Half of world’s uncontacted Indigenous groups could be wiped out within a decade, new report reveals Half of world’s uncontacted Indigenous groups could be wiped out within a decade, new report reveals

Half of the world’s uncontacted Indigenous groups could be wiped out within a decade, a new report from Survival International has revealed.

The London-based human rights organisation has produced a comprehensive report on uncontacted peoples worldwide, revealing there are at least 196 groups living across 10 countries including Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, India, Indonesia and West Papua.

Contact with the outside world can be devastating for uncontacted peoples as common diseases are fatal. These groups are also entirely reliant on the land, and so outside development that forces them away from their homes is incredibly disruptive.

Around 96 percent of all uncontacted groups are threatened by industries such as logging, mining and oil and gas drilling, while 38 groups are at risk because of development projects such as roads, railways and ports.

One in six are threatened by missionaries trying to convert them, and there is also a growing threat of social media influencers who want to make ‘first contact’ for content they can then monetise.

Other threats include climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse.

Caroline Pearce, Survival International’s director, said, “There is a catastrophe looming – and a clear way to evade it. We can respect uncontacted peoples’ clearly expressed choice to be left alone. Or we can continue tearing up their forests for mining, logging and ranching and allowing missionaries or influencers to invade their homes – and risk killing up to half of all uncontacted groups in the next 10 years.

“The solution is obvious: industries and governments must act now to halt this continuing colonization so that uncontacted peoples can live freely as they choose.”

According to the report, 95% of the uncontacted groups live in the Amazon Basin, with 124 groups living in Brazil alone.

Survival International has called on governments to enforce national and international laws that protect Indigenous peoples’ lands and the no-contact principle. They have also called on companies to stop sourcing materials from uncontacted peoples’ territories, or from companies that operate in these territories.

Earlier this year, India’s Sentinelese tribe hit the headlines after an American tourist allegedly landed on North Sentinel Island to make contact with the tribe, filming the experience for social media. He was arrested by Indian authorities.

More information: survivalinternational.org

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