The Marubo tribe in the valley wanted to preserve its culture from any outside influence.
Intruders were kept at bay, wars were fought and nothing ever touched the Marubo tribe and their culture for centuries, according to the New York Times.
It's not just porn videos, the internet also got teenagers hooked to video games and social media platforms.
At the centre of the Marubo tribe is the family of Sebasti£o Marubo, who was the first to go outside the forest, reports NYT.
advertisementThe Brazilian government is also concerned about whether the Marubo people are being given the internet before they are ready.
In the Javari Valley in the Amazon of Brazil, people always lived an isolated life. This seclusion was strategic. The Marubo tribe in the valley wanted to preserve its culture from any outside influence. Intruders were kept at bay, wars were fought and nothing ever touched the Marubo tribe and their culture for centuries, according to the New York Times. Then, came Elon Musk's Starlink, the satellite-internet service from SpaceX.
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The biggest fear of the tribe came true. People were affected by the "ways of the white people". The tribe, with a rich history, is now facing a problem that has penetrated deep into the community. Pornography is what is consuming the Marubo people.
It's not just porn videos, the internet also got teenagers hooked to video games and social media platforms. Their attention spans have deteriorated. The elders of the community are concerned.
HOW INTERNET REACHED THE AMAZON TRIBE
The Javari Valley is unique as 19 of the 26 tribes live here in isolation, making it the largest population in the world to live in seclusion. At the centre of the Marubo tribe is the family of Sebasti£o Marubo, who was the first to go outside the forest, reports NYT.
Now, his son, Enoque, is the leader of the next generation. He helped get the internet to the tribe.
Two factors contributed to this. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro's announcement about the arrival of Elon Musk's Starlink in the Amazon in 2022.
Starlink provides satellite-based internet and doesn't need infrastructure on the ground.
Also, Enoque also received help from space-tech entrepreneur Allyson Reneau in bringing the satellite to the Amazon. Reneau even paid for the satellites. The internet then reached the phones of the tribals.
INSTANT HIT BUT CHANGED TOO MUCH
The internet was an instant hit.
“It changed the routine so much that it was detrimental,” Enoque sighed. “In the village, if you don’t hunt, fish and plant, you don’t eat.”
The leaders realised they needed to restrict the usage of the internet. It would only be available for two hours in the morning and five hours in the evening and all days on Sunday, according to an NYT report.
In this duration, many young people are hooked to their phones. Their personal favourite is WhatsApp. But it helps the leaders inform them about health and environmental concerns. The teachers also teach different students. To add to this, all are well-connected to their friends and families now.
PORNOGRAPHY ENTERS THE VALLEY
“Some young people maintain our traditions,” said TamaSay Marubo, 42, the tribe’s first female leader. “Others just want to spend the whole afternoon on their phones.”
“I’m worried that they’re suddenly going to want to mimic them,” he said. He tried to delete the games, but believed his sons had other hidden apps," Kâipa Marubo, a father of three kids, told NYT. He is concerned about the impact of shooting video games on his children.
Pornography, however, remains the prime concern.
"Young men were sharing explicit videos in group chats, a stunning development for a culture that frowns on kissing in public," Alfredo Marubo, leader of a Marubo association of villages told the NYT.
“We’re worried young people are going to want to try it,” he said of the graphic sex depicted in the videos. The NYT report quotes Alfredo Marubo as saying that some leaders had confided in him that they had seen more aggressive sexual behaviour among young members of the tribe.
Alfredo and Enoque are political rivals.
Alfredo claims that the internet was brought without the approval of federal authorities that regulate tech introduction in protected indigenous territories.
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The Brazilian government is also concerned about whether the Marubo people are being given the internet before they are ready. But this is being refuted by the Marubo leader.
“I think the internet will bring us much more benefit than harm,” Enoque said. “The leaders have been clear, we can’t live without the internet.”
Published By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jun 6, 2024
