In the remote tribal village of Nova Esperança in the Javari Valley, the indigenous Matsés tribe is experiencing radically new ways of life. Their recent introduction to the Starlink Internet, a project funded by local authorities, has brought Elon Musk’s constellation of satellites within their grasp. With painted red faces, tribal members can now be found scrolling through TikTok videos, which was unthinkable for the isolated Amazon communities until recently.
A solar-powered antenna providing internet access was installed within 30 minutes on the rooftop of the local school. This development, while significant for the 200 villagers, carries unique significance for the whole region that straddles the border of Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, and features some of the most isolated indigenous communities.
Internet access, previously a luxury for the region, has sparked dreams of a promising future among locals, including aspirations of pursuing higher education and advanced professional roles such as engineering and architecture. However, this satellite-based technology, although widely embraced by around 50,000 users across Brazil, has also raised concerns for the preservation of ancient traditions and potential misuse by criminals exploiting indigenous land without permission.
The Javari Valley is home to the Matsés, one of the seven tribes known to be residing there. Mesmerizing cultural traditions, from facial decorations of bones and ivory to hunting and fishing, continue to define their lifestyles. The tribe first experienced modernity only in the 1970s and still proudly exhibits these traditions, despite adopting some Western clothing. For most members, mainly the younger generation, this is their first experience with the Internet.
Internet access is also transforming communication for the Matsés people, usually reliant on canoe journeys of days and nights to communicate over distances. The village chief, Raul, uses his mobile phone, particularly WhatsApp, to audio message his son, Assis. Developers believe that internet connectivity will greatly facilitate processes like education, bureaucratic transactions, and healthcare practices. In a place as remote as Nova Esperança, where emergency services are not easily reachable, Starlink offers a more dependable alternative connection to the village’s sole radio transmitter.
However, this newfound connection comes with some apprehensions among the tribe’s elders who hold their ancestral traditions dear. As a result, the community decided to restrict internet service at night, with exceptions for health workers, teachers, and community leaders. The tribe also reserves the right to disconnect during hunting, fishing, and tribal ceremonies.
Yet, the prospects of online connectivity also instil hope in terms of increasing safety and visibility against attacks by illegal fishers, traffickers, and pirates active on the dangerous Javari River. However, this technology has been exploited by criminals too. In one instance, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources confiscated Starlink kits from illegal miners in the Yanomami indigenous territory, approximately 1,400 kilometers northeast of Javari Valley.
Infrastructure maintenance proves a challenging issue too, with generators and solar panels being the sole sources of power. The village’s nearest municipality, Atalaia do Norte, promises to equip the 62 villages of the Javari region comprising almost 6,000 people with these installations by the year’s end. Yet, local politics could complicate this resolution, especially with the municipal elections impending in less than two years.
While the villagers wonder about Musk’s interests in Amazon, it’s clear that the introduction of technology into these lives was inevitable and the transformation it brings, both promising and disconcerting.
The post Internet Access Transforming Amazon’s Remotest Tribes: The Promise and the Concern appeared first on TS2 SPACE.
