Uncontacted Amazonian Tribe Fires Arrows at Intruders, Leaving 2 Dead and 1 Injured
Members of an “uncontacted” indigenous Amazonian tribe, the Mashco Piro, fired arrows at loggers encroaching on their land, resulting in at least one injury and unconfirmed reports of two deaths on July 27, according to The Guardian.
The incident occurred at an illegal logging camp in the remote Madre de Dios region of southwestern Peru, as reported by Survival International, an NGO advocating for indigenous rights. The Mashco Piro tribe had been filmed just weeks earlier along the banks of the Pariamanú River, where they were seen hunting for food.
Indigenous organizations have called for the expansion of the protected area designated for the Mashco Piro, arguing that it does not adequately cover their traditional territory. However, their efforts face strong resistance from the logging industry, which holds valuable timber concessions in the region. The rainforest is home to sought-after tropical hardwoods like mahogany and shihuahuaco.
Satellite images reveal the construction of thousands of kilometers of logging roads between 2020 and 2023, further threatening the tribe’s land. Additionally, there are concerns that the loggers could introduce diseases to the tribe, such as the common cold, to which they have no immunity.
The Mashco Piro people are the world’s largest group of voluntarily isolated individuals, with an estimated population of around 750. They rarely engage in communication, and when they do, it is typically with other indigenous groups.
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