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Between respect and curiosity: the dilemma of uncontacted tribes

Between respect and curiosity: the dilemma of uncontacted tribes
Between respect and curiosity: the dilemma of uncontacted tribes | Photo: Bob Brewer

In a world where almost everything seems reachable with a single click, there are still people who live beyond the radar of globalisation. They are the so-called uncontacted tribes ,  communities that have remained apart from the technological, political, and economic development that shapes most of our planet. They live in forests, on remote islands, and in mountains where nature, not governments, sets the rules. Among them are the Sentinelese of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India, and several Amazonian groups such as the Korubo and the Flecheiros, whose presence has been confirmed from the air but never directly engaged.


From a technical and health perspective, keeping distance is an undeniable necessity. Any form of contact could introduce diseases to which these peoples have no immunity. History has shown how disastrous such encounters can be. In 2018, a failed missionary attempt on North Sentinel Island ended with the death of the visitor, a stark reminder that cultural ignorance can be as dangerous as weapons.


Authorities in India, as well as in Brazil through the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI), have established protection and exclusion zones. These are not acts of isolation, but of respect ,  measures intended to safeguard the lives, cultures, and fragile balance of those who, without knowing it, are guardians of ecosystems vital to the health of our planet.


Yet the dilemma is also deeply human. Modern society has taught us to believe that progress is universal, that those who do not share it are “behind”. But perhaps the opposite is true. Maybe these peoples, untouched by the logic of consumption and production, have preserved a wisdom we have forgotten: how to live in harmony with the Earth. The impulse to “help” them may conceal a subtle form of moral colonialism.


Organisations such as Survival International, through its Uncontacted Peoples campaign, have long warned that the best way to protect these communities is to respect their choice to remain isolated. Their work focuses on defending territorial rights, preventing illegal intrusions, and ensuring autonomy. Similarly, the Rainforest Foundation advocates for the protection of voluntary isolation zones in the Amazon, recognising that defending these cultures is also a strategy for conserving the environment.


First contact with the tribe Toulambi (by Miri)

The message these communities send ,  without words, without contact ,  is a lesson in humility. On a planet desperately seeking solutions to climate change, their way of life reminds us of balance, sustainability, and reverence for nature. Under the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), preserving their isolation is not an act of neglect but a moral stance of respect and coexistence.


Perhaps the greatest form of communication we can offer them is silence.Sometimes, distance is the purest expression of respect.


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