About 80 members of the remote Nukak-Maku tribe of Colombia recently wandered out of the Amazon forests and set up camp in the southern part of the country, declaring themselves ready to join the modern world.
"While it is not known for sure why they left the jungle, what is abundantly clear is that the Nukak's experiences as nomads and hunter-gatherers has left them wholly unprepared for the world they have just entered. The Nukak's have no concept of money, of property, of the role of government, or even of the existence of a country called Colombia. They have no government identification cards, making them nonentities to Colombia's bureaucracy," reports the New York Times.
A Nukak was quoted as saying: "We do not want to go back. We want to stay near the town and plant our own food. In the meantime, the town can help us." A young Nukak mother said she was happy to settle in one place. "When you walk in the jungle, your feet hurt a lot," she said. The Nukaks want to send their children to school. Another Nukak said, "We want to join the white family but we do not want to forget the words of the Nukak."
The government is providing them aid but some fear the aid could doom the Nukak to a life of dependency.
In an earlier exodus in 2003, dozens of Nukak left the wilderness, saying civil war forced them to seek safety.
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