In Brazil alone, there are about 140 nations, often numbering no more than 250 individuals - though some groups, like the Yanomami, still have quite a large population, for the time being. However, many elements of their lifestyle remain unchanged, with the forest providing food, shelter, medicines and so on. They use a great range of forest plants as medicines and have knowledgeable healers - the 'medicine man' or, as the Indians say, Shaman. Their method of shifting agriculture does not damage the forest ecosystem. Today, few Indian groups are totally isolated from the other peoples of the Amazon.
Some groups trade with others for important products but still maintain their culture.
Others have also lost their land or had it destroyed, and have lost their culture and 'identity'. The reservations can be vulnerable, however - over 8000 sq. The passages which follow provide a broad overview of the lives of the Indians and their position today. You will find accounts of the Indians' traditional life, reports on the dangers and conflicts they face - and also the possible ways that these might be overcome. This extract from his speech gives insight into the ways that Indians are organising themselves to gain a political voice, and how they feel about the issues affecting them.