Answers for
Audioconference 7
(September 3)
1. Cassandra McTavish, Glen Oroua School
Were you excited about seeing SantarΘm?
If so, what did you find most interesting?
I was glad to arrive at SantarΘm after two days stuck
on a riverboat. But I wasn’t very excited because
last time I was here I didn’t really like the place
– although my view has now changed.
I find the people here the most interesting. SantarΘm
is much smaller than Manaus and BelΘm, so life here is
much slower and more relaxed.
2. Maggie Makrongianni, Heretaunga College
When walking through SantarΘm
did you see any of the urubu
vultures? If so, what feeling did you have?
Yep, there are still lots of urubus – though not
so many as last time. They are big and black, and can
often be seen pecking through rubbish. Being vultures,
they seem a little revolting though I really don’t
mind them all that much.
3. Toshi Brown, Kaitao Intermediate
What initial effect did the discovery of rubber and gold have
on both the environment and economy?
Both discoveries brought lots of people into the
Amazon. It was good for the economy because the people
moving here had to buy equipment, food, and other things.
Some people (notably the rubber barons) became very rich
– building big new houses and theatres, eating at
fancy restaurants, and buying expensive clothes. These
created lots of new jobs.
But the bulk of the people who worked collecting the
rubber or mining for gold stayed very poor and never
earned much money.
4. Felice Hirst, Room 8, Marton School
Is SantarΘm
ever flooded by the Amazon?
Not usually. The riverbank on the town’s
waterfront is quite high and reinforced with concrete
– and river doesn’t rise above this level even
in the highwater season.
There may have been occasional years in the past where
the river has risen more than normal and flooded the
town, but I don’t know of any specific occasions. In
recent years the seasons have been drier than normal so
that the river hasn’t risen as much.
5. Christina Miller, Mungawhau Primary School
Do rubber trees still grow and are they cut down
anymore?
Rubber trees aren’t cut down to produce rubber.
Instead, the rubber tappers (seringueiros) make a
cut in the bark of the tree where the white latex sap
bleeds out and is collected in a small bucket. A little
bit of latex is collected each day – with a single
tree being able to be regularly used for about 20 years
(perhaps longer). Rubber is still collected at
plantations and in the forests – but there
aren’t as many rubber tappers as their once were,
and rubber doesn’t fetch as much money as it once
did.
The bulk of the world’s rubber is now produced in
Malaysia and other parts of Asia where they have vast
rubber trees (the plantations there actually grow better
than in the Amazon) and lots of cheap labour to collect
the rubber.
6. Kerri-Ann Taylor, Glen Oroua School
Is the Amazon River and jungle as magical as it
sounds? Can you explain what it is like?
I think that the most magical places are the remote
area where there is still rainforest and lots of animals.
It isn’t too different to New Zealand forests (which
are also very beautiful), but there are lots more exotic
animals – and there is always a slight chance that
you might run into a jaguar
or Indians.
Its less romantic in the cities and towns – but I
like SantarΘm
and nearby Alter do Chπo. Its hot, exotic, friendly, and
the people here are very interesting. In some ways its
like a South American movie.
7. Kylie Smeaton, Heretaunga College
It has been discovered that unsuccessful farmers
move to new areas of the forest and clear more land,
whereas successful farmers stay put and extend their farm
by cutting forest. Has any system of reward been
established to encourage successful farming practices? If
so, what are the rewards and how successful are they?
I don’t think the government programmes here have
really taken account of these factors. One of the
government’s goals here in Brazil is for
development, and I don’t think they question the
quality of the farmers when they grant or sell the land.
But there are a few programmes here to help farmers
improve their methods – there are rurally-focused
television programmes (similar to NZ) where they talk
about farming techniques, fertilisers, and insecticides.
And there are some non-governmental organisations with
research/development and education programmes.
I think a lot of farmers’ success depends on
their education and knowledge of their land. In the past
many farmers arrived here with little education and no
experience, which is a big factor in the number of
failures.
8. Rachel Greenfield, Kaitao Intermediate
What amount of sap comes from one rubber tree? Does
the size of the tree affect its output?
The tree is tapped daily over many years. A little bit
of rubber is collected each day – so the amount of
rubber produced by a tree over its lifetime might be
quite large. Unfortunately I’m not sure ho much
rubber is produced in the lifetime of an average tree.
I guess larger trees generally produce more rubber.
But eventually, the tree gets old and produces less
rubber (even though the tree is very big). This tree
might be chopped down to make way for new trees (I think
the wood of the old tree can then be used for furniture
and other things).
