In today's world where everyone lives on a schedule, working around the clock and glued to their cell phones, there are some groups of people who focus on nature. The way of life of these tribes is no different from the one they led several centuries ago. Climate change and industrial development have significantly reduced their numbers, but at the moment, these 10 tribes still exist.
Kayapo Indians
The Kayapo are a Brazilian tribe that lives along the Xingu River in 44 separate villages connected by barely visible paths. They call themselves mebengokre, which means “people big water" Unfortunately, their “big water” is about to change dramatically as the huge Belo Monte Dam is being built on the Xingu River. The 668 square kilometer reservoir will flood 388 square kilometers of forest, partially destroying the Kayapo tribe's habitat. The Indians fought against infiltration modern man for many centuries, they fought with everyone, from hunters and animal catchers, to lumberjacks and rubber miners. They even successfully prevented the construction of a major dam in 1989. Their population was once only 1,300 people, but has since grown to almost 8,000. The question today is how people will survive if their culture is threatened. Members of the Kayapo tribe are famous for their body painting, agriculture and colorful headdresses. Modern technologies are already penetrating their lives - the Kayapo are driving motorboats, watching TV, or even logging on Facebook.
Kalash
Situated in the Pakistani mountains, on the border with the Taliban-controlled region of Afghanistan, lies a most unusual tribe of white, European-looking people known as the Kalash. Many Kalash have blond hair and blue eyes, a stark contrast to their darker-skinned neighbors. Not only does the Kalash tribe differ in physical signs, they have a very different culture from Muslims. They are polytheistic, have a unique folklore, produce wine (which is prohibited in Muslim culture), wear brightly colored clothes and give much more freedom to women. They are decidedly happy, peace-loving people who love to dance and have numerous annual festivals. No one knows for sure how this light-skinned tribe came to be in remote Pakistan, but the Kalash claim they are long-lost descendants of the army of Alexander the Great. Evidence from DNA tests shows that they had an infusion of European blood during the time of Alexander's conquests, so there is a possibility that their stories are true. For many years the surrounding Muslims persecuted the Kalash and forced many to convert to Islam. Today, approximately 4,000-6,000 members of the tribe remain, engaged primarily in agriculture.
Cahuilla Tribe
While southern California is most often associated with Hollywood, surfers and actors, the area is home to nine Indian reservations inhabited by the ancient Cahuilla people. They lived in the Coachella Valley for over 3,000 years and settled there when prehistoric Lake Cahuilla still existed. Despite problems with disease, gold rushes and persecution, the tribe managed to survive, although it was dwindled to 3,000 people. They have lost much of their heritage, and the unique Cahuilla language is on the verge of extinction. This dialect is a mixture of Yuta and Aztec languages, which can be spoken by only 35 elderly people. Nowadays, elders are trying hard to pass on their language, “bird songs” and other cultural characteristics. to the younger generation. Like most indigenous peoples North America, they faced the challenge of assimilating into the wider community in an attempt to maintain their old traditions.
Spinifex tribe
The Spinifex tribe, or Saw Nguru, are indigenous people living in the Great Victorian Desert. They have lived in some of the harshest climates for life for at least 15,000 years. Even after Europeans settled in Australia, this tribe was not affected as they occupied an environment that was too dry and inhospitable. Everything changed in the 1950s, when Spinifex Land, unsuitable for agriculture, chosen for nuclear testing. In 1953 the British and Australian governments blew up nuclear bombs in the Spinifex homeland, without any consent and after a short warning. Most Aboriginal people were displaced and did not return to their homeland until the late 1980s. After returning, they faced heavy opposition when trying to legally recognize the area as their property. Interestingly, their beautiful works of art helped prove the deep connection of the Spinifex people to this land, after which they were recognized as indigenous people in 1997. Their works of art received mass recognition and appeared on art exhibitions all over the world. It is difficult to count how many members of the tribe currently exist, but one of their largest communities, known as Tjuntyuntyara, has an estimated population of 180-220.
