THE LOST TRIBE

[Music] and now your true adventure host bill birth hi there this is bill bird saying welcome to adventure true adventure filmed as it happens throughout our fascinating world this show offers a good example of the things that make it so fascinating we'll be going into the remote jungle reaches of central america to see a tribe of people still clinging to an age-old life whose roots reach back across a dozen centuries the lack and owns exiles by choice in this forgotten corner of yucatan in mexico yet their heirs to a tradition of glory because this handful of simple and primitive souls living in huts practicing only the simplest crafts is all that is left of the once proud mayan civilization you catch only a faint echo of that greatness now the jungle has almost swallowed up the ruins of their cities and soon the lack and domes themselves may follow the same path to oblivion 400 men women and children the sole survivors of a nation of a million that ruled half a continent we'll meet them we'll share the memories of a man who lived among them there are strange people but friendly with an odd charm all their own it's a rare experience that we have in store one that i'm sure you'll agree deserves to be called a true adventure [Music] we are deep in mexico only a few miles from the southern border of guatemala matter of fact you'd have to look closely at a map to spot this town of tenocike guidebooks only mention it as a place where the railroad from veracruz to yucatan crosses the river [Music] inhabitants follow a relaxed drowsy pattern that's natural to the tropics they're content to let a busy world passed them by their basic needs are simple and the generous waters of the river usa easily fulfill them a quiet place maybe you're wondering what we can expect at the yield in the way of an adventure but another glance at that map i mentioned a moment ago will answer the question up river from tennessee the map shows nothing this sleepy town is an outpost on the edge of the all but unexplored shoppers forest the region where our true adventure don rathlin will renew a friendship with a lack and own tribe the lost tribe of the mayans who are the only occupants of that vast tropic wilderness half an hour's flying will turn the clock back a thousand years to the time when the mayan ancestors of these people were masters of the jungle empire [Music] our journey was time for the dry season the uso wandering channel shows wide expanses of beaches it was the culmination of rugged terrain and heavy annual rainfall that sealed the lakendome tribe off from outsiders for so many centuries a lost tribe the land route into their region was difficult at any season completely impenetrable during bad weather it was just two years ago that a landing strip was cleared the la condones came face to face with a modern world for the first time [Music] and here they are [Music] the last of the mayans [Music] and so we unload our supplies and get ready for our stay with these strange people [Music] the pilot heads back immediately it's been arranged that he'll pick up our party in two weeks rathlan was new to this village it wasn't included in his earlier visit with the lac condones but their lively curiosity makes it easy to get acquainted now i want you to watch this watch the reaction that his ballpoint pen gets from these strange people needless to say he also told them that it uh rode underwater now these are a mild-hearted and a charming people and naturally you see all of those traits at their best in their children well she needs a little practice but soon she'll be joining in the work of the community there's a few tricks of the trade to master for instance a mother will have to show her the knack of using her feet when there aren't enough hands to go around [Music] some of the cloth is brought from outside by visitors like don but the everyday smock is worn from cotton that the lac and domes grow themselves identical garments and a universal hairstyle too matter of fact you have to look very closely to tell the men from the women in the lack and own settlements that along with their small stature and their smiling grace adds to their odd charm remnants of a race of conquerors they seem more like dolls to me or they see more like the gentle offspring of some planet possibly more peaceful than our own [Music] the lost world mood is heightened by the incredible lushness of the surrounding rain forest tropic foliage takes on bizarre and unfamiliar disguises and dawn gets a chance to see all this [Music] a short hike from one clearing to another is enough to suggest the variety of life that thrives here much of it surprisingly tame probably they've never been enough intruders to teach them caution some are naturally shy this fella's not going to show his wings off to total strangers no sir you let the wrong people see how pretty you are and the first thing you know they'll be after you with a net [Music] ah but these young upstarts they don't pay much attention to their grumpy cousin not a care in the world they flaunt their wings in the sunlight and let the shy one wander off into the shadows by himself [Music] now here's another solitary type a taper his limp is a reminder that the jungle can be a harsh and hostile place it's probably a reminder of a recent bout with a jaguar the taper is large almost as big as he looks to this tiny kinkajou but his only