Federal agency releases images of isolated Indigenous People in the brazilian Amazon

By Letícia Misna – From Cenarium

MANAUS (AM) – The National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai) has released unprecedented images of isolated groups in the Massaco Indigenous Territory (IT) in Rondônia. These records, recently unveiled, were captured at the beginning of 2024 using monitoring equipment.

The work was carried out through Ethno-Environmental Protection Bases (BAPEs), which are permanent physical structures strategically located within the territories, eliminating the need for direct contact and ensuring no interference with the indigenous peoples’ way of life.

According to Funai, the release of these images aims to reaffirm the presence of indigenous groups within these lands and to emphasize the urgent need for territorial protection against threats to their survival.

Massaco Indigenous Land

The Massaco Indigenous Territory is situated between the municipalities of Alta Floresta D’Oeste and São Francisco do Guaporé, in the State of Rondônia. The territory was delimited in 1998 and covers an area of 421,895 hectares.

A camera installed by Funai on one of the trails captured images in February 2024 of a group of nine male indigenous, estimated to be between 20 and 40 years old. The footage was recorded as they collected tools such as machetes and axes, which had been left by Funai teams in 2021 to assist with hunting and food gathering.

According to the foundation, one intriguing observation was that, despite the camera being visible, the indigenous men did not touch or approach it out of curiosity.

“It is evident that this was a planned and organized approach, involving a group of people—only men, most of them young—equipped with numerous caltrops that were placed in areas frequented by non-indigenous people and along the trail they used to approach and retreat, in case anyone followed them”, explained Altair Algayer, a Funai expert.

Another noteworthy point is the increasingly frequent approach of indigenous groups to the edges of the IT’s boundaries, exposing them to both direct and indirect contact with non-indigenous people. According to observations by Funai agents, this behavior is often driven by the need to expand their territory in search of resources for their survival, which appears to coincide with demographic growth among these groups.

The information and images collected by Funai will contribute to the analysis of data about these peoples, including their way of life, territorial movements, nomadic practices, material culture, demographic trends, architectural styles of their dwellings, dietary habits, and other aspects.

Translated from Portugues by Gustô Alves