A Global Herald‘s “World” report picks up an ABC News (Australia) item. From ABC: “The Man of the Hole’ dies in Brazil after decades of solitude away from civilization. The last known member of an indigenous tribe living in the western Brazilian Amazon has died. The man spent decades living alone after the rest of his people were killed in what some have described as a genocide. Professor Felipe Milanez from the Federal University of Bahia tells The World he died in a much more dignified way than other tribe members. Includes video.
Brazilian jungle “hermit”
The New York Times profiles 66-year old Shigeru Nakayama of Airao Velho, Brazil, descendent of Japanese settlers who migrated to Brazil after World War II to build a new future. The original settlers lived in larger cities, but Nakayama preferred the isolation of deeper jungle, and is now the only survivor of not only the Japanese in the town of Airao Velho but also of any survivors there. He tries to maintain the remnants of what the article calls a “ghost town” against the jungle’s encroachment, but is alone in his effort. Nakayama is called locally the “hermit of the jungle.”
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/world/americas/airao-velho-brazil-shigeru-nakayama.html
“Most Isolated Man”
This Slate article by Monte Reel describes “The Most Isolated Man on the Planet,” the last member of a Brazilian Amazon tribe slowly brought to extinction by ranching and logging. As the article notes,
He’s an Indian, and Brazilian officials have concluded that he’s the last survivor of an uncontacted tribe. They first became aware of his existence nearly 15 years ago and for a decade launched numerous expeditions to track him, to ensure his safety, and to try to establish peaceful contact with him. In 2007, with ranching and logging closing in quickly on all sides, government officials declared a 31-square-mile area around him off-limits to trespassing and development. It’s meant to be a safe zone. He’s still in there. Alone.
URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2264478/
Related video describing author Monte Reel’s book on the subject, The Last of the Tribe.
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ILPfFImCog