The reality, however, has fallen short of the promises. Several groups of Indians have been forcibly assimilated and dispersed in recent years. Today, however, Colombia continues to move into the vanguard of protecting indigenous peoples and their land. In December, the government announced a bold new plan to double the size of remote Chiribiquete Park, currently 3.
Franco believes that governments must increase efforts to preserve indigenous cultures. Especially since the alternatives to isolation are often so bleak.
This became clear to me one June morning, when I traveled up the Amazon River from the Colombian border town of Leticia. I climbed into a motorboat at the ramshackle harbor of this lively port city, founded by Peru in and ceded to Colombia following a border war in We chugged down a muddy channel and emerged into the mile-wide river. The sun beat down ferociously as we passed thick jungle hugging both banks.
Pink dolphins followed in our wake, leaping from the water in perfect arcs. A dozen tourists sat on benches, while three elderly Indian women in traditional costume put on a desultory dance. Ticuna vendors beckoned us to tables covered with necklaces and other trinkets. In the s, Colombia began luring the Ticuna from the jungle with schools and health clinics thrown up along the Amazon. Not all Ticunas have embraced this way of life. In the nearby riverside settlement of Nazareth, the Ticuna voted in to ban tourism.
Leaders cited the garbage left behind, the indignity of having cameras shoved in their faces, the prying questions of outsiders into the most secret aspects of Indian culture and heritage, and the uneven distribution of profits.
It is the travel agencies that make the good money. Franco theorizes that they originated near the Amazon River during pre-Columbian times. Then, around , came the rubber boom. Based in the port of Iquitos, a Peruvian company, Casa Arana, controlled much of what is now the Colombian Amazon region.
Company representatives operating along the Putumayo press-ganged tens of thousands of Indians to gather rubber, or caucho , and flogged, starved and murdered those who resisted. Other groups simply ceased to exist. Two months later, the Colombian Navy organized a search party. Saul Polania was 17 when he participated in the search. Paul gathers dramatic, never-before-heard testimony from a relative of a woman who says she witnessed the murder of one of the explorers. The information leads them deeper into the jungle towards the scene of a grisly discovery that could break the mystery wide open.
The team reunite to discuss their findings, but so many questions remain. The only man with answers refuses to talk. With rumours of weapons in his home and high-level connections, the team decide to surprise him in a public street. Curse of the Lost Amazon Gold: Episodes.
Most Recent. You will go to the website in seconds. Privacy Policy. A Battle for Survival in the Heart of the Rainforest. Author: Tod Olson. Sign In. Forgot Password? We've sent a message so you can pick a new password. Didn't get the email?
Reset Your Password Think of a password that is at least 6 characters long. You now have a new password. Please be sure to memorize it or write it in a safe place.
Go To Your Account. Are you sure you want to exit? Your password will not be reset! I'll reset password later. My favorite is. The coolest is. Choose two words for your username. Already have an account? How will it be used? Go back.
0コメント