A leader of the nomadic Nukak tribe has committed suicide after
drinking a poison usually used by his people to kill fish.
The Nukak man, Mao-be, killed himself after trying to help his
people return to the rainforest. The Nukak were forced to flee their
homes after becoming caught up in Colombia's drugs war involving the
army, paramilitaries and guerrillas. Now living on the outskirts of
a town, they are pleading to return.
'He felt desperate because he couldn't find the resources for the
Nukak to return to their land, which they love and to which they
want to return,' said a statement from Colombia's national
indigenous organization, ONIC.
The suicide comes after the recent death of a nine year old boy and
a flu epidemic in which almost a quarter of the tribe were taken
ill. Since first contact with outside society in 1988 over half the
tribe have died, and many continue to suffer from malnutrition,
diarrhoea, flu and respiratory infections.
Survival's Director, Stephen Corry, said today, 'Mao-be's death
serves as a tragic illustration of the Nukak's experience of contact
with Western society. The Colombian government must now act to make
sure the Nukak are allowed to return safely to their homes, which is
what Mao-be died fighting for. If they don't, one of Colombia's last
nomadic tribes will become extinct.'
To read this press release online please visit:
http://survival-international.org/news.php?id=1990
2 comments:
CULTURAL GENOCIDE HAS OF COURSE BEEN OCCURING WORLDWIDE FOR MANY CENTURIES.
UNFORTUNATELY, AS WITH MANY THINGS, WE ARE NOW SEEING CONSEQUENCES ON A GLOBAL SCALE.
ALTHOUGH THE ATTACK HAS MANY PRONGS (SUCH AS IN THIS CASE, DRUG CARTELS, MILITARY, PARAMILITARY, MILITIAS, GUERILLA FIGHTERS, ETC.), THE OVERALL TREND IN THE AMERICAS HAS BEEN JUDEO-CHRISTIAN IMPERIALISM AND THEIR PROPONENT'S 'JUSTIFICATIONS' THROUGH THE WARPED CONCEPT OF "MANIFEST DESTINY".
SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE ARE SEEING TRIBAL CULTURES IN AFRICA FALL TO THE FORCES OF BOTH JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AND ESPECIALLY ISLAMIC IMPERIALISM, AND THE ASSORTED SO-CALLED 'WARLORDS' AND VARIOUS MILITIAS.
ALTHOUGH "UNBRIDLED GREED" CONTINUES AS A MAJOR DETERMINING FACTOR, THE ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE OF RELIGIOUS ZEALOTRY HAS PLAYED A MAJOR PART.
I AM ONLY A FALLIBLE HUMAN, BORN OF THIS EARTH; HOWEVER, AS I OBSERVE THESE CONTINUING ATROCITIES, I SOMETIMES FEEL MUCH MORE LIKE AN ALIEN OBSERVER WHO MUST SOMEHOW HAVE BECOME STRANDED HERE.
WE HUMANS CONTINUE TO BEHAVE LESS LIKE CHILDREN OF OUR MOTHER EARTH, AND MUCH MORE LIKE MINDLESS PARASITES.
TRYING TO VIEW THINGS FROM THROUGHOUT THE GREATER MYSTERY, I HAVE TO ASK, ARE WE LEARNING ANYTHING FROM ALL OF THIS DESTRUCTION, AND IF SO, WHAT?
WHITEHORSE
I hope you don't mind if I respond to the comment here.
Whitehorse:
As an offspring of judeo-christian imperialism I'd like to point out that all peoples suffer as a result of this, both the perpetrators and the victims. What is stolen from these cultures is stolen from each child born into any system that perpetuates imperialism.
The loss of culture is frightening, but to believe in mankind is to believe that living culture is an expression of something that is born with each human. It is easier for an individual to remain true to what he is born with in a society that more closely reflects and respects it, but if we are to keep hope we have to believe that even what has been destroyed can be refound, because it is inherently human.
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