Uncontacted: The Isolated Amazon Tribe
I looked at that photograph and thought about how the sighting of that aircraft must have played in the psyches of the previously ‘uncontacted’ tribal members on the ground. The first response was, clearly, fear and a corresponding commitment to protect themselves by force. That’s an understandable reaction when the unknown presents itself as a flying machine disturbing the peace of the Amazonian sky.
It speaks to the inherent capacity of man to join together, create a community and protect it. It shows the inherent bravery at the core of every great people—whether numbering 250 million or a thousand. It means that we are related in our souls even to the most “primitive” men and women, because the highest attributes we possess are not expressed in the machines we create or the buildings we build, but the relationships we forge, the value we place on our “villages,” and the courage we can summon in the face of adversity.
Perhaps the villagers will prepare for war. Perhaps they will pray for peace or for strength. Perhaps a sense of wonder and possibility will mingle with their raw determination to survive. Perhaps that hope for something miraculous from the sky will overtake their fears. I pray that they will not interpret the machine in the sky as the beginning of Armageddon, as the final chapter of their existence—but we know that communities much closer to home have needlessly seen the end looming near.
I imagine they will hold their children closer or kiss them in their sleep or prepare for them an oral or written history of the great event that took place in their lives before they were old enough to record their own life stories. Maybe those who rushed outside at the sound and then sight of the aircraft above will be remembered for generations to come as heroes.
The truth is we could share gifts with these Amazonian people. We have learned so much about maintaining our health, journeying to frontiers of scientific and technical knowledge previously unthinkable, and expanding the range of human possibility in communication and travel.
Yet we also should be careful to note—for them and for us—that some of our achievements have transported too many of us away from our connections with ourselves and one another, away from our connections to nature and away from our connections to God. And reminders of these invaluable assets, inherent to man, may be among the gifts these Amazonian people can offer us.
Late tonight, when I arrive home to my family after a short trip, I will kiss my wife and son and daughter in their sleep and remind myself—in honor of the “uncontacted” men and women and children in the rainforest—that human beings are much more alike than different in what we need and what we can give, and often more afraid than we need to be.
Dr. Ablow is a FOX News psychiatry correspondent. Visit his Web site at www.livingthetruth.com.
Tags: Amazon, children, Dr. Keith Ablow, psychiatry, rainforest, tribes
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I hope we have sense enough to leave them alone. Not spread our germs to them and kill them off because they have never been exposed to our kind before. They have survived this long with We out our interference and that should be all we need to know and respect. Not to go in and disrupt their love and acceptence with our stupidity for the the sake of knowledge.
They, like the ones in the mountains of Peru, do not know hate or steal or any of the stuff we would be able to teach them!
We should just leave them alone! We would only frighten them.
That was a beautifully written piece not about the differences but the similarities of all mankind no matter what their situation in life. However I do have to wonder how those people reacted to this noisy intrusion into their otherwise probably quiet, working lives and were probably very much aware that their peaceful existence maybe was coming to an end. I have often felt that these “hidden” people should be left alone to their own little communities. And who knows, maybe they lead a little more peaceful, a little less stressful life. Because they must watch out for each other, I’m sure the consideration for their fellow humans outshines all of us. We could all learn from them.
I would certainly hope we would not try to “civilize” them, because as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then civilization is certainly a different definition for all of us.
Thanks again for that interesting perspective.
It seems as though many of us are ashamed of who we are. Those who think first of the ills of mankind that we would visit upon these fellow men. I think first of the greatness of man, music, literature and medicine. How many of these people have lost a mother in childbirth, a child to disease or a father to something as simple as a cut. To view this existence as idyllic is absurd. If a person would decide to have his family live a life isolated from society he would be accused of neglect or being some sort of “cult” leader. We have far more to offer our fellow man than disease and stress. These people are just as capable as any of us to reason and decide for themselves what is in their best interest. I say we extend the hand of friendship and let them, not us decide if they are to remain isolated.
with these people never having contact with the out side world,it would be very interesting to know what there relidgon and or beliefs if any are like and if by some chanse thay may compare to any that are in the modern world as we know it now.
I would have expected more comments like that of Mr. Garland. I am very proud of America and know that this nation is the most envied on this planet. I wonder how old the culture of that tribe might be. Could be hundreds to thousands of years old. Our nation is only a few hundred years old and we are already beginning to erase our religious heritage, to glorify abortion and same sex marriage. I wonder if that jungle village believes in a higher being. No– I say leave them in peace. Our civilization would without doubt only bring new strife into their lives.
Leave them alone!!!! So what,we have medicine and technology,ooooohh. We also have murder,stealing,back stabbing, and a whole bunch of other trifling ways of life. They’re probably more better off than we are!!! If they want to see what else is out in this world then they probably would set out and explore this earth like many other explorers have done,so considering that they probably haven’t just shows that its not yet made it on top of their priorities list. But I understand that you feel like people shouldnt die because of simple diseases and injuries,but who knows what kind of natural medicines they have, im pretty sure they never expirienced H.I.V or Cancer. But anyways, my meaningless babble says to leave them be.
We shoudl just let them be. There is no telling how long they’ve been living there and there’s no telling how they could possibly react to us, if we did decide to make ourselves known to them.
In my opinion, let them be free. God knows what trouble could start if they’re connected with more people who only continue to confuse and irritate them more.
It may have been nice to have dropped them a box to explore with drawings of we humans being loving, friendly and affectionate, perhaps with some with an outstreached hand and a friendly smile. I think this would have given them some reassurance, and a LOT to think about.
survival international are campaigning to make sure these tribes, and others like them, are protected.
Find out more at http://www.survival-international.org/uncontactedtribes