A group of previously uncontacted Ayoreo Indians has emerged
from the forests of Paraguay, under pressure from deforestation all around
them. The 17 people (five men, seven women and five children) are in
excellent health, but acutely short of water. Colonists who have settled in
their territory have taken possession of the permanent water holes for
cattle ranching, leaving the Indians unable to get water in the dry season.
The Indians made contact with fellow Ayoreo who were
planning to establish a new community in the last sizeable area of forest in
the region. For ten years the Ayoreo and their supporters have been trying
to protect the zone from accelerating invasion. Now, ranchers and farmers
occupy large parts of the Ayoreo's forest.
Under national and international law, the Paraguayan
government should have titled the area (some 550,000 hectares) to the
Indians. But after ten years, only around a quarter has been titled. Some
landowners continue to send in bulldozers to clear the forest, defying court
orders which were supposed to halt all work in the area.
The newly-contacted Ayoreo (who belong to the Totobiegosode
sub-group) have requested access to water, and a halt to the incursions into
their territory. In a message to the outside world they said,
'Please do not touch the forest, because it gives us life. Please stop the
bulldozers.'
Stephen Corry, Director of Survival said today,
'This contact means it is more imperative than ever that the Paraguayan
government properly protects the Indians' territory. It is now a question of
the physical survival of this group, who are extremely vulnerable to outside
diseases. The government must put a halt to the landowners' illegal activity
in the area, and title the land to the Indians, as a matter of great
urgency.'
For more information, call Kali Mercier on 020 7687 8731,
email
km@survival-international.org or visit
http://www.survival-international.org/ayoreo.htm. Photos of the
contacted group are available.
Survival's Research Coordinator Jonathan Mazower has visited
the location of the contact, and is available for interview.
Note to Editors: the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode are the last group
of uncontacted Indians outside the Amazon basin. Some small groups of
Totobiegosode remain isolated in the forest.
