A Historical Moment from Mid-air...
- 7 Feb 08, 02:13 PM
Posted from: Tabatinga*
Today has been one of the most extraordinary days of my whole life. We took a flight over Vale do Javari, a vast reserve set up to protect the territory of the indigenous tribes of this area. It's one of the world's last remaining true tracts of wilderness, and conjures up everything you imagine when you think of the Amazon: a vast sea of green stretched out beneath us, with occasional tiny settlements dotted throughout the landscape. It's home to the highest concentration of uncontacted groups in the world - with a known population of just under 4,000 people occupying an area the size of Portugal.
We almost didn't make it as the plane we had planned to charter was badly damaged just two days before after the pilot forgot to engage the landing gear and crash-landed on the runway! Our local fixers Marco and Chicao worked very quickly to find us another aircraft and the missionary organization 'Wings of Mercy' came to our rescue and agreed to fly us in their very beautiful and comfortable float-plane. Strange how some things work out for the best...
We flew with a lovely man called Tota, boss of the local FUNAI post, which is the Brazilian government's Indian Protection Service. His job is to protect the indigenous people of the reserve from encroachments from the outside, and he and his team carry out regular research trips from the air to map the territories of the various tribal groups and to check that no outsiders are approaching. In the plane we filmed the landscape from the air, whilst interviewing Tota about the work of FUNAI.
We were taking aerial shots of the region and were beginning to run short on fuel. The weather was starting to close in and the pilot came on the intercom to say we had 10 minutes left before having to head back.
Suddenly our local fixer and hero-of-the-day Marco shouted at us to look down into the forest and, incredibly, there below us was a tiny clearing with a collection of huts, home to a totally isolated tribe, living away from the outside world of cities and governments.
The uncontacted group, as seen by the crew from the air. Picture by Pete Eason, sound recordist.
Tota informed us that this was an uncontacted tribe and only one woman from a neighbouring tribe has ever seen anyone from this group: she was out collecting firewood when she came across two very tall and very dark-skinned men with long hair who fled into the forest. She notified her chief who contacted Tota from FUNAI, and he then set out to find them from the air. Our flight was only the second time they've ever been glimpsed from the air, and thankfully the FUNAI policy is now to leave them alone and not contact them for fear of spreading disease. It was a very powerful moment for all of us and actually brought tears to my eyes.
We got a quick shot on camera and then headed back for fear of disturbing them too much. It was a deeply moving experience for Bruce, myself and the crew, and I'm sure for the uncontacted group too, and my memories of today will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Find out more about uncontacted tribes.
*Although Bruce and the crew spotted evidence of the tribe in February, this has not been publicized until June, so as to avoid disruption to the tribe, and in order to respect FUNAI policies.
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