Matis Indian Tribe

The Jaguar People - Page 5 of 5

The Matis Indians are a very small tribe of only about 300 individuals and the two villages where the Matis live (Aurelio and Beija Flor) are located in an indigenous reserve in Brazil. Despite the misrepresentations by some tourist guides, it is prohibited for outsiders to enter the reserve and impossible to meet the Matis Indians using tour guides. Commercial tourism and tour guides are prohibited as the tour guides have consistently exploited the Matis Indians in the past. However, it is possible to arrange encounters of interested persons directly with the Matis tribe outside of their reserve. The Matis are a very proud people who wish not only to preserve their culture, but also would like to demonstrate their ceremonies and rituals to select outsiders. If you would like to learn how you can meet real indigenous Amazonians like the Matis Indians, become a member of Amazon-Indians.org and take advantage of the information in the Member's Area.  Membership is free with any documentary purchase.

To view more photographs of the Matis Indians, please visit the Matis Photo Gallery. Documentary films of my expeditions with the Matis Indians are available on DVD and Instant Download.

The author, Dr. Dan James Pantone, is the editor of Amazon-Indians.org, an ecologist, and the founder of the Movement in the Amazon for Tribal Subsistence and Economic Sustainability, a nonprofit association that is helping indigenous people so that they themselves can preserve their culture and lands in a sustainable and independent manner.
 

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