I’m no expert on such laws, but I think you are misunderstanding how they work. The laws don’t prevent you from interacting with them. If one of them showed up on your doorstep and asked directions to the nearest 7-11, you could tell him exactly where it is. What the laws do is give certain tribes a legal status to their territories such that you are prohibited from entering the territory. The government is creating a separate category from “land ownership”, but it’s still pretty much like the idea that no one can just walk onto your property if you don’t want to allow them to.
In a world where billions are impoverished, destroying the culture of a handful of Amazonians so they can have cheap smartphones and shop at 7-Eleven is a very misplaced priority. OTOH, there are ethical, scientific and sentimental reasons to help them preserve their culture … although that is probably a lost cause.
BTW, what language do the “uncontacted” people speak? In the article I didn’t even see a tribe name.
Optimism is good, so perhaps you should be congratulated on your faith in modern progressive governance. But realists would laugh at your argument, perhaps pointing your attention toward “progressive” America.
If I may ask a somewhat related but not hijacking question: I read that there are some instances of uncontacted tribes killing people who get near them (i.e., the Sentinelese near India, killing two fishermen who got near.) What is the legal protocol with regards to crime as it pertains to uncontacted tribes? Do, or should, authorities prosecute the “homicides” at all or just let the tribesmen do their thing?
Be it as it may, modern technology and society already brings enough grief as is. Maybe we could drop some food and fire-making tools and other things to them, but I think the uncontacted tribes are already in some way “fortunate” to live the way they do.
According to the documentary I watched (and again, I don’t know who made it or what their angle is), tribesmen who commit crimes are not prosecuted. It’s part of the non-contact laws. One segment dealt with a village that was repeatedly raided by tribespeople–children murdered–and though the villagers were technically not allowed to fight back, you betcher sweet butt they were doing it anyway.
Except native Americans are part of the modern world. And non-natives aren’t federally prohibited from visiting reservations. Each reservation has its own rules for visitors, but most have areas that are open to the public, and if you follow the laws of the reservation and the rules about where you can and can’t go, most reservations welcome visitors.