New Amazonian tribe found living in thick jungle

A 'lost' Amazonian Indian tribe has made contact with the outside world. We are yet to find out why, however, isn't it an amazing thought that these sustainable stewards of the forest might find themselves at the top of the food-chain in a fully-fledged carbon economy.

clipped from www.smh.com.au An Indian tribe that has had no formal contact with Western civilisation has been located in a remote Amazon region, federal authorities say. The Metyktire tribe, with about 87 members, was found last week in an area that is difficult to reach because of thick jungle and a lack of nearby rivers about 2000 kilometres north-west of Rio de Janeiro, said Mario Moura, a spokesman for the Federal Indian Bureau, or Funai. Patrick Cunningham of the London-based Indigenous People's Cultural Support Trust, which is involved in an unrelated expedition in the region, said in an email that the tribe speaks an archaic version of the Kayapo language and goes naked. Like many less-assimilated members of the Kayapo, the men wear penis sheaths and several have plates in their lower lips, he said. The women shave the tops of their heads. Miriam Ross, a campaigner with the indigenous rights group Survival International, estimates there are more than 100 uncontacted tribes across the world.