What to know about uncontacted Indigenous peoples and efforts to protect them

From the depths of Brazil’s Amazon to Indonesia’s rainforests, some of the world’s most isolated peoples are being squeezed by roads, miners and drug traffickers — a crisis unfolding far from public view or effective state protection. In Peru, Congress recently rejected a proposal to create the Yavari-Mirim Indigenous Reserve, leaving isolated groups exposed. Brazil’s President aims to strengthen protections weakened by the previous administration. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that Ecuador failed to safeguard isolated Indigenous peoples in Yasuni National Park. There are concerns about political forces working to undo progress made in protecting these groups. Efforts to safeguard these endangered communities are at risk of being dismantled according to experts. The new report calls for increased measures to ensure the safety and preservation of uncontacted Indigenous peoples.