Stephen Corry on Protecting the Amazon's Remaining Isolated Peoples
Stephen Corry on Protecting the Amazon's Remaining Isolated Peoples
How can governments best protect the Amazon's remaining isolated peoples from the threats posed by outside contact?
The only way to protect uncontacted tribal peoples is to ensure their lands are properly secured. If their territories are not invaded and stolen, they have a good chance of survival; when their lands are taken, they are unlikely to survive at all.
There are many examples where territories have been protected, and Survival International has spent decades pressuring Amazon governments to demarcate specific areas for this purpose. The first real success came in 1992 with the recognition of Yanomami territory in the Brazilian Amazon, following a 20-year campaign. More than two decades...
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