0 0 ▁‘ gar im pe iros ’ ▁or ▁gold min ers . ▁Prince ▁Charles ▁public ly ▁called ▁the ▁situation ▁‘ gen o cide ’ . ▁In ▁a ▁seven - year ▁period ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 7 - 1 9 9 3 ▁one ▁fifth ▁of ▁the ▁Yan om ami ▁died ▁from ▁mal aria ▁and ▁other ▁dise ases ▁transm itted ▁by ▁the ▁min ers . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Dav i ▁K open awa ▁Yan om ami ▁was ▁born ▁near ▁the ▁Rio ▁To ot ot obi ▁near ▁the ▁border ▁of ▁Venezuela . ▁ ▁He ▁learned ▁Portuguese ▁from ▁a ▁Christian ▁mission ▁run ▁by ▁New ▁Trib es ▁Mission , ▁an ▁American ▁evangel ical ▁organization ▁special izing ▁in ▁the ▁pros ely t ization ▁of ▁isolated ▁pe op les . ▁The ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁Portuguese ▁language ▁prof ic iency ▁( then ▁rare ▁among ▁the ▁Yan om ami ) ▁enabled ▁Yan om ami ▁to ▁interact ▁with ▁Brazil ' s ▁L us oph one ▁majority ▁both ▁directly ▁and ▁through ▁the ▁mass ▁media . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁own ▁words ▁translated ▁from ▁Portuguese : ▁ ▁Yan om ami ▁is ▁the ▁son - in - law ▁of ▁another ▁traditional ▁trib al ▁leader ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁app r entic ed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁sh aman . ▁ ▁His ▁wife ▁lost ▁much ▁of ▁her ▁family ▁to ▁meas les ▁and ▁other ▁dise ases ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁by ▁road ▁construction ▁cre ws ▁and ▁gar im pe iros ▁( small - time ▁gold ▁min ers ). ▁