Vale do Javari

Vale do Javari (English language: Javari Valley) is one of the largest Indigenous territories in Brazil, encompassing 85,444.82 km ² (32,990 mi ²), or an area larger than Austria. It is named after the Javari River, the most important river of the region, which since 1851 forms the border with Peru. It includes much of the Atalaia do Norte municipality, besides adjacent territories in the western section of Amazonas state. Besides the Javari it is transected by the Pardo, Quixito, Itaquai and Ituí rivers.

Inhabitants

It is home to 3,000 indigenous peoples of Brazil with varying sorts of contact, including the Matis, the Matses, the Kulina, the Mayoruna, and others. The uncontacted Indians are estimated to be more than 2,000 individuals belonging to at least 14 tribes^[1] like the Isolados do Rio Quixito, Isolados do Itaquai (Korubo), Isolados do Jandiatuba, Isolados do Alto Jutai, Isolados do Sao Jose, Isolados do Rio Branco, Isolados do Medio Javari and Isolados do Jaquirana-Amburus. These are believed to be living deep inside its reservation areas. The uncontacted tribes live in some 19 known villages identified by air. According to Fabricio Amorim from Fundação Nacional do Índio, the region contains "the greatest concentration of isolated groups in the Amazon and the world".^[1]

Plane incident

In October 2009, a plane emergency-landed in the middle of the reservation.^[2] People from the Matis tribe found 9 of the 11 survivors^[2] who were flown out of the reservation by helicopter.

Media

Vale do Javari is the setting of The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes (2011) by National Geographic writer Scott Wallace. It details a 76-day expedition in 2002 led by Sydney Possuelo to find the status of the "Arrow People", an uncontacted tribe.

Notes

External links

• Unknown Tribes of Javari Valley

Coordinates: 04°57′S 72°32′W / 4.950°S 72.533°W / -4.950; -72.533