.

I have Native American blood (Choctaw) and what happened to my tribe is similar to what is happening among indigenous people all over the world. To that gentleman who says that modern conveniences will help these people, does he mean breaking apart families by taking the children away and taking away their culture and language?

Genne

Quote from: gennee on June 28, 2011, 12:37:05 PM
To that gentleman who says that modern conveniences will help these people, does he mean breaking apart families by taking the children away and taking away their culture and language?

Oh silly girl!  He's talking about toasters and microwaves and cell phones.  You know, the really important things we enjoy.

Imagine the tribal leaders sitting around the hut, watching FOX or CNN and discussing the top stories of the day.  You know, the things that are REALLY important.

Mmmm...I understand that we're not particularly happy about our modern days, and too easily it's offensive that people want to discard 'inferior ways' to help people ---But I think it's just that.  We're just people hoping to help people.  It's not like he's trying to be a jerk or anything, he just thinks that they could benefit out of it.  I'm not saying he's right though, especially since that would completely screw over the culture's maturity...just that his heart is in the right place to make a statement like that.
As for the European example, I don't think it can really apply here.  Europeans came over because they had a lot of selfish motives.  Escape old lives by carving a nitch for themselves, get rich, pioneering, etc.  I don't think there's many/any Europeans that ever put tech trading and stuff as their prime motive for helping colonize America.  Sure, they did, I think?  But I imagine mostly on the basis of getting help FROM the native americans, not TO them so much.

Either way, I think there's a bigger problem at hand.  There's illegal activity going on in that rainforest ;.; With the logging and stuff.

History tells us uncontacted peoples often suffer greatly when the "civilized world" contacts them.  Besides introducing diseases they have no immunity to, there are also horrific consequences such as what's described in this video.

I hope no one takes offence at this. It is not meant to be.

I had a student, very bright and very good, who came from a village in Bali. After completing his PhD with me he went back to his village and took stuff he had bought in Australia. He found a way to get electricity to his Australian bought microwave. It used the entire power for the village.
I'm sure tribes need the internet, microwaves and Fox. Why do we need to destroy them by 'educating' them. And I DON'T mean in any way that they are less human than any other human. And should be treated with any lessrespect that any other human.

But  'we' seem to do that pretty well anyway

Cindy

From what I have read their biggest problem will be things like not getting massacred when they try to object to illegal mining or logging in their area, due the lawlessness prevalent in remote areas of the country.

I don't think they would object to a visiting health worker if one was made available to them, and what it was all about explained properly.  Here there are a lot of remote Aboriginal communities that have suffered social disintegration due to alcohol and the less desireable aspects of modern life.( There are programmes to turn this around but progress will be limited and slow.)

I  hope they can avoid this, but wouldn't bet on it.

Karen.