In Brazil, South America, there are hundreds of tribes who have never had contact with the outside world— and despite repeated attempts from outsiders, many of them don’t want to.
These indigenous tribes keep to themselves, but throughout the years, they have become victims of vicious assaults. “Their decision not to maintain contact with other tribes and outsiders is almost certainly a result of previous disastrous encounters and the ongoing invasion and destruction of their forest home,” Survival International explains.
The tribes’ make their wish for solitude known by hiding and shooting arrows at the planes and outsiders who approach them.
This week, the Brazilian government released a rare video. It is the first showing the last member of an indigenous tribe who has been living alone in the jungle for the past 20 years.
The man has been nicknamed “Man of the Hole” in honor of the large holes he digs to hide and trap animals.
No one knows his tribe’s name, his identity, or his language. They only know that he’s roughly 50 years old and has been living alone since 1995. This is when the other remaining members of the tribe were killed in a farmer attack. Survival International explains:
“It is believed that this lone man is the last survivor of his people, who were probably massacred by cattle ranchers occupying the region of Tanaru in Rondônia state.”
You see, in the 1970s and 80s, a road was built near the tribe’s land. This road created a demand for additional property to be provided for farm and business purposes. Although the Brazilian government currently protects indigenous tribes’ traditional spaces, contemporary farmers and illegals loggers still have their eyes on the prize.
In 2009, the Man of the Hole was targeted by violent gunmen who opposed the government’s efforts to protect his land. As a result, Stephen Corey, the director of Survival International, said:
“His tribe has been massacred and now the ‘Man of the Hole’ faces the same fate.”
“The ranchers must allow this man to live out his last days in peace on his own land, and the authorities must do all they can to protect it.”
Aside from a single blurry photo, this is the first time the “Man of the Hole” has been captured on film.
The footage was recorded by Funai, the Brazilian government’s indigenous agency, during a recent expedition. In it, you can see a muscular, indigenous man cutting a tree with an ax. Altair Algayer, the regional coordinator for the organization, said:
“He is very well, hunting, maintaining some plantations of papaya, corn.”
“He has good health and a good physical shape doing all those exercises.”
The footage wasn’t just filmed for entertainment purposes, however. Loggers and ranchers are still challenging the land’s protection measures. As a result, Funai officials must show the government the man is still alive to renew their protection restrictions. “They have to keep proving this man exists,” Fiona Watson, research and advocacy director of Survival International, explained.
That’s why, although the video may seem voyeuristic, it’s also imperative for his protection.
Funai and the Brazilian government have attempted to contact the Man of the Hole many times since the death of his tribe members. After decades of rebuffed advances, they now let him live in peace. Often, they leave tools and seeds in the area to help him. “I understand his decisions,” Algayer said. “It’s his sign of resistance, and a little repudiation, hate, knowing the story he went through.”
In an interview with BBC News, Watson noted:
“In a way we don’t need to know anything about him.”
“But he is a symbol of what we are losing— this tremendous human diversity.”
Watch the incredibly rare footage below.
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