Big news about an isolated tribe found in Brazil. Many news stories have headlines like “Uncontacted tribe” that has been “photographed” or “spotted.” Meaning – the uncontacted tribe has been contacted. Isolated but now unisolated. The Brazilian goverment says there are about 100 of these “uncontacted” tribes. Well – now there’s 99.
You can see the pictures of the tribe – they seem alarmed at the flyover. I’m sure Discovery Channel camera crews are not far behind, and maybe the United Nations will start air-dropping iPods, trail mix or solar-powered radios soon.
After all – isolated tribes are no fun unless they get unisolated… right?
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The situation of these folks presents some real dilemmas.
Contacting them and exposing them to modern people poses a raft of risks, medical, cultural, moral, psychological; yet keeping them uncontacted can leave them and their lands exposed to the risk of exploitation, and of course leaves them without the saving gift of Christ and His Gospel.
There is at least one tribe visited by anthropologists and missionaries, who found that the tribe’s world-view, imagination, and language were so primitive that they lacked the concept of God or of any thing outside of sense-experience.
Here’s more….
“and maybe the United Nations will start air-dropping iPods, trail mix or solar-powered radios soon.”
If it’s the UN sending in aid, don’t forget condoms–they’d be at the top of the list, I’m sure…