Rare photos of Amazonian tribe who slaughtered FIVE American missionaries 64 years ago taken by brave photographer
THESE incredible photos show the lives of an Amazonian tribe who slaughtered five American missionaries 64 years ago.
Brave photographer Václav Šilha, 56, captured the Huaorani tribe’s killer instinct when he visited them in the Amazon rainforest.
One photo shows a man wielding a large spear while another shows a chef regurgitating undercooked food into a metal pan.
A nude tribesman can also be smiling with a wild pig he has hunted.
The tribe is renowned for killing five American men who tried to convert them to Christianity in 1956.
They were all speared dead after the Huaorani believed they were cannibals – something they later regretted and said was misjudged.
Václav, from Prague, said: “I visited Huaorani with a local guide the tribe knew, and so I was fortunately warmly welcomed.
“I tried to be the least disturbing as possible for them to give them space to behave completely naturally.
“I was amazed by the power of their traditions, knowledge of nature and their feeling of community.”
He added: “The word Huaorani in translation means human beings and I must say that they were some of the most beloved people I have ever met.
The Huaorani tribe live in the Amazon rainforest and are known to hunt monkeys with poisonous blowguns.
They were first discovered by Shell Oil employees in the late 1940s. But the Ecuadorian government continue to encroach on their land to drill for the fossil fuel.
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Václav said: “Since 1956 a lot of time has passed and today some are using a lot of modern technologies such as motorboat, chainsaw, satellite phone.
“They live a simple life, they are mostly hunters and gatherers. Some men remain fierce warriors.”
In recent times, deforestation has caused the Huaoranis to move further into the forests, but their water supply is still ravaged with pollution from nearby oil operations.
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