With the help of good friends in Brazil being close to the different governments and presidents I was able to enter the Xingu national reservation. The main problem was the transport and the authorizations. For instance I had a collegue, the press officer of the last military president and he helped me to get the president’s airplane with satellite navigation to fly directly into the Indian reservation. The largest Indian reservation was founded and defended by Orlando Villas Boas and his brother Claudio. The reservation is still existing but very much in danger as the present president of Brazil wants to allow companies to enter and exploit (mining, woodcutting, agriculture). In the 80ies I visited the Xingu park two times publishing dozen of pages in GEO magazine, publishing in different books. GEO magazine honored Claudio Villas Boas with 50.000,– DM. The ceremony took place in Bonn, than the capital of Germany. The ceremony was attended by Willy Brandt (former chancellor of Germany) and the actual president Weizsäcker . This was the last time I was wearing a tie.
As the last Indian tribes with an own culture are very much in danger after the election of Bolsonaro, the Trump-like president of Brazil, and by the catholic church who wants to sell them religion I assembled these pictures for you. Their culture is still working although they wear Addidas shoes by now. But they cannot be visited by tourist groups and the catholic church or any other religion are still not allowed to enter missionaries.
In my pictures you see one of the leaders, Raoni (pix 104546). He is over 90 now and still alive and the speaker of the 12 – 16 Indian tribes in the Xingu reservation.
