[TV --> BBC] Tribe

[Corki]

All I can say is that I am so glad this programme is back for its third series!

 

For those of you who don't know what Tribe is all about, Bruce Parry goes to various tribes in remote places of the world and lives with them for a month, learning their way of life, becoming a member of the tribe. This involves participating in rituals, asking questions about how the outside world is affecting their lives and much much more. Some may call him mad for doing it, but it extremely enlightening as a programme goes.

 

This week, he was in the Amazon river with the Matis tribe - a tribe that was only found in the 1970s, but already in a struggle with the outside world. Outsiders brought diseases they never knew, and the tribe was nearly wiped out. But they survived, but did lose a lot. The programme highlighted the contrasting views of the older members who didn't like the outside contact, and the younger ones who did. The 'disco' scene was evidence of this.

 

But to me, what draws me to this programme is the extent that Parry is willing to put his body on the line to become part of the tribe. If I was in Parry's shoes, I'd do the same. He has amazing strength, since he got whipped and even got jabbed with frog posion to become a tribe hunter in this episode.

 

I'm just fascinated by the way in which Parry can convey what he does in his month with the tribe - the way he goes about becoming a tribe member, even if he has a language barrier. It's a wonderful series, and extremely interesting.

 

So, are there any other Tribe watchers out there??

[Corki]

Oh, it was also interesting watching Parry try to use a blowpipe for hunting...and fail!

 

For more info on the series, go here.