Brazilian indigenous people are increasingly online. Is it a threat to their culture?

Alessandra Korap Silva holds her mobile phone at eye-level, turns on the camera and waits. Suddenly, from the pond in front of her, a snout emerges and a large animal starts chewing on some leaves, floating on the surface. “It’s a manatee, I’ve never seen one of these before.” She begins filming and taking photos—“I have to share this with my tribe.” Ms. Korap Silva is a member of the Munduruku people, a group of tribes which live in the Tapajós region of the northern Brazilian state of Pará. She is one of the many indigenous people in the country who use the internet.

Brazilian native peoples are much more connected than their foreign counterparts, says Eliete Pereira, a professor and researcher at the State University of Minas Gerais. “Excluding isolated tribes, who don’t want any contact with the outside world, native peoples have been present and active on the internet since its popularization in Brazil.”

However, indigenous communities’ embracing of new technologies has sparked controversy. If native peoples now have mobile phones and internet access, are they able to preserve their traditional ways of life?

The discussion is relevant, as the Constitution guarantees indigenous communities the right to their traditional lands precisely to protect their culture. Under Jair Bolsonaro, challenges of the legitimacy of indigenous status have gained steam, as the new...