9. Adrik Nicholls, Room 7, Marton School
Have you helped anyone collect rubber from the
trees?
Not exactly. I’ve seen trees which have been used
for collecting rubber, but haven’t been around when
the people were doing so. In the rainforest I picked bits
of latex from the sides of rubber trees.
When rubber is collected, the bark is cut with a
machete. White latex sap then bleeds into a bucket hung
on the side of the tree. The bucket is left there for a
while (while the rubber tapper visits other trees) and is
collected again afterwards.
10. Lawrence Ferens, Maungawhau Primary School
Have you been inside a modern goldmine
and what is it like?
I flew into a goldmining town on my way out of Manu
Reserve in Peru (The goldmines here in SantarΘm are a
few days upriver).
The modern goldmines use trucks, bulldozers, and other
big machinery. There are even big helicopters which are
sometimes used for transporting people and equipment.
Dirt is scooped up, dumped into the back of a big truck,
and then taken to a processor where any gold is extracted
using water and perhaps mercury. The mines are open-cast,
meaning that they occupy a large area where the covering
rainforest has been chopped down, and there is just lots
of dirt. Looking at the streams nearby, they were bright
orange from the amount of dirt and other waste that ends
up in them. A goldmine isn’t a very pretty sight.
11. Kayne Weston, Glen Oroua School
Have you had a chance to find any gold yet? What
are the old goldmines
like?
To be honest, I haven’t been out looking for
gold. The chances of me finding a big nugget are pretty
remote since lots of people have gone through the area
before me, and are using lots of resources to find the
gold.
In the old days, gold was mostly panned and dredged
from the rivers – and was probably similar to the
methods used in places like Otago.
12. Richard Martin, Heretaunga College
What are the governments of the Amazon region doing
to protect the miners from Mercury poisoning? Are there
any unions to represent these workers and if so, what are
they doing to protect their members? If there are no
unions do you know why not?
Things here for unions are very difficult. Lots of the
manual workers are poorly-educated and can easily
exploited – forced to work in bad conditions and for
low wages. In many situations, the employers like it this
way so give unionists a very difficult time.
The most famous case here was with a unionist called
Chico Mendes. He was a rubber worker and spent a lot of
time protesting at the poor work conditions and lack of
pay suffered by most workers – organising a union
movement.
I’m not sure exactly what happened, but the story
goes that he worked hard for several years and had
numerous threats made against him. Then, one day someone
shot him. A farmer and his son were charged with the
murder, and were put into a low security prison. They
escaped very soon afterwards and returned back home
without any further action being taken.
There seem to be more unions today, but they
don’t seem very strong. They are most powerful when
the workers are united together. In other places, if
union workers refuse the wages and conditions the company
just hires non-union workers instead.
13. Cayne Ballard, Kaitao Intermediate
How long have they been taking gold from the mines
around SantarΘm?
When Pedro de
Teixeira first arrived near SantarΘm in 1637, he
reported a group of Indians who panned gold from the
riverbanks and used it to make decorations (although I
may be confusing this incident with the Manau Indians
near Manaus). Some of Teixeira’s men also panned for
gold.
Once the trip was over, it is likely that word about
the discovery of gold got out quickly bringing lots of
other Europeans into the area.
14. Shannon Croot, Room 11, Marton School
Are gold
mines still being dug, and how much gold do
they get out?
Yes there are still goldmines here. But they are
modern goldmines – they use big trucks, bulldozers
and other equipment to collect dirt and their extract any
gold that might be contained within it. I’m not sure
how much gold is extracted, but it must be lots because
there is a lot of gold jewellery around and a few people
with gold embedded in their teeth.
Brazil is about the world’s seventh biggest gold
producing country (first is South Africa).
15. Devan Manchester, Maungawhau Primary School
Have you seen any gold or goldmining
tools?
I’ve seen trucks and bulldozers, but none of the
other specialised equipment. The only gold that I’ve
seen is in people’s jewellery and in their teeth!
16. Emma Burrell, Glen Oroua School
What kinds of sounds and noises do you hear at
night when you are in bed?
Right now I’m staying in a hotel close to the
waterfront in SantarΘm,
and there are none of the that I heard in the rainforest
(crickets, birds, and monkeys). sounds Most of what I
hear now from the open-air restaurant across the street,
and the is music noises of people around me television in
the hotel lobby and people talking). When (mostly the I
first arrived there was a wore a cowboy hat and played
Brazilian Country & cowboy who Western music on his
into the night! Occasionally I hear a car, but there
portable stereo late aren’t very many on the late at
night.roads in SantarΘm
17. Angela Waddell, Heretaunga College
How are the local Indians
affected by the logging
and what is their attitude towards logging?
