The Amazon tribe is on the verge of extinction. An unexpected birth now brings hope

Sao Paulo — Pugapia and her daughters, Aiga and Babavru, lived for years as the only members of the Akuntsu, an indigenous people decimated by government-backed efforts to develop parts of the Amazon rainforest. Many expected the akuntsu to disappear when the women died, as they advanced in age without a child to carry on the line.

That changed in December, when Babavru – the youngest of the three, in her 40s – gave birth to a baby boy. Akip’s arrival brought hope not only to the Akuntsu line but to efforts to protect the equally fragile rainforest.

“This child is a symbol of the resistance of the Akuntsu people, but also a source of hope for the indigenous people,” said Zoenia Wapichana, president of Brazil’s indigenous defense organization known as Funai. “He represents how the recognition, protection and management of this land is so essential.”

Protecting native areas is one of the most effective ways to curb deforestation in the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate. Researchers warn that continued forest loss will accelerate global warming. A 2022 analysis by MapBiomas, a network of non-governmental groups that track land use, found that Brazil’s indigenous areas lost just 1% of native vegetation over three decades, compared to 20% on private land nationwide.

In Rondônia state, where the Akuntsu live, about 40% of the native forest has been cleared and what remains untouched is in conservation and indigenous areas. Akuntsu’s land stands out in satellite images as an island of forest surrounded by cattle pastures and fields of soy and corn.

Rondonia’s deforestation traces back to a government-backed push to occupy the rainforest during Brazil’s military regime in the 1970s. At the same time, an infrastructure program financed in part by the World Bank encouraged domestic migration to the Amazon, including paving a highway across the state.

In the 1980s, according to census data, the population of Rondônia doubled. Settlers were promised land rights if they cleared the forest for agriculture and risked losing those rights if indigenous people were present, fueling violent attacks by hired gunmen on indigenous groups such as the Akuntsu.

Funai made first contact with Akuntsu in 1995, finding seven survivors. Experts believe they numbered around 20 a decade ago when they were attacked by ranchers trying to occupy the area. Funai agents found evidence of the attack, and when they contacted Akuntsu, the survivors explained what had happened. A few others suffered gunshot wounds.

The last Akuntsu person died in 2017. Since then, Babavru lived with his mother Pugapia and her sister Aiga. The women, whose age is uncertain, have chosen to remain isolated from the non-native world, showing little interest in it.

In 2006, Funai granted territorial protection to the Akuntsu, establishing the Rio Omere Indigenous Land, which they have since shared with the Kano people. The two groups, once enemies, began to maintain contact, often through the mediation of the authorities. The relationship is complex, with cooperation but also cultural differences and language barriers.

The Associated Press requested a facilitated interview with the women through Funai, but the agency did not respond.

Amanda Villa, an anthropologist at the Observatory of Isolated Peoples, said Akuntsu women depend on Kano men for tasks considered masculine, such as hunting and clearing fields. The two groups have also exchanged spiritual knowledge – the current Kano spiritual leader, for example, learned from the late Akuntsu patriarch.

But the most impactful development for Akuntsu’s future may have occurred last year, when Babavru became pregnant by a Kano man.

Linguist Carolina Aragon was the only outsider able to communicate with them after three years of studying and documenting their language. She works closely with Funai, translating daily conversations via video calls. Aragon supported Babavru from afar during her labor and was with her during the ultrasound test that confirmed the pregnancy.

Aragon said Babaru was stunned by the news. “She said, ‘How can I get pregnant?'” Aragon recalled. Babavru was always careful not to get pregnant.

The remaining Akuntsu women had decided that they would not become mothers. This decision was driven not only by the absence of other men in their community but also by the belief that their world was in disarray – they felt that the conditions were not suitable for raising a child.

“You can trace this decision directly to the violent context they lived in,” said Villa, an anthropologist. “He has this somewhat tragic understanding.”

Akuntsu believed that new life could not be brought into the world without men, who not only taught but also performed what the group considered male responsibilities, such as hunting and shamanism.

“The breakdown of social relations that followed the genocide shaped their lives and deepened over the years. It led people to think and rethink the future,” Aragon said. “But the future can surprise everyone. A baby boy was born.”

Aragon said the women were starting a “new chapter”, choosing to welcome the child and embrace their traditions with the support of Kano and Funai. Villa said that the newborn being a boy creates the possibility of reinstating male roles such as the hunter.

Researchers and officials who worked with the three women for a long time understood that protecting the territory depended on the survival of the Akuntsu people. They sought to avoid a repeat of what happened to Tanaru, a local man who was discovered after decades of living alone and without contact.

After the discovery, authorities struggled to protect the Tanaru area. After his death in 2022, non-indigenous groups started a land dispute. Late last year, the federal government finally secured the area, turning it into a protected conservation unit.

Funai’s Wapichana said Babavru’s child is “a hope that this next generation will include an indigenous person, Akuntsu, who will ensure the continuity of these people.”

Through years of careful work, Funai secured territorial protection for Akuntsu and helped foster relations with Kano. The agency also arranged spiritual support from an allied shaman, giving the women a sense of security to bring new life into the world after decades of fear and loss.

Akuntsu forms emotional bonds with the forest and with birds. Now, they are strengthening those bonds with new human life in their world.

“What kind of relationship does this boy have with his own territory?” said Aragon. “I think it’s as good as it gets, because he has everything he needs.”

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