Batak
The Philippine island of Palawan is home to the Batak people, the most genetically diverse people on the planet. They are believed to belong to a Negroid-Australoid race, distantly related to those people from whom we are all descended. This means that they are descendants of one of the first groups that left Africa approximately 70,000 years ago and traveled from the Asian mainland to the Philippines approximately 20,000 years later. Typical of Negroids, Bataks have short stature and strange, unusual hair. Traditionally, women wear sarongs, while men cover their body only with a loincloth and feathers, or jewelry. The entire community works together to hunt and harvest, followed by celebrations. In general, the Bataks are shy, peaceful people who prefer to hide deep in the jungle without engaging in confrontations with outsiders. Like other local tribes, disease, territorial seizures, and other modern invasions devastated the Batak population. Currently there are approximately 300-500 people. Oddly enough, among the biggest dangers for the tribe was defense environment. The Philippine government has banned logging in certain protected areas, and the Batak have traditionally practiced tree felling. Without the ability to grow food efficiently, many suffer from malnutrition.
Andamanese
Andamanese are also classified as Negroids, but due to their extremely short height (adult males are under 150 centimeters), they are usually referred to as pygmies. They inhabit the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Like the Bataks, the Andamanese are one of the first groups to migrate from Africa, and developed in isolation until the 18th century. Up until the 19th century, they didn't even know how to start a fire. The Andamanese are divided into separate tribes, each with their own culture and language. One group disappeared when its last member died at the age of 85 in 2010. Another group, the Sentinelese, are so fiercely resistant to outside contact that even in the modern technological world very little is known about them. Those who have not integrated into the larger Indian culture still live like their ancestors. For example, they use a single type of weapon - a bow and arrow - to hunt pigs, turtles and fish. Men and women collect roots, tubers and honey together. Clearly, their lifestyle is working for them, as doctors rate the health and nutritional status of the Andamanese as “optimal.” The most big problems What they have is the impact of Indian settlers and tourists who force them off the land, bring diseases and treat these people like animals in a safari park. Although the exact size of the tribe is not known, as some still live in isolation, there are approximately 400-500 existing Andamanese.
Piraha tribe
Although there are many small primitive tribes throughout Brazil and the Amazon, the Pirahã stand out because they have their own culture and language, unlike many other people on the planet. This tribe has some quirky features. They don't have colors, numbers, past tense or subordinate clauses. While some might call the language simplistic, these features are a result of Piraha values of living only in the moment. In addition, because they live completely together, they have no need to ration and divide property. A lot of unnecessary words are eliminated when you have no history, don't have to track anything, and only trust what you see. In general, the Pirahã differ from Westerners in almost every way. They sincerely rejected all missionaries, like everyone else modern technologies. They have no leader and do not need to exchange resources with other people or tribes. Even after hundreds of years of external contact, this group of 300 people has remained largely unchanged since ancient times.
People of Takuu Atoll
The people of Takuu Atoll are Polynesian in origin, but are considered one of the isolated cultures as they live in the Melanesian region instead of the Polynesian triangle. Takuu Atoll has a particularly distinct culture, which some call the most traditionally Polynesian. This is because the Takuu tribe are extremely protective of their way of life and protect themselves from suspicious outsiders. They even enforced the ban on missionaries for 40 years. They still live in traditional thatched buildings. Unlike most of us, who spend most of our time working, Takuu devote 20-30 hours a week to singing and dancing. Surprisingly, they have over 1,000 songs that they repeat from memory. The 400 members of the tribe are somehow connected with each other, and they are controlled by one leader. Unfortunately, climate change may destroy the Takuu's way of life as the ocean soon engulfs their island. Rising sea levels have already polluted freshwater sources and drowned crops, and although the community has created dams, they are proving ineffective.
