Mailbag: The Amazon tribe

Posted at 2:54 PM on May 30, 2008 by Bob Collins (2 Comments)

See, now this is exactly what I'd hoped for when News Cut started: People dropping me tidbits in the news they find interesting.

Reader Derek writes:

There are pictures on a BBC Web site taken by an airplane as it flew over a previously "undiscovered" tribe in the Amazon. The part that I think is interesting is the manner in which they have painted their bodies. It makes me wonder if they happened to be caught in the middle of some sort of ceremony, or if that is just their daily attire. Seems to be a lot of work to impress the 10 other people that you know.

Apparently, you can have all sorts of time to do other things when you're not bothered with getting your shirt to match your pants.

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Comments (2)

WHAT? NO PINK?

Posted by C | May 30, 2008 4:04 PM

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The BBC article states that the photos of the painted people was taken during a second overflight, several hours after the plane first flew over the camp, at which time they appeared un-adorned. The theory was that they were so alarmed by the first flight that they painted themselves up to appear fierce in the event of a return.

Posted by gerg | May 30, 2008 6:58 PM

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