The Kanamari tribe living in the Amazon jungle uses social media as a weapon against the industry that wants to destroy their habitat.
Cell phones, the internet and social media are integral parts of modern life. There is hardly a single moment when we do not use and benefit from these most important blessings of technology. But there are communities of people on our planet who are not even aware of any technological products, let alone using cell phones or social media. As you can imagine, we are talking about tribes living deep in the Amazon jungle and completely isolated from the outside world. However, the Kanamari tribe, the subject of this article, which has more than 200 members, is quite different from other Amazonian tribes. Although, from a distance, it is not possible to distinguish the Kanamari tribe from other indigenous peoples. But if you approach a Kanamari member, you may notice that he is holding a cell phone in his hand, and you may see him posting on social media. Yes, the Kanamari tribe continues to live a traditional way of life that is hundreds of years old. But cell phones, the internet and social media are also crucial to the lives of people in the tribe. The tribe’s unusual intimacy with technology is not for fun or to keep up with modern life! Let’s look at the details together.
An ancient people live near the Javari River that divides Peru and Brazil: The Kanamaris.
The Kanamari people are an indigenous group living in the Brazilian part of the Amazon forest. The tribe, which has more than 200 members, has existed on the same land for a very long time. So much so that it is possible to see official signs along the Javari River stating that the region is the habitat of the Kanamari people.
The region is known to be home to many tribes and thousands of people
But the Kanamari tribe is quite different from its neighbors, other tribes in the region.
Unlike other tribes, the Kanamaris are much more familiar with modern life than you might think. They use cell phones, internet and even social media!
What’s more, the tribesmen demand drones from outsiders who can only come to the area with special permission! It is this unusual affinity with technology that makes the Kanamari tribe a very special and unique community. But why? Why do some tribe members have social media accounts? Of course, it is not because of the young people who want to “civilize” the tribe! What made the Kanamari people become social media users is quite tragic!
The area where the tribe lives is home to precious natural resources, forests that make giant industries drool, and water bodies that are teeming with lawless fishermen. For this reason, the home of the Kanamari tribe has long been under attack. Trees are becoming fewer and fewer, and the soil and rivers are becoming more polluted by the second. Of course, ruthless corporations are behind this attack. The cell phone and social media are the most important weapons of the Kanamari tribe against the corporations determined to destroy their home!
Tribal members share the destruction of their habitat on social media
In this way, they want to make their voices heard and prevent the destruction of the natural life in the region and the land that is their home.