A friend among strangers: the photographer made friends with a tribe almost untouched by civilization

There are no grocery stores or fast food in the jungles of South America, so the men of the Guarani Indian people take blowpipes every morning and go hunting monkeys. Guarani is almost the only ethnic group of the Selva that preserves its traditional way of life under the onslaught of civilization. Like hundreds of years ago, they do not wear clothes, considering nudity a natural phenomenon, masterfully climb trees and smear arrowheads with poison.

The total number of Guarani people is about 4 thousand people. 37 separate tribes live mainly on the territory of Paraguay. Some of them still live in strict isolation and limit contacts with the outside world as much as possible. If someone wanders into their lands, of course, they are not killed on the spot, but they are very insistently asked to leave.

However, British photographer Pete Oxford was lucky enough to find a friendly Guarani tribe in the jungle. He spent several days in the village and took wonderful pictures.

The main part of the diet of the Indians is the meat of monkeys and peccaries (a kind of wild pig). In other tribes, bows are used for hunting, but in the one in which Pete found himself, only blowpipes are recognized. Darts are smeared with curare poison, immobilizing the animal. This poison is organic, so after heat treatment of meat it becomes harmless.

In order to track down the monkey and get close to it, hunters climb trees. They climb the trunks almost as deftly as their victims. In this they are helped by the special structure of the feet, which have changed in the process of evolution.

Toucan meat is reputed to be a delicacy. But Guarani parrots are considered pets.

The tribe does not have a leader, all honor and respect are shown to all elders. Old people teach young people everything they know and know how to do themselves. Guarani's writing never appeared — all the stories and songs are passed from mouth to mouth.

Polygamy is accepted in the tribe, and gender roles are clearly distributed: men hunt, women cook and raise children. By the way, due to frequent incestuous relationships, children with physical disabilities are often born in the tribe. For example, with six fingers or toes.

But the Indians are no longer able to live exactly like their ancestors, in isolation from civilization. Since the 80s, oil companies have been active in these parts, deforestation has been taking place. Modern Guarani no longer shy away from white people.

Tourists also come here. In exchange for knives, scissors, mirrors and other things that are of great value to Guarani, the natives usually give bird feather necklaces and other jewelry.

The number of people is steadily decreasing. More and more young Indians go to work in other regions and only occasionally return home. Guarani culture is living out its age. A few decades will pass, and shops and fast food will appear in these parts.