Brazil government identifies uncontacted tribe

[Judi Lynn]

Brazil government identifies uncontacted tribe
The tribe's 200 members are thought to belong to the pano language group
By JULIANA BARBASSA
The Associated Press
updated 6/21/2011 7:31:42 PM ET 2011-06-21T23:31:42

RIO DE JANEIRO — The Brazilian government confirmed this week the existence of an uncontacted tribe in a southwestern area of the Amazon rain forest.

Three large clearings in the area had been identified by satellite, but the population's existence was only verified after airplane expeditions in April gathered more data, the National Indian Foundation said in a news release Monday.

The government agency, known by its Portuguese acronym Funai, uses airplanes to avoid disrupting isolated groups. Brazil has a policy of not contacting such tribes but working to prevent the invasion of their land to preserve their autonomy. Funai estimates 68 isolated populations live in the Amazon.

The most recently identified tribe, estimated at around 200 individuals, live in four large, straw-roofed buildings and grow corn, bananas, peanuts and other crops. According to Funai, preliminary observation indicates the population likely belongs to the pano language group, which extends from the Brazilian Amazon into the Peruvian and Bolivian jungle.

More:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43487660/ns/technology_and_science-science/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Uncontacted Tribe Found Deep In Amazon Rainforest

Uncontacted Tribe Found Deep In Amazon Rainforest
2011-06-22 17:38:46 (19 minutes ago)
Posted By: Intellpuke

Brazilian authorities say they have pinpointed the location of a community of ancient and uncontacted tribespeople in one of the remotest corners of the Amazon rainforest.

Fabricio Amorim, a regional coordinator for Brazil's indigenous foundation, Funai, said the indigenous community had been found after three small forest clearings were detected on satellite images. Flyovers were carried out in April, confirming the community's existence.

Four straw-roofed huts, flanked by banana trees and encircled by thick jungle, can be seen in photographs taken during the flyover.

The community is likely to be home to about 200 people, probably from the Pano linguistic group which straddles the border between Brazil, Peru and Bolivia, according to Funai.

More:
http://freeinternetpress.com/story/Uncontacted-Tribe-Found-Deep-In-Amazon-Rainforest-30750.html