On Nov. 22, one man was killed by an arrow shot by an “isolated” or “uncontacted” indigenous band in the rainforest of Peru’s Madre de Dios region, according to the regional indigenous alliance FENAMAD. The report said the incident happened some eight kilometers from the native community of Diamante (Harakmbut ethnicity), at an outlying chacra (farm plot). A Diamante family was preparing to harvest banana and yuca on the cleared plot when an arrow was fired from the forest, bringing down one of the harvesters. The land is in the buffer zone of Manu National Park, which FENAMAD has long maintained shelters isolated indigenous bandsâdespite official denials. FENAMAD president Jaime Corisepa called the incident “lamentable,” and said growing attacks by isolated peoples indicates they feel threatened by rapid encroachment. FENAMAD called on Peru’s national parks agency SERNANP to work with Diamante and other indigenous communities of the RĂo Yanayacu sector to establish control points to keep out intruders, and avoid such incidents in future. (FENAMAD, Nov. 25)
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