rwbeagles-let's discuss that tribe on Yahoo!s frontpage

I read about this this morning and thought it was really interesting to think that there were still people out there living in the wild like this (i know, kind of ignorant of me).

I think that maybe flying by was the proper thing to do, I mean, could you imagine people going there to meet them in person, and getting attacked and possibly shooting at these people with guns?  yikes.  lol I definately wouldn't go there.  But on the other hand, they could be nice.  But will people take that risk?

I just thought, too, I wonder what language they speak

l.michelle

But on the other hand, they could be nice.  But will people take that risk?

People have...so I think the answer is "yes"

IMO you do not become a scientist that studies Native peoples, without a certain sense of adventure and a certain ability to acknowledge and embrace risk. After all...stumbling around in the jungle looking for BUGS can get you killed by a Jaguar...no?

What if these people are hostile...how does that change with the flyover? The pictures alone will not be enough to satisfy the majority of the scientific community...who delights in studying undiscovered cultures. What a scientific coup it is doubtless considered in situations like this to study and document the culture, family life, religions of said peoples.

I don't think these pictures were the end of the study, even from a purely land preservation standpoint...I think someone will want to know more and indeed, need to know something as simple as how MANY folks are there, and how much land they might need to sustain their lifestyle...a full, detailed census will need to be done...impossible by plane in a rainforest due to tree cover. So they are GOING to have to contact these folks...and I wonder...why scare the bejeebers out of them, first?

Keep in mind, someone had to be first to have dialogue with the tribes in New Guinea (some of which were head hunters and cannibals until recently (age of the world recent).)..

I look at it from a time factor - you can cover much more ground in an airplane than on foot. While this may be the first plane that has hovered around them, I seriously doubt that it's the first plane they have seen. Had the tribe thought it was demons they would have fired at it - instead it appears that they waited to see what the plane's intentions were.

I really don't have a problem with it - the researchers went and proved their point and it may come to some good. Now if they go in on foot and start disturbing those people, I'll reconsider.

Edited: I was typing while you were responding above - I agree - they should not take this any further. 

I dunno...my first thoughts were "oh great, another culture that will forever be changed because we (the modern society) feel compelled to stick our noses in.  How long before they are overrun?"

Gizmo83036

I agree - they should not take this any further. 

I think they have to tho...given the recent hoax about a tribe that wasn't real (Tasaday)...they actually HAVE to prove more than with pictures...at least I would think so. In these days of photoshop...there's always doubts. They IMO will be going in on foot anyways...but now they go in to meet a defensive people already worried about their intentions.

What's the name of that scientific principle that says when you study something, you affect changes, regardless of your intent?  Just the act of studying the object changes the object.  I think that is true here.  I wonder how much those people have changed just seeing that plane go over, or how much they would change by some anthropologists coming in to study them.  I don't think people can ever exist in a vacuum.  I guess I wonder what is to be gained by invading their lifestyle with our need to know?  Can we really learn something about culture that we haven't already figured out by doing this to hundreds of thousands of tribes and languages already? 

Good point Liesje...

I think tho...in this one case...the aim is to save the LAND these people are living on. Which I think is worth saving because even if they were not living there, other stuff is...but perhaps that's not enough to get the land preserved. The study of the people might be less important here, than the preservation of the land...from what I read. They are a means to get the goal of preservation.

That's what I get from the article...but...I'm just me.

This is from the AP version of the story:

"The tribe sighted recently is one of the last not to be contacted by officials. Funai does not make contact with such Indian tribes and prevents invasions of their land to ensure their autonomy, the foundation said."

Funai is Brazilian National Indian Foundation.  It makes me feel a little better, that folks won't be going in to ogle these folks, and also kinda explains why they used the plane.

That org does not...but do they barr OTHERS from doing so? That'd be my question.

Dunno, but apparently they are a government agency, so they probably have some legal pull to say who can and can't come into their country to do studies.

That was my thought as well. They must feel like aliens are landing.

Gizmo83036

While this may be the first plane that has hovered around them, I seriously doubt that it's the first plane they have seen.

I agree.

I also tend to believe it's highly unlikely they aren't fully aware of the existence of other people, and aware that planes are controlled by people.

 However, I think they should be left alone.  It's their choice if they want to associate with others or not.

 I think there would be a huge risk to the tribe for disease if contacted in person.  By photographing them with a fly-by it's a limited encounter that places them at the least possible risk for altering their culture (which the investigators seek to preserve) and affecting their health by introducing disease that could decimate the tribe, as we saw with native american tribes when europeans met them in person.  This way, the tribe is sort of like "What the heck was that giant bird?" and remains what they were - uncontacted.  But the organization seeking to serve them has the proof they need to institute protections.  Like the captions said, to prove they are there but to retain their autonomy.
 

 Interesting discussion. I did not read the article but I did take a gander at the pics....why are some of the people seriously 'black' and  orthers 'red'. I don't why but that struck me as funny.

I hope we leave them be. They have survived who knows how long, if they are not bothering any one let them have their world.