In the 1970s, illegal gold miners began to encroach on their territory, bringing diseases such as malaria which killed off a large portion of the tribe.
Activists say the miners also introduced mercury poisoning into the Yanomami's ancestral lands.
In 1978, Andujar helped found the first non-governmental organization, the Pro-Yanomami Commission (CCPY), to represent them.
In 1992, their lands were officially mapped out by the Brazilian government, affording them some protection from illegal miners and others, such as cattle ranchers.
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