American missionary in Brazil accused of exposing Amazon tribe to ‘risk of death’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An aerial view of the Amazon rainforest. An American missionary has been accused by Brazil of improper contact with an indigenous tribe living there. (Getty Images)
An American missionary in Brazil believed to have passed through the Amazon rainforest area occupied by a remote indigenous tribe is now being accused of exposing them to disease -- and even death.
The claim against Steve Campbell from Brazil’s Indigenous Affairs Department (FUNAI) comes following an incident said to have taken place in December, one month after an American missionary was killed on the other side of the world while trying to encounter a tribe living on an island in the Indian Ocean.
MISSIONARY WROTE 'GOD, I DON'T WANT TO DIE' BEFORE BEING KILLED BY REMOTE TRIBE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It’s a case of rights violation and exposure to risk of death to isolated indigenous population,” a spokesperson for the agency told Reuters. “Even if direct contact has not occurred, the probability of transmission of diseases to the isolated is high.”
Brazilian officials say Campbell camped in the area where the Hi-Merimã tribe live and entered one of their former camping sites.
The tribe is known for their strong desire to be left alone from the outside world, according to Reuters. FUNAI says it will notify federal prosecutors and the police about the alleged encounter this week.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}AMERICAN MISSIONARY KILLED BY UNCONTACTED TRIBE HAD PLANNED MISSION FOR YEARS, REPORT SAYS
FUNAI also claims that Campbell has been living amongst the tribe’s neighbors – the Jamamadi – without permission over the past several years. Brazilian media reports cited by Reuters say Campbell admitted to entering the Hi-Merimã tribe’s area by accident while teaching the Jamamadi how to use GPS devices.
As of Thursday morning, Campbell was listed as a missionary on the website of Maine’s Greene Baptist Church, which states that he and his wife work in the Brazilian state of Amazonas to “help with medical, mechanical and countless other ministry opportunities. The church has since taken his profile down.
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Josh Burden, a pastor that answered the phone at the church Thursday, told Fox News that it is not aware of Campbell’s day-to-day business, because “they work for another organization” that he couldn’t remember the name of.
“We have supported them for a number of years at a very moderate amount,” Burden said, but added that he has never met the couple and they are not members of the congregation.