Journalist: What do you think of civilisation?

Mahatma Gandhi: I think it would be a very good idea.

Many of you will have already heard the story of this uncontacted Amazonian tribe. It was the word “uncontacted” that triggered a memory of something I’d read in the past. I remembered reading something about uncontacted tribes and had thought “I must find out more” I never did.

An internet search led me to Survival International. I read about the plight of various tribes worldwide. It is absolutely horrible. I read about how, if they were contacted by the outside world, they were at risk from diseases they had no immunity to like the Jarawa, or having their land and resources stolen and losing their way of life, like the Xavante tribe, or being murdered outright, like the Cinta Larga

You can help protect tese people by donating to Survival International. Don’t worry if you can’t afford to donate (I can’t either). We can help these people by writing. Yes, it does work. In 2000, the Indian government abandoned plans for a forced relocation of the Jarawa tribe after getting 150-200 protest letters a day on the subject.