Rare photos emerge of Amazon tribe untouched by civilisation
The Yanomami tribe has around 35,000 members in total, with a few smaller subgroups completely shut off from the outside world.
Saturday 19 November 2016 14:00, UK
Rare new pictures have emerged of a tribe untouched by civilisation living deep in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
The remarkable photos show a tiny village in the isolated Yanomami indigenous territory in the north of the country, close to the Venezuelan border.
Within the Yanomami tribe, which is home to around 35,000 people in total across the two countries, there are at least three known subgroups that have no contact at all with the outside world.
These pictures show one of these communities, believed to be home to about 100 people.
Survival International says the area is under threat from more than 5,000 illegal gold miners who are taking over the land.
Workers have brought diseases such as malaria to the region and polluted food and water sources with mercury, leading to a serious health crisis.
The charity has released the aerial photos to raise awareness, saying there are serious fears that vulnerable tribes such as this one could be wiped out.
Shaman and activist Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, president of the Yanomami association Hutukara, said: "The place where the uncontacted Indians live, fish, hunt and plant must be protected.
"The whole world must know that they are there in their forest and that the authorities must respect their right to live there."
Speaking about the miners, he said: "They are like termites - they keep coming back and they don't leave us in peace."
The photos show a typical Yanomami yano - a large communal house for several families.
Different families live in each of the square sections of the yano, where they hang hammocks, maintain fires and keep food stores.
According to the charity, the Yanomami provide for themselves partly by hunting, gathering and fishing, but crops such as manioc and bananas are also grown in large gardens.
However, the Brazilian Indian Affairs department responsible for protecting territories such as this one is facing severe budget cuts, and there are fears that six out of 12 teams that help support uncontacted tribes could be shut down.
Survival International director Stephen Corry said uncontacted tribal people face "catastrophe" unless their land is protected.
He said: "These extraordinary images are further proof of the existence of still more uncontacted tribes.
"It's obvious that they're perfectly capable of living successfully without the need for outside notions of 'progress' and 'development'.
"We're doing everything we can to secure their land for them, and to give them the chance to determine their own futures."