No contact policy.

Governments in South America have tried to do the same sort of thing with some of the isolated groups in the Amazon. The idea is that they have their own culture and their own social customs and we do not have the right to interfere with them. Some have argued that we are ethically required to provide these people with the "benefits" of civilization. That would be a mixed blessing, at best. When I look at the historical record of "civilized" people invading the domain of more primitive groups, the outcome for the primitive group has generally not been good. Maybe we should just do the best we can to let them choose their own lifestyle.

Hi loudcry, I will say that I am very curious about these people and would love to know more. I can also imagine that we could learn a great deal from them. Still a big part of their uniqueness is their deep desire for privacy and the right to live their lives as they see fit. Since they are not causing any harm to anyone else then I don't think we can force them to be anything but what they are. They want to be left alone so we should leave them be. I respect their privacy more than I feel a need to squash my curiosity. They are not harming anyone, I say we should just leave them alone.

Imagine a free society educated only by the elders on tribal values which I imagine must be rigidly adhered to.. No processed food means no sickness, no technology means no destruction of values, no money which would mean no greed and criminal activity. Most of the ideas we as civilised people have, we don't need and as we use the earth's resources so we are destroying earth as well because most of what we take is not renewable and all we give in return is rubbish, tonnes and tonnes of rubbish. These people are much better off the way they are...I say leave them in peace.

Maybe I'm just too American-free, but I think the only way a person or group can be isolated is by effort of their own will. Governments may try to regulate their contact with others, but human nature will win in the end, and some or all will find others and other cultures, and they will eventually interact. Preserving their individuality and identity will then be difficult, but important.

From an anthropological aspect, this may be a curious and weird experiment. What is more important in your view? Preserve culture and heritage, which evolve over time anyway, or let superstitious human beings die for the lack of proper medication? No matter how much we try to protect our customs and languages, we evolve over time anyway. Today's standards are not compatible with those from Dark Ages. Cultures and civilizations have always borrowed from each other and enriched, with some setbacks in the form of colonial and economic exploitation. Say, if a huge gold mine was discovered in the regions where the indigenous people live, would the government still adhere to its policies? I don't think so! It's an opportunistic approach! I would open up communication with these tribes in a non-exploitative manner, and learn about their culture and languages, and at the same time try to help them overcome their daily (but very simple to solve in OUR world) ordeals with technology. I think preserving a cultural identity and having a better living standard can go hand in hand. There are numerous examples around the world, of course, with varying degrees of success.