Who are the Uncontacted Tribes?

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Uncontacted tribes are also known as lost tribes. They are isolated people who live their lives, mostly by choice and at times by circumstances, all by themselves without having any contact with other civilizations. Uncontacted tribes have been discovered in the thickly forested parts of New Guinea and South America. The existence of such tribes is known mostly through aerial video recordings and at times when they get into violent brawls with neighboring tribes. Some uncontacted tribes may have been living on their lands since generations. According to Survival International (a tribal advocacy group), nearly 2,000 indigenous group of Indians living in Javari Valley are uncontacted people. Their existence has been proved by aerial footage thus enabling the concerned authorities to protect the tribe’s land and lifestyle.

Who Are Uncontacted Tribes?

Undiscovered tribes are those people who are not known to anyone outside their domain. The uncontacted tribes may have neighbors at some distance away but do not have any cordial relationships with them. It is possible that some of these uncontacted tribes may have had some experience with invaders and colonists in the past but must have retreated to safer zones to escape any form of persecution. Some of the uncontacted tribes may have belonged to larger groups in the past centuries and slowly disintegrated to avoid any contact. Many of the uncontacted tribes who rely solely on wild foods may be doing so to flee from any kind of contact with others involved in cultivating crops in a fixed place.

Which Are the Most Vulnerable Uncontacted Tribes?

It has been confirmed that about 200 Indians living in the Western Amazon have no contact with mainstream civilization. There are two tribes of uncontacted people living on the Andaman Islands, the Sentinelese and Jarawa who are considered to be extremely isolated and may have remained so for about 60,000 years. The Ruc people of Vietnam are uncontacted tribes who live on hunting. The island of New Guinea is believed to be inhabited by nearly forty-four uncontacted tribes. These "lost tribes" have existed in many places of South America including Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Some of the threatened uncontacted tribes include:

• Awá, Amazon, Brazil
• Ayoreo-Totobiegosode, Paraguay
• Isolated Indians, Peru
• Jarawa, Andaman Islands, India
• Isolated Indians, Javari Valley, Brazil
• Pygmy, Central Africa
• Zo'é, Brazil

What Are the Problems Faced by Uncontacted Tribes?

There are over one hundred uncontacted tribes around the world. Uncontacted tribes are threatened when invaders try to usurp their land for its resources or for constructions works such as road building, settlements and so on. Often uncontacted tribes fall prey to a host of diseases to which they are highly susceptible in the absence of any immunity.

Why Should the Uncontacted Tribes be Untouched?

The uncontacted tribes should be protected and allowed to survive in their own way as they are the most endangered lot. They have immense knowledge of their environment including plants and animals which helps them to survive many adverse conditions. Their language and lifestyle is quite different from the mainstream. This adds diversity to human civilization. These lost tribes have rights to live their life away from modern civilization rather than suffer violence and destruction at the hands of invaders.

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