Spirit Tribe
Spirit - last group nomadic herders of Mongolia with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty. About 300 members of the tribe remain, carefully protecting their cold homeland and believing in a sacred forest where the ghosts of their ancestors live. This cold, mountainous region has very few resources, so the Dukha rely on reindeer for milk, cheese, transportation, hunting and to attract tourists. However, due to the small size of the tribe, the Spirit's way of life is in jeopardy as the reindeer population rapidly declines. There are many factors contributing to this decline, but the most important are overhunting and predation. To make matters worse, the discovery of gold in northern Mongolia has brought a mining industry that is ravaging the local wildlife. With so many problems, many young people are leaving their ancient roots and choosing life in the city.
El Molo
The ancient El Molo tribe of Kenya is the smallest tribe in the country and also faces many threats. Due to the almost constant persecution of other groups, they have already isolated themselves in a distant coastline Lake Terkana, but still can't breathe easy. The tribe depends solely on fish and aquatic animals for survival and trade. Unfortunately, their lake evaporates by 30 centimeters every year. This contributes to water pollution and a decrease in fish populations. It now takes them a week to catch the same amount of fish they previously caught in a day. El Molo must take risks and dive into crocodile-infested waters to catch his catch. There is fierce competition for fish, and the El Molo are under threat of invasion by warring neighboring tribes. In addition to these environmental hazards, the tribe experiences cholera outbreaks every few years that wipe out most of the people. Average duration The lifespan of El Molo is only 30-45 years. There are approximately 200 of them, and anthropologists estimate that only 40 of them are “pure” El Molo.
The ethnic diversity on Earth is amazing in its abundance. People living in different corners planets are at the same time similar to each other, but at the same time very different in their way of life, customs, and language. In this article we will talk about some unusual tribes, about which you will be interested to know.
Piraha Indians - a wild tribe inhabiting the Amazon jungle
The Pirahã Indian tribe lives among the Amazon rain forest, mainly along the banks of the Maici River, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.
This nation South America known for its language, Pirahã. In fact, Pirahã is one of the rarest languages among the 6,000 spoken languages around the world. The number of native speakers ranges from 250 to 380 people. The language is amazing because:
- does not have numbers, for them there are only two concepts “several” (from 1 to 4 pieces) and “many” (more than 5 pieces),
- verbs do not change either by numbers or by persons,
- there are no names for colors,
- consists of 8 consonants and 3 vowels! Isn't this amazing?
According to linguistic scholars, Piraha men understand rudimentary Portuguese and even speak very limited topics. True, not all male representatives can express their thoughts. Women, on the other hand, have little understanding of the Portuguese language and do not use it at all to communicate. However, the Pirahã language has several loanwords from other languages, mainly Portuguese, such as "cup" and "business".
Speaking of business, the Piraha Indians trade Brazil nuts and provide sexual services in order to buy supplies and tools, for example, machetes, milk powder, sugar, whiskey. Chastity is not a cultural value for them.
There are several more interesting moments associated with this nation:
- Pirahã have no compulsion. They don't tell other people what to do. There seems to be no social hierarchy at all, no formal leader.
- This Indian tribe has no idea of \u200b\u200bdeities and God. However, they believe in spirits, which sometimes take the form of jaguars, trees, or people.
— it feels like the Pirahã tribe are people who don’t sleep. They can take a nap of 15 minutes or at most two hours throughout the day and night. They rarely sleep through the night.
The Wadoma tribe is an African tribe of people with two toes.
The Vadoma tribe lives in the Zambezi River valley in northern Zimbabwe. They are known for the fact that some members of the tribe suffer from ectrodactyly, three middle toes are missing from their feet, and the outer two are turned inward. As a result, members of the tribe are called “two-fingered” and “ostrich-footed”. Their huge two-toed feet are the result of a single mutation on chromosome number seven. However, in the tribe such people are not considered inferior. The reason for the common occurrence of ectrodactyly in the Vadoma tribe is isolation and the prohibition of marriage outside the tribe.
Life and life of the Korowai tribe in Indonesia
The Korowai tribe, also called the Kolufo, live in the southeast of the autonomous Indonesian province of Papua and consist of approximately 3,000 people. Perhaps before 1970 they did not know about the existence of other people besides themselves.
