I was just wondering the other day if there were still people groups that lived on their own without contact from the outside world. (I think because I was camping with some people who have traveled to Bolivia.) Well, it turns out there are, but the number of them is dwindling. (And I’m not sure how to feel about that.)
This idea fascinates me. Survival International works to “help tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures.” By contacting them, other cultures break into their land, their culture. I don’t think it’s possible (and I’m not sure it’s desireable) to maintain cultural reclusivity forever, but it’s clear that the current situation with this tribe is not going well.
I wish it were possible to learn about these people without decimating their culture or giving them diseases. I wonder about their history and heritage. (Maybe there are some good documentaries on similar subjects?)
(I tried hard to say this tactfully, but I’m not sure I succeeded without letting my cultural bias clobber all manner of cultural compassion.)
(via Survival International, via John Gruber)
