Tribes Rejoice Over Historic Indigenous Reserve

Following two decades of efforts, an Indigenous reserve for the Amazon rainforest’s “uncontacted tribes” – tribes with little to no contact with the outside world – has finally been established by the government of Peru.

“[The creation of the Yavarí Tapiche Indigenous Reserve] constitutes a historic milestone in the protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples in a situation of isolation and initial contact,” says the Ministry of Culture.

First submitted in 2004, the Indigenous Reserve project went through many delays and postponements before finally being established. The 1.1-million-hectare Yavarí Tapiche Reserve is located in the department of Loreto – on the Peru-Brazil border – and is home to the Matsés, Remo, and Marubo peoples, along with other groups that have yet to be identified. The uncontacted tribes live deep in the Amazon rainforest and need the government’s protection against the many threats they are faced with, so early warning mechanisms and checkpoints have been established to ensure their safety.