Sydney Possuelo

Lore & Background

Sydney Possuelo began his career assisting the Villas Boas brothers with their work among indigenous peoples of the Xingu River area. The Arara suffered from Eurasian diseases and lack of coordination, leading to a significant demographic upset. Possuelo led many expeditions into isolated Amazon regions to protect tribes from outsiders. He continued his work through the non-governmental Instituto Socioambiental (ISA).

Reader's Guide

Sydney Possuelo's significance lies in his shift from assimilationist policies to a revolutionary approach of avoiding contact with uncontacted tribes to protect them. Over 60 years, he made contact with seven tribes never previously exposed to white people and was responsible for demarcating about 15 percent of Brazil's territory as protected reserves. Without an academic degree, he became an ethnographer and spent years in the jungles with native peoples. His legacy is that without him, dozens of tribes would have become extinct.

Did You Know?

• Sydney Possuelo is considered the leading authority on Brazil's remaining isolated Indigenous Peoples.
• He spent decades working to protect uncontacted tribes and demarcate indigenous lands.
• Possuelo began his career assisting the Villas Boas brothers with their work among indigenous peoples of the Xingu River area.
• Over 60 years, he made contact with seven tribes never previously exposed to white people.
• He was responsible for demarcating about 15 percent of Brazil's territory as protected reserves.

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