Most Korowai clans live in their isolated territory in tree houses, which are located at an altitude of 35-40 meters. In this way, they protect themselves from floods, predators, and arson by rival clans who take people, especially women and children, into slavery. In 1980, some of the Korowai moved to settlements in open areas.
Korowai have excellent hunting and fishing skills, and are engaged in gardening and gathering. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture, when the forest is first burned and then crops are planted in this place.
As far as religion is concerned, the Korowai universe is filled with spirits. The most honorable place is given to the spirits of ancestors. In times of need, they sacrifice domestic pigs to them.
In the modern world on Earth, every year there are fewer and fewer secluded places where civilization has not set foot. It's coming everywhere. And wild tribes are often forced to change the places of their settlements. Those of them that make contact with the civilized world are gradually disappearing. They, libor, dissolve in modern society, or simply die out.
The thing is that centuries of life in complete isolation did not allow the immune system of these people to properly develop. Their body has not learned to produce antibodies that can resist the most common infections. A common cold can be fatal for them.
Nevertheless, anthropologists continue to study wild tribes whenever possible. After all, each of them is nothing more than a model ancient world. Sort of, possible option human evolution.
Piahu Indians
The way of life of wild tribes generally fits within the framework of our idea of primitive people. They live mainly in polygamous families. They engage in hunting and gathering. But the way of thinking and language of some of them is capable of striking any civilized imagination.
Once upon a time, the famous anthropologist, linguist and preacher Daniel Everett went to the Amazonian Piraha tribe for scientific and missionary purposes. First of all, he was struck by the language of the Indians. It had only three vowels and seven consonants. They had no idea about singular and plural. There were no numerals in their language at all. And why would they need them if the Piraha didn’t even have a clue about more and less. It also turned out that the people of this tribe live outside of any time. Such concepts as present, past and future were alien to him. In general, the polyglot Everett had a very difficult time learning the Pirahu language.
Everett’s missionary mission was in for a big embarrassment. First, the savages asked the preacher whether he personally knew Jesus. And when they found out that he was not, they immediately lost all interest in the Gospel. And when Everett told them that God himself created man, they fell into complete bewilderment. This bewilderment could be translated something like this: “What are you doing? Isn’t he as stupid as people are?”
As a result, after visiting this tribe, the unfortunate Everett, according to him, almost turned from a convinced Christian into a complete one.
Cannibalism still exists
Some wild tribes also have cannibalism. Now cannibalism among savages is not as common as it was about a hundred years ago, but still cases of eating their own kind are not uncommon. The savages of the island of Borneo are the most successful in this matter; they are famous for their cruelty and indiscriminateness. These cannibals happily eat tourists too. Although the last outbreak of kakibalism dates back to the beginning of the last century. Now this phenomenon among wild tribes is episodic.
But in general, according to scientists, the fate of wild tribes on Earth has already been decided. In just a few decades they will finally disappear.
Lives on the banks of the Meikhi River wild tribe Pirahu, numbering about three hundred people. The natives survive by hunting and gathering. The peculiarity of this tribe is their unique language: there are no words denoting shades of colors, there is no indirect speech, and also interesting fact, it does not contain numerals (Indians count - one, two and many). They have no legends about the creation of the world, no calendar, but despite all this, the Pirahu people have not been found to have the qualities of reduced intelligence.
Video: Amazon Code. In the deep jungle of the Amazon River lives the wild Piraha tribe. Christian missionary Daniel Everett came to them to bring the word of God, but as a result of becoming acquainted with their culture, he became an atheist. But much more interesting than this is a discovery related to the language of the Piraha tribe.
Another known wild tribe of Brazil is the Sinta Larga, numbering about one and a half thousand people. Previously, this tribe lived in the rubber jungle, however, due to their deforestation, the Sinta Larga became a nomadic tribe. The Indians engage in fishing, hunting and farming. There is patriarchy in the tribe, i.e. a man can have several wives. Also, throughout his life, a Cinta Larga man receives several names, depending on individual characteristics or certain events in his life, but there is one special name that is kept secret and only those closest to him know it.
