Arfin, The last member of an Indigenous tribe in Brazil has tragically died, shining light on decades of genocide by colonists and the Brazilian government. The man, who was nicknamed the 'Man of the Hole,' survived for decades in isolation, remarkably evading contact and protecting himself from growing threats to tribal lands in the country. With his death comes the total loss of a language and culture. Very little is known about this man or his life, but human rights organizations believe that the rest of his tribe was brutally massacred in attacks by gunmen decades ago. In the 1970s, colonists and ranchers hired gangs of gunmen to literally slaughter the Indigenous people who stood in the way of extraction, ranching, and other forms of Amazon land "development." Currently, tribes hold a few reserves that the Land Protection Orders has preserved. But Bolsonaro's presidency has been rife with human rights abuses against Indigenous people. In fact, some Indigenous leaders called for courts to try the right-wing president for crimes against humanity. A recent investigation even showed that illegal airstrips are operating throughout the Amazon rainforest, allowing toxic mining to infiltrate dozens of Indigenous territories and one of the most important ecosystems in the world. Clearly, the country needs strong, permanent land preservation to respect tribal sovereignty and Indigenous rights. Sign the petition to demand that the Brazilian government create lasting land protections for all Indigenous people! |
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