Uncontacted Tribe

[rgirty]

"Uncontacted" Tribe Seen in Amazon

Shown in National Geographic News's tenth most viewed individual photo of 2008, members of an "uncontacted" Amazon tribe fire arrows at an airplane above the rain forest borderlands of Peru and Brazil in May. The natural dyes covering their bodies probably signal aggression, native-rights experts say.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/photogalleries/top-ten-photos/images/primary/10_toptenphotos_461.jpg

[TPMdm]

something about that picture bothers me. It seems a little too viral. and those native-rights experts can shove their hypothesis right up their poop-chutes. The colors may signal aggression they might also signal the 2 dudes in red are about to "enjoy the company" of the lady in black. What does signal aggression is the arrows being shot at he plane and you don't need to be a native-rights expert to figure that out :rolleyes:


Edit
So, in the mind of the native-rights experts these guys were minding their own business, saw a plane heading their way and took a bath in red paint (they also just happen to have a tub of red paint ready and waiting for just such an occasion) to signal their aggression at this plane? Or are these the rapid response "aggression showers" who just happen to be in red body paint in case some unknown flying thing buzzes the village?
Edit 2
OK, the picture isn't a viral hoax, but my comments about the "experts" still stand in my mind.

[Eileithyia]

They could just be feral Ompa Lumpas

[rgirty]

something about that picture bothers me. It seems a little too viral. and those native-rights experts can shove their hypothesis right up their poop-chutes. The colors may signal aggression they might also signal the 2 dudes in red are about to "enjoy the company" of the lady in black. What does signal aggression is the arrows being shot at he plane and you don't need to be a native-rights expert to figure that out :rolleyes:


Edit
So, in the mind of the native-rights experts these guys were minding their own business, saw a plane heading their way and took a bath in red paint (they also just happen to have a tub of red paint ready and waiting for just such an occasion) to signal their aggression at this plane? Or are these the rapid response "aggression showers" who just happen to be in red body paint in case some unknown flying thing buzzes the village?

People in the area have known about the tribe for years, however the tribe remains "uncontacted"

The human rights debate is raging as to if they should be contacted or not.

The photo is the real deal.

As far as the color thing goes, i'm not sure how they would know what that means other than assuming that research that held true for other tribes historically applies to this tribe. Being uncontacted, it is just a guess (i would think).

[Tonyx]

this same picture, albeit in black and white, appeared in my local rag about 2 months ago. There were other pictures too which would make me certainly believe its not fake.

[rgirty]

this same picture, albeit in black and white, appeared in my local rag about 2 months ago. There were other pictures too which would make me certainly believe its not fake.

It is from national geographic, it isn't fake.

[Kether]

Nuke em. Twice.

[Mazhulsage]

Hey Kether, that's not nice... Just dropping ONE Atomic Bomb instead of a Nuke would be more than sufficient.

Really though, I don't see why the world just HAS to get in on contacting each and every person and getting in their crap. "Oh, you eat, sleep, and poop and pee? Well... Do you ever sacrifice any people or lambs or anything? Oh you don't... Uhh, hey guys come over here, they said they sacrifice people, they're interesting now!"

Who the hell cares? There's a reason they weren't contacted before, they f'ing shoot arrows at people.

Lol, can you imagine being back just like, 500 years ago and seeing a helicopter and not knowing what it was? I'd be freaking out and running, not throwing/shooting stuff at it =P.

[TPMdm]

Maybe that isn't a die or pigment.... maybe those guys and gals are really red and black!!!

[Mazhulsage]

Dye* for one... Also, seriously, what TPM said on the "OMFG, THEY MUST HAVE JUMPED INTO RED DYE JUST TO ATTACK US." thing though.

[TPMdm]

Dye* for one....

homonym crits me for 1000 embarrassment damage

[clevins]

Sigh... Replies like most of the above are why we should have better birth control.

