Survival International Blog

At first glance, it is not easy to find an obvious connection...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:31:00 +0000

At first glance, it is not easy to find an obvious connection between uncontacted Indians in the rainforest of north-western Brazil, cheeses such as British Cheddar and French Maroilles, red lipstick and cinema popcorn.

What links them all, however, is a tree with pink flowers and heart-shaped leaves: Annatto is the discovery of Amazonian Indians, and another gift from tribal peoples to all humanity.

More about Annatto.

Sophie Okonedo models Survival’s latest t-shirt designed...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:38:21 +0000

Sophie Okonedo models Survival’s latest t-shirt designed by Savannah Miller. Available now from our online shop.

Hello, my name is Hendric and I'am 15 years old. I have to say, I love your work and what you do. I'am reading your newsletter everytime I get it. My question is; Why dont you create an App for survivalinternational? It would be a good publicity and it would be better for news etc. That would be wunderfull!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:39:03 +0000

Hi Hendric,

We’re working on some ideas for apps that can help people campaign for tribal peoples in ways which are different from what we can do on the web. We think apps that work with film, animation and interactives are really interesting, and we should have something ready to launch by the summer.

But we also love the open web, and we think the best way to get news and take action is by joining the millions of people who visit our site.

Thanks for your support! Nothing we do is possible without it.

What is Survival's view on television coverage - and thereby contact - with indigenous groups? I ask because I recently read a 2009 article questioning the BBC's need to revisit Anuta for South Pacific, and for Alice Roberts to walk straight into a Nyangatom village in The Incredible Human Journey, despite sensitive and equally acceptable footage already existing from Bruce Parry's Tribe programme. There seemed to be no need for repeated exposure to television crews.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:31:08 +0000

TV coverage can make millions of people aware of the problems facing tribal peoples, and sometimes lead directly to action to protect their lands and lives. Many TV programmes focusing on tribal peoples don’t even attempt to do this, of course, and some are downright harmful. Film crews can introduce diseases (such as when a TV research team allegedly introduced flu that killed four Matsigenka Indians in Peru), and the resulting programs can be racist, abusive or distorted (such as the program that eventually resulted from that research trip, which portrayed the Matsigenka quite falsely as sex-crazed, mean and savage).

Clearly, TV crews should not be seeking to make contact with isolated or uncontacted tribes at all. We’ve put together guidelines for broadcasters and production companies to use when filming with tribal peoples who do have regular contact with outsiders. When tribal people are treated with respect and the same standards of ethics that responsible broadcasters apply to minorities in industrialized countries, then they, the broadcasters and the viewing audiences can all benefit.

The nature of TV production means that repeat visits to the particular areas by the same or different crews are often necessary. Many tribal people welcome responsible journalism as it can draw attention to the problems they face and highlight the way their societies, like all others, are changing and developing. Providing the producers behave ethically, and that the tribespeople are appropriately compensated, the production process and the resulting coverage isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The land is… A history of the world’s tribal lands...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:39:03 +0000

The land is…

A history of the world’s tribal lands in under 60 seconds.

Wounaan children from the Pacific rainforest in Southwest...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:46:00 +0000

Wounaan children from the Pacific rainforest in Southwest Colombia play in the river.

A DVD of Mine, Survival’s film about the Dongria Kondh people’s fight to save their sacred mountain in India, has reached the Wounaan tribe of Colombia. They have sent a message of support to the Dongria.

The Wounaan people send a joyful message to the Dongria, and all the peoples fighting against the powers that destroy life. It is always possible to defeat them. Always.

With you we celebrate your victory against the multinational Vedanta.

Dongria brothers and sisters, we know that your sacred mountain Niyamgiri is at risk. Niyamigiri is a sacred mountain, like all mountains, like all forests, like all lakes, and like every stone upon which we walk. If she is in danger, so too are we in danger: the harm done to Mother Earth affects all of her children. The owners of Vedanta, their children, and their grandchildren are also in danger, though they are blind to this fact.

