Native Rainforest People 

Indigenous people are those who call the rainforest their home.  In fact, indigenous, or native people have lived in the rainforests for thousands of years, just as other people have lived in various places around the world.

Although many native people live much like we do, some groups try to live like their ancestors did before them.  Everything they need to survive comes from the forest.  Over many generations, these people have discovered many of the forests secrets.  They have learned how to use the forest's resources, without harming them.

One way in which they do this is clear from the manner in which they produce their food,  Unlike us, they cannot just pop down to the local shop! They hunt, gather wild fruit and nuts and also go fishing, to gather enough food to live on.

But they also plant small gardens for other types of food, using  a special method called shifting cultivation.  This is how this works:

	*They clear a small area of land and burn it
	Then they plant many types of plants, to be used for food and medicines.
	After a few years, the soil has become too poor to allow crops to grow, so they then move to a nearby area, allowing the poor land the chance to regrow and gather nutrients.

Over many generations, tribal people have discovered many of the rainforest's secrets.  They have learned to use the rainforest to their advantage, without destroying it.  Unfortunately, many of these indigenous peoples are being wiped out as they come into contact with the modern world. 

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