The Polonoroeste program is a World Bank-funded colonization project in central Brazil. This document looks at the indigenous peoples of the Aripuana Park which lies in the path of the development plan. The main objective of the $1.5 billion project is to pave a highway from Cuiaba to Porto Velho. The project consists of the highway, colonization projects, health facilities, and a component for the protection of the Indians. While in the 1960s the forest Indians still lived in relative isolation, the present day consequences of the project include: (1) invasions of lands by colonists, companies, mining concerns and lumberers; (2) the political pressures impeding demarcation of Indian lands; (3) the reduction of indigenous territory and its division by highways, hydroelectric schemes, and mining activities; and (4) increased mortality rates due to the spread of malaria, tuberculosis, influenza, and changes in the patterns of nutrition and hygiene. Attempts to provide health services and education are unsuccessful due to improper administration, unqualified personnel, and lack of knowledge of the Indian culture. Disagreements over land result in the massacre of Indians and the deaths of many invaders. Recommendations for more efficient and sensitive methods of accomplishing the goals of the program are described throughout. Sixty-two references are listed, most in Portuguese. (KS)