There aren’t that many local Indians left. This
was one of the first areas where Indians were captured
for slaves or for use as labourers. The tribes here were
wiped out of became fully integrated many years ago.
The remaining Indians in other areas aren’t very
political. Most of them are too shell-shocked as a result
of recent contact and all the other changes happening
around them. They are too confused and overwhelmed by
everything to put up much of a fight.
18. Trevor Bean, Kaitao Intermediate
How much rubber is used to make one tyre and is the
rubber still as valuable as it was during the rubber boom?
Rubber isn’t as valuable as it once was. Even
though there is still a very big demand, the rubber
plantations in Asia are able to produce lots of it very
cheaply – which keeps the price low.
I’m not sure how much rubber goes into a tire.
There are lots of other materials like sulphur, carbon,
cotton, and steel. But I guess about half the weight is
rubber. Perhaps you can find out more by contacting a
tyre company like Firestone. You might also find out
where their rubber comes from.
19. Genna Duncan, Room 10, Marton School
Are there any introduced animals which cause
trouble in the Amazon such as possums and rabbits in New
Zealand?
The Amazon already had most types of animals
(including relatives of possums and rabbits). It also has
lots of predators (unlike New Zealand) so that the
numbers of any introduced animals will be controlled by
efficient hunters like jaguar,
ocelots, and snakes. Hence, I
don’t know of any situations here that are
comparable to New Zealand.
The most dangerous introduced animal is probably
"civilised" man because of the damage that
we’re doing to the environment here. There are also
introduced diseases that have a devastating effect on the
native people who lack immunity.
20. Sam Hames, Maungawhau Primary School
What did the early Amazon Indians
know about astronomy?
Astronomy doesn’t feature in the folklore that
I’ve researched – I don’t think that
it’s been mentioned at all. I guess this is because
the tribes spend most of their time in the rainforest, so
stories about the plants, animals, and spirits are the
most significant. There may even have been too many trees
overhead even for them to bother looking at the stars!
I’m guessing that because there aren’t
really any seasons here – soltices and other
astronomical events associated with seasons (and crops)
didn’t feature like they did for early European
peoples. Hence there might not have been must interest
astronomy when there were so many other interesting (and
more tangible) things around the Indians.
But, there are many different Amazon Indian tribes,
and perhaps astronomy did feature for some of them. I
know that it featured for other South/Central Americans
such as the Incas and Aztecs.
Part 2
1. Leea Maeda, Otumoetai Intermediate School
What effect did the rubber boom
in the 1920s have on the animals that need the rubber
plants to survive?
The collection of rubber didn’t kill the rubber
trees. Instead, the rubber tappers (seringueiros)
collected the rubber by making a cut in the bark of the
tree. The white latex sap would then bleed out and be
collected in a small bucket. A little bit of latex was
collected each day – with a single tree being able
to be regularly used for about 20 years (perhaps longer).
Hence, the rubber boom didn’t have much direct
effect on the animals who were dependent on the trees.
But lots of animals would have been killed by the rubber
tappers for food or fpr their skins (to make a little
extra money).
2. Jaclyn Stifter, St Mark’s Catholic School
In what way do you think modern development
has affected SantarΘm’s
environment?
There is less natural rainforest and fewer wild
animals. The exception is an increase in the number of
scavenging birds such as urubus
(vultures). Development brings industry, pollution, and
large-scale hunting and fishing.
I think that developed areas lose a lot of their
natural character and charm. Sooner or later, they all
become just another city.
3. Helena Bowness, South End School
When you’ve been sick have you used any type
of plant to heal you?
Not directly. I go to a chemist, ask for their advice,
and then buy medicine. But many medicines are derived
from rainforest plants – even the humble aspirin.
There are some places which sell herbs and plants, in
much the same was as a chemist sells medicines. But with
my lack of Portuguese it would be difficult for me to
find out which plant to use and how to use it. Do I eat
it? Do I boil it in water then drink the water? Or do I
crush the plant and rub it on my skin? There are lots of
different ways to take herbal medicines – and with
any medicine, it is important that you know the RIGHT
way!
4. Carlos, Peninsula Primary
While you were travelling on the river did you see
any areas that had been cleared of trees?