defense against jaguars is to run wildly through the dense jungle hoping that an overhanging branch will knock his enemy off his back well says the kinkajou he does look fierce that's enough to scare me the constant drama of the forest surrounds don rothland and his lack and own bearers as they move along the trail it even has its moments of comedy relief now this pair of house hunting woodpeckers manages to get involved in a slapstick routine with a family of parrots you'd think that one of the neighborhood gossips would tell them that that particular hole is already rented but they let them wander all over even sizing up the second floor before lo and behold the owners turn up macaw parrots that have a prior claim and all the local gossips have a good laugh at the woodpecker's expense the mccomb well he's got a few questions who's been tromping around in here the neighbors can't manage to stop laughing long enough to give him a straight answer [Music] i'll quit laughing and the woodpecker stands by you never know when the macaws might take it in their head to move out and friendly sam the vulture well he's waiting to collect his usual commission if the place changes hands but the macaws are there to stay and the woodpeckers have to settle for a place way out in the suburbs say this place isn't so uncivilized they've already got a housing shortage all their own but it doesn't affect everybody some birds have sort of uh adopted their own solution to the housing shortage let's take a look at these [Music] he's proud of his home and boy he needs it when he says drop in sometimes well you're almost sorry to leave the forest behind but we've reached another lack and own settlement just in time to join in an informal get-together the villagers are bidding a temporary farewell to philip bear the protestant missionary who's lived among them for the last few years bear and his family have brought much medical and material help and they've learned to genuinely love the lack and don'ts they haven't made much headway with actual conversations but basically the sweet spirit of the tribe gives hope for the future [Music] who couldn't love that [Music] the missionary is off for a short visit to another village and the crowd that gathers to see him off listens very respectfully to his parting message judging by his gestures it's something about the afterlife yes a fascinating lost tribe of mayans but their new ideas gradually taking root in the age-old culture of the lack and own whoops why it looks like our true adventure don ratlin wasn't expecting us back quite yet but frequent baths are so vital in the tropics that you'll learn to take the usual ideas of privacy more casually much of the daily routine in this lack and own village centers around a cool brook which wanders to the midst of the settlement notice how friendly the people are they always have kind of a warm smile on their faces [Music] uh one of the tribesmen a a fellow named boar spelled b-o-r has thought of a way to lighten the routine a bit he's a newcomer he moved here from another village in search of a wife and he's decided that the welcome he's been shown calls for a celebration so he's preparing a batch of balcae it's a ceremonial drink made from the fibers of a tree of the same name a dugout or cayuco as it's called is filled with water and the bark is put to soak if you're listening carefully you might jot this recipe down sugarcane juice is added to the brew and then it's covered very gently with banana leaves now it'll stand all day and it'll be ready for drinking late in the afternoon presumably for the cocktail hour a strainer will be needed so one of the women is busy piercing the hollow shell of a fruit called the hikara the boring tool is crude but efficient it's a scrap of metal from a tin can mounted on a stick [Music] now the big moment is at hand and one look in the kaiuku tells you why the strainer is needed it's a bit cloudy no one in the gathering crowd of villagers seems anxious to be the first to sample it falci is a new drink to them this was bore's idea so by golly he can test it for himself as far as they're concerned so he strains a little out by the looks of uh his face i guess boar is just an abbreviation of borgia well maybe it's a little bitter but curiosity gets the best of everybody and they all give it a go the consumer panel came up with a sort of a mixed reaction some liked it and some didn't but the cayuco didn't stay full maybe it's maybe it's an acquired taste like olives don rathlin's verdict well i'll tell you i think actions uh always speak uh louder than words so let's take a look at don and see how he feels there you are [Music] you can judge by these faces that bulky acts as a mild stimulant but it is not alcoholic even the youngsters can drink their fill don did note some after effects though the bark apparently contains some drug that induces a headache but that didn't spoil the fun no sir the guide brought out a harmonica tried to encourage a little dancing quaint native customs not exactly bore was determined to show off steps that he'd learned in the city but he only managed to confuse his young wife [Music] well the bulky party is over and the next day sees things getting back to normal in the village you know the spinners can't neglect their work for long they form thread bit by bit in the age-old way a bed of ash in the bowl is the only way they