The National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI) shared a series of images of an indigenous Amazon community that is completely isolated. This is the first time these people have been photographed, and it was only possible because of “camera traps”.

Researchers do not know what these indigenous people call themselves, as they have not come into direct contact with them, but they know that they are the Massacos, in reference to the Massaco River that runs through their land.

Due to their isolation, the exact size of the Massacos population is unknown. “We don’t have precise demographic data for these people, but by observing the traces they have left behind, the size and the number of dwellings, we’ve come to a rough estimate of 220 to 270 people,” explained Janete Carvalho, Funai’s director of territorial protection, to BBC News.

To take the photographs, scientists set up special cameras with motion sensors that go off when someone approaches, the so-called camera traps. The devices sent the images over the Internet, doing away with the need to enter the Massacos’ land. The process is part of an attempt to study and protect this indigenous group without invading their privacy.

Forest conservation is higher on indigenous lands, says study

On April 2nd, a study by the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) was released showing that the conservation of indigenous lands in the Brazilian Caatinga, the Atlantic Forest, the Pampa, and the Pantanal biomes is 31.5% higher than that of other areas. In other words, land set aside exclusively for indigenous people undergoes less deforestation. The same study stated that marking off indigenous lands not only prevents their destruction but also increases vegetation regeneration.

“Only effective indigenous ownership can ensure socio-environmental integrity of indigenous lands. Demarcation, protection, and land management policies must be integrated, and consider social, cultural, and environmental aspects, given that environmental degradation together with situations of conflict and invasions are serious threats to the fundamental rights of indigenous peoples and their physical integrity,” says the report.

The study was based on the Protected Areas System (SisArp), a database that collects key information to track the status of these sites.

France makes donation to organizations connected to indigenous peoples

On April 7th, the French embassy in Brazil announced that it would donate one million euros (around 6.5 million reais) to organizations linked to indigenous peoples’ rights including: Instituto Raoni, Instituto Aritana, and Associação Terra Indígena Xingu (Atix).

This is not the first time that the French embassy has supported the indigenous cause in Brazil. In early 2025, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI), in  partnership with the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), signed a cooperation agreement with the embassy to bolster the exchange program of indigenous students, who will be awarded scholarships to study in France.

Glossary

Embassy: a government’s official representation in another country’s territory.

Sources: Agência Brasil, Correio do Estado, UFGD, Folha de S.Paulo, and the BBC

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