This is the amazing home of the sole survivor of an uncontacted Amazonian tribe.
Last month, (July), footage emerged thanks to the Brazilian government’s indigenous affairs department, FUNAI.
Nicknamed ‘the man of the hole,’ he was seen chopping trees with an axe in the state of Rondonia, western Brazil.
His house, or ‘maloca’, is made from straw and thatch. Inside, he stacks up arrowheads for hunting and has torches made from tree resin.
FUNAI reportedly leaves traditional weapons like axes and machetes for the tribesman to find, albeit very carefully and discreetly.
Speaking about the lone survivor, Altair Algayer, a regional coordinator for FUNAI, told The Guardian:
He is very well, hunting, maintaining some plantations of papaya, corn. He has good health and a good physical shape doing all those exercises.
I understand his decision. It is his sign of resistance, and a little repudiation, hate, knowing the story he went through.
Fiona Watson, the research and advocacy director of Survival International, said:
Funai has a duty to show that he is well and alive. The crucial thing is Funai has managed to keep his territory.
The fact he is still alive gives you hope. He is the ultimate symbol, if you like.
The man spends much of his day hunting for animals like pigs, monkeys and birds using a bow and arrow.
His nickname comes from the large holes he often digs to hide in when intruders are near or under the surrounding area to catch animals while hunting. They are sometimes over six feet deep.
All over Brazil, indigenous people live in differing degrees of isolation. Illegal miners, ranchers, loggers and other groups pose a risk to Indians’ lives and well-being and destroy their natural resources.
FUNAI’s around to ensure their rights are respected as set out in the Brazilian Constitution and the Indian Statute. Its work is wide-ranging and includes opposition to ‘Hakani’, the controversial evangelical missionary film which promotes authoritative intervention in tribal communities.
Before FUNAI came into existence, its role was entrusted to the Indian Protection Service (SPI) founded in 1910. It aimed to protect Indians by bringing them into ‘mainstream’ national society, thereby eliminating cultural diversity and freeing up their lands, reports IFL Science.
Nevertheless, the creation of this body introduced a significant change, removing the church’s monopoly in ‘assisting’ indigenous peoples.
Under its founder, Marshall Cândido Rondon, the SPI started with high ideals, but it later suffered from bureaucracy and controversy as corrupt officials went unchecked and it failed to provide medical care and protection to newly contacted tribes.
What an incredible individual.
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