The Javari Network, linked to the Observatory of Isolated and Recently Contacted Indigenous Peoples (OPI, in English), has denounced the invasion of hunters near isolated Indigenous peoples in the Javari Valley Indigenous Land in Amazonas state.
These invaders are non-Indigenous people who hunt animals to sell meat, unlike the Indigenous peoples, who only hunt for subsistence and are the only ones allowed to enjoy the natural resources of the territory.
The encounter between hunters and isolated Indigenous peoples is potentially catastrophic, as conflicts and even murder can happen. That's what happened in 1989 when three Korubo individuals living in voluntary isolation were shot dead by non-Indigenous hunters and fishermen.
"I've seen that loggers and hunters continue murdering Korubo individuals here in the Javari Valley. If isolated Indigenous people meet hunters in that region, there's a problem. They [hunters] shoot them dead and nobody talks or hears about them. But after that, the invaders disappear and continue hunting in that place," Indigenous leader Alfredo Marubo told Brasil de Fato.
Hunters’ traces
At the beginning of March, Alfredo Marubo and other Marubo individuals found traces of these invaders in the forest, such as plastic bags, boots and a makeshift dwelling. They photographed everything and burned the plastic waste to avoid contaminating the soil.
"We found animal traps where pacas [a rodent species] walk. We kept walking and found salt. They left plastic materials where they salted meat. There's a lot of plastic material lying around the place. Then we continued walking and saw a trail of the isolated Indigenous individuals," said Alfredo Marubo.
Isolated and refugees
Isolated Indigenous people are usually those who had traumatic contact with non-Indigenous people and, therefore, decided to isolate themselves in remote areas of the forest. Their immune systems are much more vulnerable to respiratory and infectious diseases.
The Javari Valley, Brazil's second largest Indigenous Land, has the highest concentration of isolated peoples on the planet, with 19 records of isolated indigenous people.
Although it is almost entirely preserved, the area close to the size of Portugal is constantly threatened by loggers, hunters and illegal miners, who form armed gangs and are influential in local power.
The land that Bruno and Dom died trying to protect
The Javari Valley is the Indigenous land where Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips were murdered almost two years ago. Both opposed illegal commercial fishing and were victims of a gang of illegal fishermen.
At the beginning of 2023, the federal government installed a floating base to reinforce security in the territory, but Indigenous people from the region say nothing has changed since the murders, and demand more public policies aimed at their isolated parentes (a common and respectful term Indigenous people use to refer to each other).
Observatory defends new protection bases
Manoel Chorimpa, from the Marubo people, who live near where the traces of hunters were found, is a member of the Observatory of Isolated Indigenous Peoples. He says there is an urgent need to create new protection bases to monitor invaders in the Javari Valley.
"The isolated groups don't want to know about cell phones, laptops and the internet. They're worried. They're living their lives, and their lives are normal. There's no need to adhere to the modern world system we're living in, which is so problematic," said Chorimpa.
The other side
Indigenous people sent to Funai (National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples) a new complaint about the invasion by hunters. Brasil de Fato contacted the Indigenous organization but had not received a response before the publication of this news story.
In January this year, Brazil’s federal government launched a plan coordinated by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples to allocate BRL13.9 million to crack down on crimes, expel invaders, destroy illegal installations, as well as guarantee full inspection of the territory.
The plan has the support of at least 55 officers from the Armed Forces, Federal Police, National Security Force, Funai, ICMBio and Ibama.
The plan intends to crack down on crimes, extricate invaders, destroy illegal installations, inspect, monitor and supervise to ensure "full possession" and guarantee the "exclusive use of this Indigenous Land in favor of the indigenous peoples."
Edited by: Thalita Pires
