Howand whydo you introduce yourself to people
who dont speak your language, dont share your culture,
and dont show any sign of wanting you around?
That was the challenge facing Sydney Possuelo and his crew
as they sought peaceful contact with the Koruboan
isolated, feared tribe in the wilds of Amazonia.
Acting for FUNAI, the Brazilian agency responsible for
native peoples, Possuelos expedition strove to end decades
of hostility between the Korubo and the caboclos
(local settlers) in the Vale do Javari
region of western Brazil. FUNAI has documented more than
40 disorderskillings, kidnappings, arson, massacressince 1966.
Both Indians and caboclos have proven adept at violence.
Wielding heavy clubs, the Korubo can smash skulls to pulp;
the tribe is known locally as the head-breakers. Caboclos,
for their part, have sometimes attacked unrepentantly; in one incident they shot at the
Indians like game, reports photographer
Nicolas Reynard.
Expedition Agenda
Can goodwill, or at least an armistice,
follow this bitter history? Possuelo thinks so.
A veteran at making first contact with indigenous peoplesand
a controversial champion of their rightsPossuelo
faced a twofold task.
The most basic task was to achieve peaceful contact with the Korubo. To do so, the crew
set up several gift sites where pots, knives, machetes, and bags of
grain awaited the Korubo.
Each gift bore the expedition logo, which also marks
the crew's clothing, boats, and belongings. Possuelos hope was that,
the giftsand peaceful demeanor of the giverswould woo the
Korubo. His strategy paid off.
Now Possuelo and his handpicked crew must
establish
the region as an Indian territory.
The Vale do
Javari was designated as such, but the decree has never been enforced.
The expedition has begun blocking traffic
on the Ituí and Itacuaí Rivers and
cajoling settlers to move
out of Korubo territory.
They are also intending to build a floating guardhouse that will be anchored
at the confluence of the two rivers.
The Complexities of Contact
Possuelo and his crew are honorable men.
Valerie May,
our own managing editor and South America specialist, visited the team
members and came away impressed by their integrity and dedication.
Yet questions linger: Why not just leave the Korubo alone? Will contact
ultimately hurt more than it helps? National Geographic Online is
inviting and posting comments on this topic; please visit the Talk to Us section.
The expedition's own answer is that contacta last resortis
essential not only for peace but for health. Proximity to modern Brazilians
exposes the Korubo to diseases for which they lack immunity. Caboclos
pathogens may prove far more ruthlessand dangerousthan the caboclos
themselves. Contact is a prelude for providing vaccinations and medical care.
What Next?
The crew spent several long months anchored
on the Ituígrowing tired, growing impatient. Their work paid off at last on October 15, 1996, when Possuelo and his team met a group of some 20 Korubo. Our News section offers details.
That friendly meeting, the crew hopes, marked the beginning of a bridge between two starkly different worlds. Building a lasting, peaceful span will be the next challenge. Stay with us as the story unfolds.
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