Matis Indians - The Jaguar
People
Amazon Native Tribe
Photos by Dan James Pantone, Ph.D.
On the border of Peru and Brazil, Amazon natives still live like they have
for thousands of years – hunting and
gathering. The Matis tribe are still primarily hunters. These Amazon
natives first made contact with outsiders about thirty years ago and still
practice their ancient way of life.
The Matis are among the best hunters in the Amazon. This native Amazonian
Indian tribe uses four-meter blowguns with poison darts
to hunt animals.
Most Amazon tribes have lost much of their traditional medicine. Not so
with the Matis Indians whose knowledge of traditional Amazon medicine still
survives despite the encouragement of the Brazilian government for them to
accept western medical treatments.
The Matis Indians were nearly wiped out after
their first contact with the outside world. At present, only about 260
native Matis Indians survive. Curiously, all the Matis live in one
village on the Itui River in Brazil. Since, the 1990's the
Indigenous Reserve has been off-limits to outsiders in an effort to preserve the
culture of these Amazonian Indians.
If you want to learn more about the Matis tribe and discover how you can help
them sustain their native traditions, contact
[email protected]. For additional information,
please
visit www.amazon-indians.org/matis.
Five different videos of expeditions to the Matis Indians are
available on CD.
For more
info on Amazonian Indians, Please
visit
Amazon-Indians.org

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