Based at Kaikohekohe inland of Pwhairangi (Bay of Islands), Te Awa was closely connected to Te Rweti Atuahaere of Ngti Tautahi and was part of Ngpuhi’s Northern Alliance.

Under Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, many environmental laws have been loosened, and the Amazon rainforest – one of the largest carbon sinks in the world, helping to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions – is disappearing at a rate of a soccer field a minute. The Awá are a small tribe of around 355, who have survived brutal massacres. Te Awa, also known as Te Awa Kapo, was probably born in the 1770s.

“There is a need to be showing that they exist and that they are life-threatening. So we are using this image to call for help so that the authorities can protect the lives of our relatives who don't want contact.”Īlthough some Awá people are in contact with society, there are some who remain isolated in areas deep in the forest, but the encroachment of not just illegal, but government-endorsed activity, is threatening their future.ĭescribed by Survival International as the world's most threatened tribe, the Awá's territory is rapidly decreasing. “We were not allowed to record, but we know the importance of using this Awá image because if we don't disclose it to the world they will end up being murdered by the loggers,” Erisvan Guajajara added.

Awa tribe today