Most of the area by the river below Manaus has been
developed. There is still rainforest, but most of the
biggest (and most valuable) trees were chopped down a
long time ago. This leaves the rainforest looking a
little scraggly.
There are also some areas cleared as farmland for
cattle and crops. I saw some of these, as well as smoke
from some of big fires where more land was being cleared.
5. Chris Seabourne, St Joseph’s School
What does the name of the town SantarΘm
mean?
When the Portuguese and Spanish named areas in South
America, they often named the towns after Religious
saints or symbols – "Santa" means saint
(and BelΘm, at the
mouth of the Amazon was named after Bethlehem). Other
places were named after cities and towns in
Portugal/Spain, or after the rich sponsor of expeditions.
I’m not sure which saint SantarΘm refers to
– but I suspect the city might actually have been
named after another city in Portugal also called
SantarΘm.
6. Mark Ellis, Otumoetai Intermediate School
I’ve heard that the rainforests are getting
cut down. Is this problem slowing down or speeding up?
I still keep reading different figures for the rate of
rainforest destruction. One that I read the other day
says that 57 acres for every minute of every day.
I think that the rate of destruction may actually be
increasing as people are getting better at it and
dreaming of bigger projects. The Carajßs project in Parß
occupies an area bigger than England, and the Jari
project is about the same size as the American State of
Connecticut.
Perhaps the biggest destroyers of rainforest are the
hydroelectric dams which need to flood a huge area
because the land here is so flat. There are about eight
hydro projects currently being worked on – and some
people have envisaged an Amaz⌠nia full of dams and
exporting electricity in the same way that Saudi Arabia
exports oil. Personally, I hope this doesn’t come
about because each time a dam is built, tens of thousands
of acres of rainforest are destroyed, animals are
drowned, and remote Indian tribes have to be rounded up
and forcibly relocated (which causes many other problems
later on).
7. Monique Jones, St Mark’s Catholic School
How is SantarΘm
different from other cities you have visited?
It is much smaller, slower, friendlier, and more
relaxed than the bigger cities of Manaus and BelΘm. There is much
less traffic and I feel much easier walking along the
streets (In Manaus I kept thinking that I’d get run
over by a bus and had several near misses).
Because SantarΘm is more remote, some services are
more difficult (like access to the Internet).
8. Nicole Rickman, South End School
Do you ever get frightened by strange noises in the
night?
Not really. But sometimes in remote places I have a
terrible fear of running into a snake or waking up with
one in the middle of the night. I know the chance of this
happening is extremely remote – but I know of one
case with another visitor to Amaz⌠nia where it has
actually happened.
9. Sheridan, Peninsula Primary
Do the artefacts which have been found tell us
anything new about the people who used to live in Brazil?
Most importantly, they tell us that these people
existed and give us an indication of when they were here.
Prior to the discovery of the objects of Ilha do Maraj≤ and at
Caverna
Pedra de Pintada, no one knew that there were people
living in those areas so long ago.
By comparing these objects with other objects found
elsewhere in South America we can also learn about the
migration of early peoples. For instance, the similarity
of objects found on Ilha do Maraj≤ to other objects in
the Andes suggests that some early Indians might have
migrated down the Amazon from Peru.
Finally, the type of objects tells us about how the
people lived. Arrow heads tell us that the people were
hunters, and fine ceramics with intricate designs tell us
that the people were artistic and probably had quite a
sophisticated culture.
10. Matthew Hurley, St Joseph’s School
How big do the vultures
really get?
They’re about the same size as a large chicken
– but with a wingspan (both wings together) of about
75cm.
11. Glenn McFarland, Otumoetai Intermediate School
Do the native Indians
of SantarΘm
protest about the logging
and if so, what extents do they go to?
There aren’t that many local Indians left. This
was one of the first areas where Indians were captured
for slaves or for use as labourers. The tribes here were
wiped out of became fully integrated many years ago.
The remaining Indians in other areas aren’t very
political. Most of them are too shell-shocked as a result
of recent contact and all the other changes happening
around them. They are too confused and overwhelmed by
everything to put up much of a fight.
But, there is one very famous Indian called Raoni, who
is the voice for ALL the Indians in Brazil. He has met
with many heads of state from all over the world, the
Queen, and the Pope to try and let people know about the
problems here. He is a very great and well-respected
person – but not everyone listens to what he has to
say.
One of the Indian medicine men from the Yanomami tribe
also made a prophesy that said: "If the white man
does not stop his perverse destruction of our Mother
Earth, then the white man is also doomed to extinction
– right along with the rainforest and the
Yanomami."
