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Rachel Treisman

The last member of a tribe in Brazil has died, pulling Indigenous rights into focus

In this 2011 video frame released by Brazil's National Indian Foundation, an indigenous man is seen in the forest in Rondonia, Brazil. Video footage was released in 2018 by Brazil's Indian Foundation of the man who is believed to be the last surviving member of his tribe. His death was announced this weekend. (Brazil's National Indian Foundation via AP)

The last member of a besieged Indigenous tribe in Brazil has died, apparently of natural causes. Activists are holding up his legacy as a symbol of both the genocide and resilience of his people, calling for his land to be preserved as a reminder of both.

Little is known about the man, whose death was announced over the weekend by Funai, Brazil's federal agency for Indigenous affairs. He was the only inhabitant of the Tanaru Indigenous Territory in the western Amazon state of Rondonia.

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