From Colombia we send our solidarity and support for you to keep up the resistance in your sacred territory. Dongria friends, we are with you in spirit. We give thanks to Ewandam the Creator for listening on your behalf. Every mountain is sacred, as is every forest, every plain and every corner of Mother Earth.

Jorge, a Murunahua man who lost his eye when he was shot by...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:17:01 +0000

Jorge, a Murunahua man who lost his eye when he was shot by loggers during first contact, recalls the tragedy that followed.

Success!

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:23:00 +0000

http://bit.ly/saWQnG

The Kalahari Bushmen are home again.

Driven from their land because of its diamonds, the Kalahari Bushmen of Botswana are returning. John Simpson writes a positive report for the Guardian.

what do yanomami children do

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:24:00 +0000

Thanks for your question.

Yanomami children play like all children do! They learn to swim at an early age, and so playing in the river is a favourite pastime.

Boys often go hunting with their fathers, and learn the skills they’ll need as an adult.

As the women are generally responsible for fishing, girls learn how to catch fish with their mothers. They also collect nuts and fruits from the forest, plant vegetables in communal gardens and learn to weave baskets and bags to carry fish and harvested vegetables.

Kenya's Samburu tribe evicted from their land - in pictures

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Kenya's Samburu tribe evicted from their land - in pictures:

A gallery of photographs of the Samburu tribe, who have been brutally forced off their land after it was sold to US wildlife charities African Wildlife Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.

"Oppressive international NGOs that masquerade as benefactors are wolves in sheep skin, and not any..."

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:24:00 +0000

“Oppressive international NGOs that masquerade as benefactors are wolves in sheep skin, and not any different from despots who continue to feed their insatiable greed at the cost of those less fortunate.”

- Simon M. Ole Meeli, Samburu community leader and advocate

The Samburu were evicted from their homes after wildlife charities ‘African Wildlife Foundation’ and ‘The Nature Conservancy’ purchased their land.

Read more.

Ogiek, Kenya The Ogiek are one of the few remaining...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Ogiek, Kenya

The Ogiek are one of the few remaining hunter-gatherer peoples of East Africa. Their home since time immemorial has been the Mau mountain forest, however, the Kenya government is trying to evict them.

Despite living through years of injustice, racism and violence,...

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:28:08 +0000

Despite living through years of injustice, racism and violence, the Guarani people are resilient and committed to seeing the demarcation of their land.

‘To join the white man’s society’ in the words of a Colombian Arhuaco man,...

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +0000

‘To join the white man’s society’ in the words of a Colombian Arhuaco man, ‘is to lose everything which is our own’. It’s simple: resettlement is a bland term for wrenching people away from their lands, home, myths and memories - in short everything that gives their lives meaning - and imposing on them a ‘superior’ culture. Relocated indigenous peoples are amongst the poorest in their countries; the trauma of being uprooted annihilates their self-worth.

Fascinating fact: New Guinea has over a thousand languages - 17%...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:35:21 +0000

Fascinating fact: New Guinea has over a thousand languages - 17% of the world’s total, spoken by just 0.1% of the world’s population.

I'm sure someone has already asked this, but unfortunately I don't have time to check all the blogs :-). Can someone tell us the reason why Survival is still using the derogatory term "Pigmies" to descrice the Khoi San people of Africa? I understand that most people know and use this term, but we know its wrong (for decades now). It is akin to "Redskins" and other terms that we need to educate folks to avoid. Curious.

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:47:49 +0000

Good question. (Although, we never describe the Khoisan as Pygmies - they are an entirely different ethnic group!)

Although the term ‘Pygmy’ is considered pejorative in some forums, there is no single term to replace it. Lots of Pygmies prefer using the name of their ethnic group, but there are many of these (Aka, Efé, Baka, to name just a few) Some countries with Pygmy peoples do have an ‘umbrella’ word but, again, it is different for each country. ‘Pygmy’ is also the term most understood by the general public, and this is an essential consideration in spreading information about the fight for their survival and the battle for their lands.