[TPMdm]

Sigh... Replies like most of the above are why we should have better birth control.

oh come on when was the last time you saw "homonym" in a thread not about grammar!?!?!?!

[Mazhulsage]

Plus Clevins, technically they weren't "above" you anymore, they're at the last page.

[gismo]

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/05/uncontacted_tribe_photographed.html

There is some good photos found there.

[surodat]

Okay, first off, I'm pretty sure that this is not the first time that they've seen or heard a plane or a helicopter. It may be likely that they've never seen one so close, and that they are a rare occurrence, but it's highly unlikely that it doesn't happen from time to time. This is just the first time we've photographed them (read: seen them) and it's childish to think that since is the first time we're seeing them, it's the first time they're 'seeing us'.

Now, most times the initial reaction I get to images like this is that it seems an invasion of privacy and exploitative. I seem to imagine how I would feel if there was a helicopter outside my apartment building photographing me through the windows. I'd probably shoot arrows at them too.

But, what really gets me is the circular logic that we get into when we try to work out why pictures like this get published.

These pictures were taken by Brazil's National Indian Foundation, a national organization devoted to the protection agency for Indian interests and their culture. So, while these pictures have been picked up as a novelty, or oddity-of-the-day, for most news organizations, the pictures were taken for a specific reason.

I'm pretty sure that the rational for taking the pictures is the following:

Taking these pictures and publishing them proves that there are people in threatened areas of the rainforest that need our protection so that they can have sovereignty and self-determination.

While this seems noble and benevolent, it the same thing that we do for endangered animals. Does setting up protections to maintain the culture of these tribes actually help these people? Or is it our own nostalgic instincts that prevent us from allowing the upcoming eventuality to take place?

[rgirty]

Okay, first off, I'm pretty sure that this is not the first time that they've seen or heard a plane or a helicopter. It may be likely that they've never seen one so close, and that they are a rare occurrance, but it's highly unlikely that it doesn't happen from time to time. This is just the first time we've photographed them (read: seen them) and it's childish to think that since is the first time we're seeing them, it's the first time they're 'seeing us'.

If we change helicopter to UFO and place civilized people in the position of those in this tribe, while swapping aliens or advanced beings as the craft pilots we have a star trek situation...first contact and all, no?

[surodat]

If we change helicopter to UFO and place civilized people in the position of those in this tribe, while swapping aliens or advanced beings as the craft pilots we have a star trek situation...first contact and all, no?

Yeah, but that also reminds me of Douglas Adam quote:

"Man [has] always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much-the wheel, New York, wars and so on-while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man-for precisely the same reason."

It is taken as read that we are more intelligent, more civilized than them.

First contact was about inviting someone into the fold as equals - allowing a race to grow and develop until they earned the right to be considered civilized. Easily accomplished in a Galaxy with an excess of space and resources - not so easily accomplished on a small planet with finite resources, and of the same species.

What seems more accurate analogy is the story of the wild-child (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_of_Aveyron).

[TPMdm]

.......
While this seems noble and benevolent, it the same thing that we do for endangered animals. Does setting up protections to maintain the culture of these tribes actually help these people? Or is it our own nostalgic instincts that prevent us from allowing the upcoming eventuality to take place?

I agree with most of what you said, but have you read the accounts of most of the recently contacted "un-contacted tribes"? Same thing that happened when the Europeans made contact with the natives of the Americas: disease decimated the populations (1/3 mortatlity within a year was not uncommon). I think it is literally in their best interest to keep "civilization" away from them. Frequently "first contact" happens benignly enough with loggers, hunters, "explorers", adventure vacationers etc.... but the results are often tragic.

[Glurin]

But if we never make contact with them, how can we build a wal-mart in their village and force their elderly to be door greeters? :grin:

[elsegundo]

Entering combat.
Amazon Totemic casts Curse of the Amazon.
Amazon Pathfinder becomes enraged.
Amazon Pathfinder becomes enraged.

(flies up)

Leaving combat.