Uncontacted Tribe Attack Intruding Loggers With Arrows In The Peruvian Amazon

The incident underscores the urgent need to safeguard Mashco Piro territory, according to Survival International.

In a recent clash in the Peruvian Amazon, an uncontacted tribe has struck back at loggers with bows and arrows, as reported by a local Indigenous coalition. The news highlights a critical issue: the Peruvian government has failed to adequately protect Mashco Piro territory from the encroachment of logging operations.

FENAMAD, a federation representing tribes around the Madre de Dios River, reported that on July 27, a member of the Mashco Piro tribe severely injured a logger with an arrow in the Pariamanu River basin. The area where this incident occurred is recognized by the government as Mashco Piro territory but lacks formal protection, as stated by Survival International.

In response, FENAMAD has urged the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, tasked with Indigenous protection, to implement “urgent intervention” to ensure the safety of the Mashco Piro people and to prevent future violence.

“The attack serves as a stark reminder of the critical and immediate need for comprehensive protection of the Mashco Piro territory. It reinforces the necessity for revoking all logging licenses in the region, as safeguarding the lives of both the Mashco Piro and logging workers is currently unfeasible,” said Survival International, an NGO advocating for Indigenous and tribal rights.

The Mashco Piro are nomadic hunter-gatherers residing in the southeast Peruvian rainforests. Estimated to be one of the largest uncontacted tribes globally, their numbers are around 750. Historically, the tribe has had harrowing encounters with outsiders, including the brutal exploitation by colonial rubber barons in the late 19th century. Thousands of Mashco Piro were enslaved, hunted, beaten, and subjected to horrific violence, as documented in Walter Ernest Hardenburg’s book, The Putumayo, the Devil’s Paradise.

In contemporary times, the tribe faces new threats from deforestation and illegal logging. Recent photographs released by Survival International revealed that Mashco Piro members are living perilously close to areas targeted by logging companies.

Caroline Pearce, Director of Survival International, emphasized the gravity of the situation: “This is a humanitarian disaster in the making – it’s absolutely vital that the loggers are expelled, and the Mashco Piro’s territory is properly protected at last.”