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Believe it or not, in our rapidly globalizing world there are still some people that remain isolated from modern society. These people are the world's last uncontacted tribes that either by choice or circumstance remain cut off from the outside world and maintain their century-old indigenous cultures and languages. Currently, there are about 100 of these uncontacted tribes on record, but it possible that still others have yet to be discovered. After reading about these 9 uncontacted tribes from around the world, you too will hope that they will remain secluded for many more centuries to come. |
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9. Surma People |
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The Surma people reside in Southern Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia and for years avoided any contact with Western civilization. The Surma are best known for the important role played by piercing and lip plates in their culture. At puberty, most women have their bottom teeth removed in order to pierce their lower lip and install a plate, which for them signifies great beauty. The group does not associate with any government, and they still live in small cattle ranching groups of a few hundred in total.
The first people to make contact with the Surma were a group of Russian doctors in the 1980s, whom the Surma initially confused for a group of walking dead due to their white skin color. Today, the Surma have adopted only a few modern tools, such as the AK-47, to protect their livestock from theft.
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8. Mashco-Piro People |
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This nomadic hunter-gather tribe in Peru live deep in an isolated part of the Amazon rainforest and actively seek to avoid contact with non-native people. Little is known about their culture and way of life because they seek to remain entirely secluded.
In 2011, the above picture was taken by Italian tourists exploring the Peruvian side of the Amazon, but it is obvious that the tribe does not welcome visitors. A local guide was recently killed by tribe members after leading tourists close to their camp. There have been reports in the past year of Mashco- Piro members asking neighboring villagers for food, yet such reports haven't been officially confirmed.
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7. The Lone Brazilian |
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Some call him "the most isolated man on the planet" because he is the last living member of his tribe living in the Amazon. This individual (his name is unknown and the picture above is not him) lives a nomadic lifestyle and tries at all costs to avoid contact with the outside world.
When deforestation and logging became a big business in the Amazon, it meant that many of the tribes that lived off of the rainforest's resources were forced into brutal contact with non-tribal peoples. The result was the wide-scale murder and harm of these peoples, leaving this Brazilian individual the sole retainer of his tribal language and culture. The Brazilian authorities have received a number of reports about him, but his location and identity have yet to be confirmed.
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6. Ramapough Mountain Indians |
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Also known as the "Jackson Whites", this clan of about 5,000 Native Americans lives in the Ramapoo Mountains of New Jersey and are unfortunately renowned as historical outcasts. This group of Native Americans has mixed national Indian and European roots, causing them to be 'shunned' by other Native American tribes throughout their history.
What remains unique about this tribe is that they have yet to be added to the list of known peoples, most likely due to their lighter skin color. Today, the tribe speaks English and has fully acclimated into American society.
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5. The Last Native American |
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The last undisturbed Native American tribes were discovered in the early 20th century when California was becoming a then popular area of settlement. A member of one of these tribes, Ishi of the Yahi tribe, was recorded as one of the last genuine Native Americans to live completely isolated from modern civilization. The Yahi tribe was indigenous to Northern California and included about 1,500 members when they were first discovered in 1770 by anthropologists. The Yahi people were hunters and gathers that lived off of wild game, fishing, and plants. Once gold was discovered in the Yahi territory in the 19th century, the tribe began to fight with settlers over their territory, losing many of its members. Ishi was believed to be the last surviving member of the tribe, who survived by hiding out in the Sierra wilderness, only to emerge in 1911. He was the first Yahi Indian to make contact with European-Americans since the wars of the Gold Rush. |
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4. The Brazilian Tribes |
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| Brazil is currently the country with the most contacted tribes in the world. There were 67 of them as of 2007, with most of them living in complete isolation from the others. In order to understand the differences between the different groups, anthropologists study the groups from aerial footage. This is because the Brazilian government forbids any contact with these people as a measure to maintain their privacy, but also to protect immunized people from any potentially dangerous diseases the indigenous people may carry. |
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3. The Tribes of New Guinea |
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| The majority of New Guinea has yet to be explored by scientists and anthropologists due to dense forests and mountainous terrain. It is estimated that there are about 44 uncontacted tribes in Papua New Guinea that are pre-literate and devoid of modern medicine and technology. Most of the tribes still live in tree houses which they build up to 3 or 4 stories in the air, and some of them are cannibalistic according to reports. |
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2. Pintupi Nine |
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| This group of Aboriginal hunter-gatherers lived in isolation from the rest of Australian until their discovery in 1984. It is believed that they were the last Aborigines to live detached from the Western world, hunting with spears and boomerangs until they desired to make contact. They sought contact in order to reconnect with relatives, but one of the final members named Yari Yari returned just a few years later to live in his native wilderness. |
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1. The Sentinelese |
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| A tribe of about 250 people that live in the Andaman Islands located in the Indian Ocean, these people actively seek out to remain isolated from the outside world. Most of the information on these people was collected during the 20th century in "contact expeditions" and little is known about their hunter-gatherer society today. Today anyone that gets close to their territory is quickly shot down with arrows, effectively securing their place as the world's most uncontacted tribe. |
Submitted by user: Goonda M.
