On a cloudy afternoon in April, Nolasco Torres and Freddy Capitan glide their canoe through a dense, jungle-covered ravine. Along their path, they search for footprints and broken branches – signs of the possible return of isolated tribes in this remote region. After navigating a curve, they steer towards Nueva Vida, a small Indigenous village hidden in Peru’s eastern Amazon, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Brazil border.“When this ravine dries, they’ll return here,” Torres says. “Summer is coming. We need to ensure our communities are ready.” Torres, 47, and Capitan, 33, are Indigenous Huni Kuin leaders. They are also friends and neighbors of Nueva Vida’s 30 villagers. But their visit isn’t social. Clad in khaki vests marked “PIACI” (Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact), they’re part of a group of 50 Indigenous protection agents employed by Peru’s Ministry of Culture. Their mission has brought them to the Curanjillo Ravine, where contact is increasing.