Interestingly, a similar problem arises when referring to the Bushmen of southern Africa, who are a Khoisan people.

See here for more information.

Marcos Veron was killed in 2003 during an attempt to return to...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:36:00 +0000

Marcos Veron was killed in 2003 during an attempt to return to his land. Today, gunmen in Brazil are brazenly intimidating indigenous communities with a hit list of prominent leaders, following the high profile murder of Nísio Gomes last month.

Your support is vital for the Guarani’s survival. There are lots of ways you can help.

Donate to Survival’s campaign for the Guarani
Write to the Brazilian government using Survival’s online letter-writing tool
Write to your MP or MEP (UK) or Senators and members of Congress (US).
Write to your local Brazilian embassy
If you want to get more involved, contact Survival

Can you suggest a text or video in English which shows the real origin of THanksgivingday in the USA, focusing on the generosity of the Indians toward the White Man that I could use in class with Spanish students of English aged 16 and 17? I have already used Survival in other lessons. THanks for your effort to build a better world. Paco, from Castellón-Spain

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:05:07 +0000

Hi Paco. Here’s some text from our director’s latest book, “Tribal Peoples for tomorrow’s world”, that may help with your lesson:

“After Columbus, Spanish colonies were soon established in the southwest United States, but the first settlement which turned into the ireverisble and total colonization of North America began in Virginia, where an English colony called ‘Jamestown’ was founded in 1607. The English proved hopelessly ill-equipped to deal with their new environment. As the Bantu in southern Africa turned for help to the Bushmen, the English would not have survived without the assitance and highly-attuned knowledge of the local Indians.

The colony was established to seek wealth to enable England to compete with Spain’s successful sacking of South American gold. Thirteen years later, the famous Mayflower landed with the ‘Pilgrim Fathers’ who went on to establish a society based on their view that they were God’s elect, and that they had the duty to direct everyone according to His will, which was also theirs. If the Indians did not convert, and quickly, the settlers believed the tribespeople faced eternity in hell, which justified, in their view, any degree of coercion they chose to exert. The ‘heathen’ natives might serve and help the colonists, but the land and its resources naturally belonged to the invaders, as it was only they who were favored by God. They thought they had a divine right both to be there, as well as to take anything they wanted. Fighting quickly erupted as the colonists, escaping religious persecution in Europe, foisted their own persecution on the natives. With the exceptions of Australia and the Bushmen of southern Africa, nowhere else on Earth was the colonization so brutally total as it was in North America.”

Dongria Kondh children dance, Niyamgiri

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:52:21 +0000

Dongria Kondh children dance, Niyamgiri

The world’s original scientists’ observations of climate change

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Most tribal peoples have developed an intimate knowledge of their surroundings, and observe minute changes in their ecosystems. As the UN’s climate change conference begins in Durban, Survival calls for the ecological knowledge and insights of tribal peoples to be heeded in global decisions concerning climate change.

Tribal peoples’ observations include:

Inuit hunters of northwest Canada report thinning sea ice, shorter winters and hotter summers, change to the permafrost and rising sea levels.
Innu people of northeast Canada report observing birds in Northern Labrador such as blue jays that are typically only found in southern Canada or the U.S., less snow during the coldest months of the year and fewer mosquitoes during the summer.
Nenet reindeer herders of Siberia report that frozen rivers are melting earlier in the season, which hinders their reindeer’s spring migration, forcing them to swim instead of walk across the ice. They also report fewer mosquitoes.
Tsaatan reindeer herders of Mongolia report that the growth of lichen and moss that nourish their reindeer is being adversely impacted.
Yanomami of the Brazilian Amazon report a change in the pattern of rainfall in the rainforest. They urge the world to recognize the vital role of the Amazon in the regulation of the world’s climate, and the contribution of deforestation to global warming.

Read the entire article here.