The Korubo tribe which was contacted in 1996 is probably the last contacted Amazon tribe. They occupy some of the least explored regions of the Amazon, close to the borders of Peru, Columbia and Brazil. This Indian tribe has confronted all incursions by the outside world. They use clubs and poison darts to hunt and fight other tribes. At the meeting point of the two rivers Itui and Itacoai, the Vale de Javari Indian reserved area begins, for which entry is restricted. Vale de Javari has an estimated number of over 4000 tribal Indians in several groups. At least five tribal groups in the far away distant villages have been already contacted. However there are at least five more groups which live deep in the jungle, the same way their forefathers lived several centuries earlier.
The people of the Korubo tribe live in large huts called malocas and work for only about 4 to 5 hours a day. Their food generally includes fish, wild pigs, fruits, corn and birds. Malaria introduced to them through external contact, is a major source of death. Though not much is known of their spiritual and religious beliefs, it is suspected that they sometimes practice infanticide. In 1972 a peaceful contact was attempted by the Brazilian state department FUNAI which ended in a skirmish, killing seven civil servants. More recently as in 2000, they killed three lumbermen. Not much is known of the Korubo tribe as FUNAI does not allow anthropologists to attempt to study them.
There have been many instances where previously uncontacted tribes have ultimately reacted positively and fostered an understanding with the developed man. The resistance and confrontation at initial contact may be due to their fear and apprehensions attributed to an unknown enemy. However when the tribe begins to get comfortable with the initial contact making people and become confident, they would have no restrictions opening up their world to the visitors. The technological advances made by man are all for the benefit of mankind, and when these tribes see them for the first time, they are sure to be taken by a sense of suspicion and caution, even forming their own conclusions. They would then gradually come to terms with it. Take for instance the people on early hunting expeditions to Africa. Although most of the tribes there have been contacted by the hunters from Europe, the gadgets that they bring each time are probably seen by them for the first time. There have been several instances when the tribes see a radio for the first time; they believe there are small people inside it, who speak.
It should not be denied that many groups today in our advanced world may have actually been contacted for the first time someday, by the advanced world. With more porous borders and developments involving their regions, they gradually integrated with the mainstream, thus giving up their own cultural identity. There are many such stories of initial contact by Christian missionaries, all of which has contributed to total integration with the developed world. When such isolated tribal groups are identified, and no serious efforts made to protect their interests, several sections of people with diverse interests, barge into their homeland. The tribes are then gradually absorbed into the mainstream of life and brought under the realm of tax. One of the advantages of technology is that it can be implemented by skipping stages. Thus a tribal hunter using bow and arrow can straight away adapt to using a hunting gun. They need not go through a process of using spears. When tribes see the uses and benefits of the modern gadgets, they are sure to take to it, totally abandoning their earlier methods and process.
However, it is important that they realize that these are the developments brought by man for the common benefit of mankind. We as advanced people shouldn’t take it for granted that they would be able to realize that and conduct themselves accordingly. They would perhaps consider our inventions as harmless and useful when they see the developments one at a time or in a predetermined sequence. As we are not aware of their cultural beliefs, we cannot predict their actions if they are totally removed from their environment and thrust into an ultramodern society, all at once. When such things happen they are definitely prone to be psychologically affected, both as individuals and as a group.
We should however understand that any attempts to contact them and change their world would be an infringement of their rights and even risk their existence. Unlike us they don’t need our modern gadgets, gadgets which have been continuously improvised upon, gadgets without which our world would come to a grinding halt. They are happy with their own natural environment which offers them everything they require. There may be millions of gadgets and methods, on how we could improve and make their lives better. But the irony is that we have to explain and convince them that it is a very necessary for them.