12. James Price, St Mark’s Catholic School
Is gold still mined in SantarΘm?
Yes there are still goldmines
here. But they are modern goldmines – they use big
trucks, bulldozers and other equipment to collect dirt
and their extract any gold that might be contained within
it. I’m not sure how much gold is extracted, but it
must be lots because there is a lot of gold jewellery
around and a few people with gold embedded in their
teeth.
Brazil is about the world’s seventh biggest gold
producing country (first is South Africa).
13. Jesse Workman, South End School
Can you hear the rubber plantations
in operation or the birds in the jungle?
The process of tapping rubber requires little in the
way of machinery, so there is no real sound other than
the sound of people. Although the rubber collected might
be processed somewhere centrally.
However, there are lots of sounds of birds and insects
in the rainforest.
14. Nina, Peninsula Primary
Who is developing farms on the land that has been
cleared?
The farms are either be developed by independent
farmers who’ve purchased or been granted the land
from the government, or by companies who develop the land
then on-sell it to the farmers.
This probably isn’t too different from the early
development of land within New Zealand.
15. Zoe Elcock, St Joseph’s School
How much rubber does the rubber plantation
provide these days for tyres?
To be honest, I’m not sure (I haven’t had
much time to research this question).
But the rubber is used for lots of other things
besides tyres. Perhaps the majority of tyres in Brazil
come from Brazilian rubber – but I guess lots of it
is now also imported from Malaysia.
16. Marcus Jensen, Otumoetai Intermediate School
Are there any introduced animals? What are they and
do they affect the environment in the SantarΘm
environment?
The Amazon already had most types of animals
(including relatives of possums and rabbits). It also has
lots of predators (unlike New Zealand) so that the
numbers of any introduced animals will be controlled by
efficient hunters like jaguar,
ocelots, and snakes. Hence, I
don’t know of any situations here that are
comparable to New Zealand.
The most dangerous introduced animal is probably
"civilised" man because of the damage that
we’re doing to the environment here. There are also
introduced diseases that have a devastating effect on the
native people who lack immunity.
17. Alice Pastor, St Mark’s Catholic School
Have archaeologists discovered any recent
information about the ancient Indian civilisation that
inhabited the area? Were they related to the Incas?
The main thing these objects tell us is that there
were actually people living in Amaz⌠nia living more than
11,000 years ago. Prior to finding these object
scientists thought that people had only arrived here
5,000 years ago. The designs and complexity of these
artefacts also suggests that these Indians had quite a
developed society.
The people on Ilha
do Maraj≤ weren’t descendants of the Incas
– they actually preceded the Incas by at least 1,000
years. But it is thought they were descendants of other
early Andean people (who eventually became part of the
Inca Empire).
But, perhaps, most important thing that these
discoveries tell us that we shouldn’t consider Amazon Indians as just a
primitive tribespeople – they have a long history,
intelligence, and artistic sense just like every other
group of people.
18. Jessica Harp, South End School
Have you seen any ancient art or buildings in the
Amazon?
I’ve seen some old ceramics here in a museum in SantarΘm – and
replicas of some big pots and animal figures at a Centre for Indigenous art
in Alter do Chπo. I thought that it looked a little like
some ancient Greek and Roman pots that I saw once in the
British Musuem in London (but maybe it was just because
they looked so old).
19. Danielle, Peninsula Primary
Are the ancient artefacts which are being found
sold to the tourists?
Not that I know of. But I know that it happens with a
lot of ancient artefacts found in Colombia. Sometimes
museums and archaeologists only know that a new site has
been discovered when the artwork starts appearing on the
black market (to be bought by rich collectors). In some
places this is one of the few ways for local people to
make lots of money – though it causes a lot of
important artwork and discoveries to
"disappear" before they can be properly
researched.
20. Matthew Hurley, St Joseph’s School
What is it like in the goldmines?
The modern goldmines use trucks, bulldozers, and other
big machinery. There are even big helicopters which are
sometimes used for transporting people and equipment.
Dirt is scooped up, dumped into the back of a big truck,
and then taken to a processor where any gold is extracted
using water and perhaps mercury. The mines are open-cast,
meaning that they occupy a large area where the covering
rainforest has been chopped down, and there is just lots
of dirt. Looking at the streams nearby, they were bright
orange from the amount of dirt and other waste that ends
up in them. A goldmine isn’t a very pretty sight.
 
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