Brazil’s FUNAI Calls Army to Help Protect Isolated Indigenous Tribes
This region, which has the largest number of isolated indigenous peoples in the Amazon, was invaded by gunmen at the beginning of the week.
The Brazilian National Indian Foundation (Funai) announced on Monday that it requested the presence of Brazil’s Military Police and Army working in the Amazon region after armed men attacked a base designated to protect isolated indigenous communities in the Vale do Javari, in the western part of Amazonas state, near the Peruvian border.
“FUNAI reports invaders exchanged gunshots with the police and targeted a FUNAI boat, putting indigenous, FUNAI employees and police at risk,” said the statement issued by the foundation.
According to FUNAI, this particular indigenous land has the largest number of isolated indigenous peoples in the region. Acknowledging that some indigenous tribes do not want interaction with the outside world, FUNAI and the Brazilian government stated that they only seek contact when the survival of these groups is severely threatened.
The land in Vale do Javari is home to such groups as the Korubos and Flecheiros, and is also the Marubo, Kulina, Kanamari, Mayrouna and the Tsohom Dyapá groups, all of whom have recently been contacted by Brazilian authorities. Continue reading.