BRAZIL'S AMAZON'S BLUES

By: Zainab


The Last Stand of The Amazon's Arrow People : As Brazil is backpedaling on enshrined protections of uncontacted tribes.

Brazil is the home to the largest number of uncontacted indigenous  communities of any country in the world.

Hidden deep in primeval Amazon forests, these groups represent the final frontier of seemingly inexorable conquest that began with the landing of Portuguese and Spanish navigators on South American shores at the start of the 16th century.

The history of Brazil's Amazon region, and elsewhere in the Americas, abounds with the tales of  mass death and brutality perpetrated against its native inhabitants.

Entire tribes disappeared, without a trace. Few of these atrocities figured in official accounts, rarely was anyone brought to justice.

But 30 years ago, Brazil took an extraordinary step towards toward halting the march of this dismal history.

It recognized the right of its indigenous people to pursue the traditional way of life, including remaining apart from modern society.

It also recognized that they require intact, the pristine forests and rivers to survive as they have since before the arrival of Europeans.