Anhangá is real

In the Amazon he is known by many names, but the most common is Anhangá, the shape-shifting spirit protector of the rainforest. To some tribes, he is simply called "The Devil." Anhangá is formless; he can assume the appearance of anything: an animal, a human, or something else entirely. The only way to know him is by his fiery eyes.

Many of the native tribes of the Brazilian rainforest have documented stories of Anhangá. They tell of tribespeople who ventured out into the forest and killed animals beyond their need, and were then violently attacked by an invisible force. There are those who have reported seeing what they believe to be an animal, but then realize it is something very different. Early Dutch and Portuguese colonists reported having entire groups decimated by a protective spirit that would not let them settle into parts of the Amazon. Anhangá has even been known to fill people's minds with violent and horrific visions and show no mercy to those who do not respect the rainforest or its inhabitants.

• External Links:
• . About Anhangá (in Portuguese)
• . Anhangá, um dos mitos mais antigos do Brasil (in Portuguese)
• . Lengends of Anhangá
• . Tales From the Rainforest: Myths and Legends From the Amazonian Indians of Brazil

Biopiracy is real

In order to discover and develop new drugs, pharmaceutical companies often venture into foreign countries to study the indigenous plants and technology. Biopiracy is the misappropriation of indigenous life (plants, micro-organisms, and animals) and the the accompanying knowledge by it's indigenous people for profit.

Though it is illegal, biopiracy continues to be an issue today. Biopiracy occurs when an individual or an organization take knowledge/technology from an indigenous people - knowledge that, oftentimes has been passed down from generation to generation. This knowledge is patented without crediting the indigenous people, who are then prevented from realizing any commercial rights to their own knowledge/technology. In most cases, the tribes receive little if any compensation, meanwhile the corporations make millions of dollars. Also, when species of plants or animals are extracted from their natural habitat, the delicate ecosystem can be upset and species can become endangered or extinct. This has happened many times in the Amazon.

• External Links:
• . Biopiracy: The Legal Perspective
• . What is Biopiracy?
• . Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge
• . A worldwide fight against biopiracy and patents on life
• . Biopiracy and bioprospection: a new terminology for an old problem

A Cure for Cancer is real

In the summer of 2012, a group of researchers and a documentary film crew ventured into the Amazon to find a breakthrough cure for cancer... this is their story.