At risk of extinction from disease and land loss
In the depths of the Amazon rainforest in Peru live tribes who have no contact with the outside world.
Oil workers and illegal loggers are invading their land and bringing disease. They won’t survive unless this stops.
Survival estimates there are 15 uncontacted tribes in Peru. All of them live in the most remote, isolated regions of the Amazon rainforest.
They include the Cacataibo, Isconahua, Matsigenka, Mashco-Piro, Mastanahua, Murunahua (or Chitonahua), Nanti and Yora.
All of these peoples face terrible threats – to their land, livelihoods and, ultimately, their lives. If nothing is done, they are likely to disappear entirely.
Uncontacted tribes are extremely vulnerable to any form of contact with outsiders because they do not have immunity to Western diseases.
International law recognises the Indians’ land as theirs, just as it recognises their right to live on it as they want to.
That law is not being respected by the Peruvian government or the companies who are invading tribal land.
Everything we know about these isolated Indians makes it clear they seek to maintain their isolation.
On the very rare occasions when they are seen or encountered, they make it clear they want to be left alone.
Sometimes they react aggressively, as a way of defending their territory, or leave signs in the forest warning outsiders away.
The Indians have suffered horrific violence and diseases brought by outsiders in the past. For many this suffering continues today. They clearly have very good reason not to want contact.
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| Raya, a Nahua elder. More than half his people were wiped out after their land was opened up for oil exploration, Peru. © Johan Wildhagen |
Survival is urging the Peruvian government to protect these isolated Indians by not allowing any oil exploration, logging or other form of natural resource extraction on their land.
The government must recognise the Indians as the owners of their land.
After a Survival campaign in the 1990s, in collaboration with local indigenous organisation FENAMAD, the oil company Mobil pulled out of an area inhabited by uncontacted tribes in south-east Peru.
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