know of making the spindles turn more easily weaving is carried on in an equally primitive way the crude looms of the lac and domes the lost tribe can produce only a coarse cloth the traditional cotton garment is much heavier than you'd expect to find in a humid climate like the one we're in but it's the best the native workers can produce with the means at their disposal [Music] another daily chore that the people have and a very important one too besides weaving is that of preparing the tortillas which are the staple of the lack and own diet it's amazing to see that untold generations of skill that has been bred into the fingers of these women [Music] probably a remnant of the ancient mayans themselves they spread a layer of dough on a banana leaf and work it endlessly flattening it lumps are painstakingly removed the final result is as thin as parchment you'll see in just a moment [Music] they cook quickly on the grid but the preparation of them takes hours each day the lack and domes cling to the ancient maize diet of their mayan ancestors but they aren't stubborn at all about new ideas they may put a practical device to a whimsical use their appreciation is obvious and genuine nevertheless the broad outlines of their life are fixed and changeless as time itself we mentioned earlier that boer had come here from another village in quest of a wife well he eventually chose these two the younger is about seven or eight years old she is wife in name only for the time being the other one is 11 or 12 years old and is marriageable by lack and own custom shocking perhaps but it's a matter of tribal survival they number a mere 200 or so and they live in the constant knowledge of the fact that they are on the brink of extinction custom that word that covers a lot of ground it's hard for us to see how something like snails could be treated as a delicacy but there are probably items of our diet that would be just as repulsive to the lack and domes and let's face it world gourmet opinion backs them up in this case snail meat is a favorite dish in many nations [Music] well the days have sped by don rathlin's visit to the lost tribe is nearly over but there is time for one more side trip he brought along a collapsible boat with uh this sort of thing in mind a short hike takes them down to the banks of the rio chanha a tributary of the uso don confesses that his share of the work was over right then he was free to lean back and watch and enjoy the view while the guide did all the paddling [Music] talk about turning back time look at this you can't blame him for being lulled into a lazy mood there's a hypnotic fascination to watching the foliage itself and the creatures who live in it [Music] look carefully now you might spot something there see him well that's an anteater i don't know what he's doing in a tree but i guess he knows his job better than i do maybe he's looking for high altitude ants [Music] easy old boy [Music] somebody else is lazy but their position is a little riskier than ours an iguana always on the lookout for unguarded turtle eggs they look like they're asleep but the iguana wants to make sure the odds are wrong if it comes to a fight easy does it [Music] i want to wake up the others well better not take a chance so the iguana reluctantly goes back to his vegetarian diet [Music] now it was dawn's final hour with the lac and dawns he joined the group around the fire and listened to the chant songs weird melodies with words the lack and domes themselves scarcely understand these are the only means the tribe has of summoning up the spirit of the past of turning back the clock to the ancient mayan days when great temple stood in in the jungles today they're tumbled into ruins strangling tendrils of the jungle almost hide them from view the vast horde of mayan knowledge of art astronomy mathematics is forever forever lost except perhaps locked up in the minds of the of the lack and owns themselves [Music] it is whispered that some lachendone tribesmen still come in secret to make offerings in the ancient way even though the gods have been silent for centuries the lack of knowns have saved nothing nothing from the wreckage of this the great mayan empire nothing unless you count their warm spirit and their subtle dignity [Music] is it too far-fetched to think that they inherited that from ancestors who were the masters of mexico no i don't think so and with that as their sole possession they are infinitely rich because they have mastered peace of mind lack and domes a vivid reminder of a chapter of history that you might think had ended long ago but that only goes to prove something that we already knew it's a strange world we live in threads from the past present and the future are all woven into its fascinating fabric what weird contrast it can sometimes offer to us just consider one possible example let let yourself imagine one of those simple gentle lacking domes amid the yucatan jungle gazing up into a mild tropic sky and puzzling puzzling over the bright streak left by an orbiting space flight what a tremendous gap there is between the two worlds that that site represents think of the centuries of change it reflects mayans and moon probes both parts of the realm of true adventure well i'm glad you were with us to share this show and until we meet again this is bill bird saying may all your adventures be happy once [Music] [Applause] [Music] you