And in the western part of the Amazon River valley lives a very aggressive Korubo tribe. The main occupation of the Indians of this tribe is hunting and raids on neighboring settlements. Moreover, both men and women, armed with poisoned darts and clubs, take part in the raids. There is evidence that cases of cannibalism occur in the Korubo tribe.
Video: Leonid Kruglov: GEO: Unknown world: Earth. Secrets of the new world. " Great River Amazons." "Korubo Incident".
All these tribes represent a unique find for anthropologists and evolutionists. By studying their life and culture, language, and beliefs, one can better understand all stages of human development. And it is very important to preserve this heritage of history in your in its original form. In Brazil, a special government organization (National Indian Foundation) has been created to deal with the affairs of such tribes. The main task of this organization is to protect these tribes from any interference of modern civilization.
Adventure Magic - Yanomami.
Film: Amazonia / IMAX - Amazon HD.
Amazingly, in this age of atomic energy, laser guns and Pluto exploration, there still exist primitive people, almost unfamiliar with the outside world. Scattered all over the world except Europe huge amount such tribes. Some live in complete isolation, perhaps not even knowing about the existence of other “bipeds”. Others know and see more, but are in no hurry to make contact. And still others are ready to kill any stranger.
What should we do? civilized people? Try to “make friends” with them? Keep an eye on them? Completely ignore?
Just these days, the disputes resumed when the Peruvian authorities decided to make contact with one of the lost tribes. Defenders of Aboriginal people are strongly against it, because after contact they may die from diseases to which they have no immunity: it is not known whether they will agree to medical help.
Let's see who we are talking about and what other tribes that are infinitely far from civilization are found in the modern world.
1. Brazil
It is in this country that the largest number of uncontacted tribes live. In just 2 years, from 2005 to 2007, their confirmed number immediately increased by 70% (from 40 to 67), and today there are already more than 80 on the lists of the National Foundation of Indians (FUNAI).
There are extremely small tribes, only 20-30 people, others can number 1.5 thousand. Moreover, together they make up less than 1% of the population of Brazil, but the “ancestral lands” that are allotted to them are 13% of the country’s territory (green spots on the map). 
To find and count isolated tribes, authorities periodically fly over the dense Amazon forests. So in 2008, hitherto unknown savages were spotted near the border with Peru. First, anthropologists noticed from an airplane their huts, which looked like elongated tents, as well as half-naked women and children. 
But during a repeat flight a few hours later, men with spears and bows, painted red from head to toe, and the same warlike woman, all black, appeared in the same place. They probably mistook the plane for an evil bird spirit. 
Since then, the tribe has remained unstudied. Scientists can only guess that it is very numerous and prosperous. The photo shows that people are generally healthy and well-fed, their baskets are full of roots and fruits, and even something like orchards were spotted from the plane. It is possible that this people have existed for 10,000 years and have preserved their primitiveness since then. 
2. Peru
But the very tribe with which the Peruvian authorities want to come into contact are the Mashco-Piro Indians, who also live in the wilderness of the Amazon forests in the territory national park Manu in the southeast of the country. Previously, they always rejected strangers, but in recent years They began to often leave the thicket into the “outside world.” In 2014 alone, they were spotted more than 100 times in populated areas, especially along river banks, where they pointed at passersby. 
“They seem to be making contact on their own, and we can’t pretend we don’t notice. They also have the right to this,” the government says. They emphasize that under no circumstances will they force the tribe to make contact or change their lifestyle. 
Officially, Peruvian law prohibits contact with the lost tribes, of which there are at least a dozen in the country. But many people have already managed to “communicate” with the Mashko-Piro, from ordinary tourists to Christian missionaries, who shared clothes and food with them. Maybe also because there is no punishment for violating the ban. 
True, not all contacts were peaceful. In May 2015, the Mashko-Piros came to one of the local villages and, having met the residents, attacked them. One guy was killed on the spot, pierced by an arrow. In 2011, members of the tribe killed another local and wounded a national park ranger with arrows. Authorities hope the contact will help prevent future deaths.
