'New' indigenous tribe discovered in the Amazon

22 Jun 2011 18:54 - Staff Reporter

An indigenous tribe which has had no contact with the outside world has been located in Brazil's Amazon near the Peruvian border.

An indigenous tribe with about 200 members who have had no contact with the outside world has been located in Brazil’s Amazon near the Peruvian border, the National Indian Foundation (Funai) said on Wednesday.

Satellite and air surveillance images confirmed the existence of the tribe in the Javari valley, according to Funai’s Fabricio Amorim.

Brazilian authorities prohibit the general population from contact with the isolated tribes because of fears that natives could become infected with diseases for which they carry no immunity.

Although Funai has not established contact with the group, Amorim said it was likely that the tribe was part of the Pano linguistic community which lives in the same region.

The flights showed huts and plantings of corn and bananas in the community, he added.

The region is threatened by illegal logging, fishing and gold mining operations and by drug traffickers operating in the area, according to officials.—AFP

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