The Yanomami are the most culturally intact people in the world. They have been living in the Amazon Rainforest for over 8,000 years. In 1991 they were given rights to their land, however, that land is still being invaded by illegal miners, ranchers, and Brazilian military bases. The most serious of these being mining, which has been killing off people of the Yanomami since 1980. The mining deposits mercury into their water and kills animals they hunt, as well as their fellow people. It is reported that about every year 2,000-3,500 Yanomami have died because of the effects of mining. The Brazilian government has failed to provide the Yanomami with sufficient health care and the people are dying fast. The government is beginning to evict illegal miners and send in small means of medical care, but this is not enough to save the people. The government needs to take more urgent action to preserve the health, culture, and land of the Yanomami people. Otherwise we could be saying goodbye to one of the last indigenous tribes of the stone age.