In an extraordinary revelation, automatic cameras deployed deep within the Brazilian Amazon have captured the first known images of the uncontacted Massaco people. The incredible photographs, obtained exclusively by the Guardian in collaboration with Brazil’s National Indigenous Peoples Foundation (Funai), provide an unprecedented window into the lives of one of the world’s last isolated tribes.
The images show a group of Massaco men, adorned with traditional face paint and armed with enormous bows, retrieving machetes and axes intentionally left behind by Funai agents. While brief encounters have occurred in the past, with sometimes tragic results, Funai’s innovative no-contact policy has allowed the Massaco to thrive in near-total seclusion for over three decades.
Defying the Odds in the Amazon
Remarkably, the Massaco population has at least doubled since the 1990s to an estimated 200-250 individuals, despite unrelenting incursions from loggers, ranchers, and other intruders. Altair Algayer, a veteran Funai agent who has dedicated his career to defending the tribe, marveled at their resilience:
Now, with the detailed photographs, it’s possible to see the resemblance to the Sirionó people, who live on the opposite bank of the Guaporé River, in Bolivia. But still, we can’t say who they are. There’s a lot that’s still a mystery.
– Altair Algayer, Funai
The Massaco’s success mirrors a broader trend of isolated populations rebounding across the Amazon, as evidenced by expanded settlements and cultivation plots in Brazil’s borderlands. Experts attribute this astonishing reversal to pioneering no-contact policies first enacted by Brazil in 1987 and subsequently adopted by Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
Guardians of the Isolated
Central to the Massaco’s protection are Funai’s extraordinarily dedicated field agents. Unarmed and woefully underfunded, they routinely risk their lives to patrol the tribe’s territory and deter intruders. The murder of Bruno Pereira in 2022 underscores the grave dangers they confront.
Neighboring tribes have also emerged as vital allies, establishing their own patrols to reinforce Funai’s efforts. Beto Marubo, an Indigenous leader in the Javari valley, emphasized the existential necessity of confirming the presence of isolated peoples:
The principle strategy for invaders and anyone with an interest in the lands where isolated peoples live is to deny they exist.
– Beto Marubo, Javari Indigenous Union
The Importance of Isolation
While the urge to establish contact may be strong, history has repeatedly shown the catastrophic consequences of disrupting isolated tribes. Beyond the devastation wrought by introduced diseases, the erosion of cultural identity and traditional knowledge is often irreversible.
Moreover, as noted by Amazon researcher Paulo Moutinho, defending the rights of uncontacted peoples is inextricable from preserving the rainforest itself:
These peoples have a right to live, to their land, and chosen lifestyles, but respecting the rights of isolated Indigenous peoples is also fundamental to preserving tropical forests.
– Paulo Moutinho, Institute for Environmental Research
The stunning images of the Massaco remind us that uncontacted tribes are not relics of a distant past, but contemporary societies fighting for survival at the turbulent frontier of the modern world. Their future, and the fate of the Amazon itself, may hinge on our willingness to honor and protect their chosen way of life.
