Young people in an isolated tribe in the Amazon forest learn how to use social networks

The Javari River, the river that separates Brazil and Peru, weaves deep into the almost pristine Amazon forest. Along the river, human traces are very sparse, mainly a few boats or piers on the Peruvian side.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian side is clearly marked as the land of the indigenous people of the Javari Valley – a protected area with the highest density of isolated communities in the world.

Outsiders are prohibited from entering, but the rich resources make many people still find ways to enter illegally.

About 6,000 people are recorded living here, in an area the size of Portugal. However, this number only includes groups that have had contact with the outside world, while many other communities remain completely isolated.

Magazine reporter National Geographic (USA) made a trip to this area to learn about the life of the tribe that is still isolated from the world.

The village of São Luís is located about 320 km from the town of Atalaia do Norte along the Javari River. This is home to about 200 people of the Kanamari tribe. Tribal leaders allowed reporters and a film crew to visit.

For eight days, the group lived in a neat settlement of wooden houses built on stilts. They woke up when Chief Mauro Kanamari (the Kanamari took their tribe’s name) blew his horn. The whole group began following the women harvesting cassava and the men hunting and fishing.

In recent years, pressure from illegal logging, fishing and mining has increased, putting the lives of the tribes at risk. Currently, the Kanamari tribe is still trying to find new ways to protect their land and ancient way of life.

Although young people in São Luís are raised traditionally, some like João Kanamari are sent to the town of Atalaia do Norte – about 9 hours away by boat – to study further.

João, 20 years old, is the grandson of the Mauro patriarch. His task is to record patrols with his smartphone and post them online. As a teenager, he was sent to Atalaia do Norte to learn Portuguese and serve as a bridge between his community and the outside world.

For the Kanamari people, the Amazon forest is “parents”, the source of everything for life. Therefore, resource exploitation damages the environment, directly threatening their existence. However, fighting against infiltrating groups has many potential uncertainties. In 2022, two people, activist Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips, were murdered in the area, raising concerns about the level of violence.

Despite facing risks, the Kanamari people still organize patrol groups, coordinating with the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples Agency (FUNAI) and the UNIVAJA organization to monitor the territory. They were provided with communications and fuel, but limited equipment made direct confrontation nearly impossible. Instead, they choose to record and report.

For João, his daily task of patrolling and recording images with his smartphone is very important.

“We want the world to see so we can help,” João said, saying protecting the Amazon forest is not only for their community but also for the global good.