This is probably the only civilized Mashco-Piro Indian. As a child, local hunters came across him in the jungle and took him with them. Since then he has been named Alberto Flores. 
3. Andaman Islands (India)
The tiny island of this archipelago in the Bay of Bengal between India and Myanmar is inhabited by the Sentinelese, who are extremely hostile to the outside world. Most likely, these are direct descendants of the first Africans who ventured to leave the black continent approximately 60,000 years ago. Since then, this small tribe has been engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering. How they make fire is unknown. 
Their language has not been identified, but judging by its striking difference from all other Andamanese dialects, these people have not come into contact with anyone for thousands of years. The size of their community (or scattered groups) is also not established: presumably, from 40 to 500 people. 
The Sentinelese are typical Negritos, as ethnologists call them: quite short people with very dark, almost black skin and short, fine curls of hair. Their main weapons are spears and bows with different types arrow Observations have shown that they accurately hit a human-sized target from a distance of 10 meters. The tribe considers any outsiders enemies. In 2006, they killed two fishermen who were sleeping peacefully in a boat that accidentally washed up on their shore, and then greeted a search helicopter with a hail of arrows. 
There were only a few "peaceful" contacts with the Sentinelese during the 1960s. Once coconuts were left on the shore for them to see if they would plant them or eat them. - Ate. Another time they “gifted” live pigs - the savages immediately killed them and... buried them. The only thing that seemed useful to them were the red buckets, as they hurried to carry them deeper into the island. But the exact same green buckets were not touched. 
But do you know what is the strangest and inexplicable? Despite their primitiveness and extremely primitive shelters, the Sentinelese generally survived the terrible earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004. But almost 300 thousand people died along the entire coast of Asia, making this the deadliest natural disaster in modern history! 
4. Papua New Guinea
The vast island of New Guinea in Oceania holds many unknown secrets. Its inaccessible mountainous regions, covered with dense forests, only seem uninhabited - in fact, they are home for many uncontacted tribes. Due to the peculiarities of the landscape, they are hidden not only from civilization, but also from each other: it happens that there are only a few kilometers between two villages, but they are not aware of their proximity. 
The tribes live so isolated that each has its own customs and language. Just think - linguists distinguish approximately 650 Papuan languages, and in total more than 800 languages are spoken in this country! 
There may be similar differences in their culture and lifestyle. Some tribes turn out to be relatively peaceful and generally friendly, like a funny nation to our ears bullshit, which Europeans learned about only in 1935. 
But the most ominous rumors are circulating about others. There were cases when members of expeditions specially equipped to search for Papuan savages disappeared without a trace. This is how one of the richest American family members, Michael Rockefeller, disappeared in 1961. He became separated from the group and is suspected to have been captured and eaten. 
5. Africa
At the junction of the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan live several nationalities, numbering about 200 thousand people, who are collectively called Surma. They raise livestock, but do not roam and share general culture with very cruel and strange traditions. 
Young men, for example, engage in stick fights to win brides, which can result in serious injuries and even death. And the girls, decorating themselves to future wedding, the lower teeth are removed, the lip is pierced and stretched so that a special plate fits there. The larger it is, the more cattle they will give for the bride, so the most desperate beauties manage to squeeze in a 40-centimeter dish! 
True, in recent years, young people from these tribes have begun to learn something about the outside world, and that’s all more girls Surma now refuse such a ritual of “beauty”. However, women and men continue to decorate themselves with curly scars, which they are very proud of. 
In general, the acquaintance of these peoples with civilization is very uneven: they, for example, remain illiterate, but quickly mastered the AK-47 assault rifles that came to them during civil war in Sudan. 
And one more interesting detail. The first people from outside world who came into contact with the Surma in the 1980s were not Africans, but a group of Russian doctors. The Aborigines were then frightened, mistaking them for the living dead - after all, they had never seen white skin before!