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The decision to enter India’s North Sentinel Island illegally was made by American missionary John Allen Chau, who was 26 years old, in November 2018. It is thought that the indigenous people of this island belong to the North Sentinelese tribe. They may be the last uncontacted tribe on Earth, which implies they have very little knowledge of outsiders.
Being a Christian, John was so devoted to his faith that he desired to convert everyone on the island to Christianity. He travelled to a nearby island and induced a fisherman to drop him off, offering him ₹25,000. They start their adventure on November 14, 2018, late at night, hiding in the shadows from the coast guard. Along with a football, a GoPro camera, scissors, a kayak for the remainder of the trip, dried fish, and a Bible he intended to give them as a gift, he was also carrying other items.
After telling the local fishermen to wait at a distance when they arrived at the island early on November 15, he approached the island by himself in his kayak. As he was about to put his kayak down on the shore, he noticed two Sentinelese men approaching him with bows and arrows. He could also see some buildings and hear women conversing.
With a kind greeting, he says, “My name is John. I love you, and Jesus loves you. Jesus Christ gave me the authority to come here to you. Here are some fish for you.” The two men prepare to shoot at him with arrows in the bow. John turns around in a panic and walks away. He gave it another go a few hours later. On this occasion, he visited the island’s north shore. He could see six Sentinelese people on the island staring at him from a distance and shouting as though they were attempting to communicate.
Neither party could communicate in the other’s language. The Sentinelese language is unintelligible to anybody on the planet, friends.
Aside from the Sentinelese individuals. John was able to recognize any syllables, He yelled in their direction and attempted to repeat them. It was then that the Sentinelese people mocked him. John continued to move toward them gradually. He began delivering the “gifts” he had prepared for them while keeping a safe distance away.
Near them were a little girl and a child brandishing bows and arrows. Leaving his kayak, John made an effort to engage the youngster in conversation. As he tried to explain some Bible verses to the child, a Sentinelese guy took his kayak from behind him. A few seconds later, the toddler aimed toward John’s chest. And released an arrow. By coincidence, John’s life is spared when the arrow strikes the Bible.
John attempted to flee as he panicked once more. But this time, without his kayak, he manages to swim back to the boat.”Lord, is this island Satan’s last stronghold?” and “Is this island full of monsters where the natives haven’t even heard Jesus’s name?” he wrote in his diary at night. He went on, adding, “I don’t want to die. I should go back. Lord, I don’t want to die.” but his fixation with the Lord had become insane.
He made an effort to persuade himself that it was his duty to return to the island because that was why he was here. He addressed a letter to his family on November 16, 2018. He wrote to his parents, “You guys might think I’m crazy, but I think it’s worth it to declare Jesus to these people. If I get killed, please do not blame these people.” He then took his boat back to North Sentinel Island. He did not return this time.
The local fisherman who had driven him observed the Sentinelese burying a body from a distance. He could tell it was John Allen Chau’s body based on the attire.”The Sentinelese were first contacted by the government in 1991. The contact party, under the administration, was accompanied by security. The arrow-shooting Sentinelese are a constant fear.” “Are these bows and arrows sending us an ancient message? That has now been forgotten by the people.”
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands include North Sentinel Island, friends. The archipelago consists of 572 islands in total.Just 12 of these are accessible to tourists, and only 38 are inhabited. The three districts that comprise the islands are Nicobar, South Andaman, and North and Middle Andaman. Port Blair, in South Andaman, is the capital.
This is only roughly 50 kilometers away from North Sentinel Island, which is just 60 km² in size and has a thick forest growing over it. The inhabitants are known as North Sentinelese, yet that’s the moniker we assigned them. The tribe’s self-referential system is unknown to us. What are they calling themselves? Approximately 70,000 individuals are thought to have moved out of Africa approximately 70,000 years ago. The “Out of Africa” theory is the name given to this.
Africa was home to the ancestors of modern humans. The current inhabitants of Sentinel Island are descended directly from those who left Africa. These early humans travelled from East Africa to Yemen. They trekked towards the Indian subcontinent, ultimately arriving in Myanmar, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. As they moved through these islands, they even made it to Australia. Because of their comparable topography, it was simple to travel by land between the human populations that settled in the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and other regions over thousands of years. However, the humans that landed on the isolated islands were cut off from the rest of the world and could not blend in with other people.
According to legend, the North Sentinelese tribe lived 10,000 and 30,000 years ago. They arrived on this island, and ever since they have been cut off from the outside world. It also implies that they were never taught agriculture. About 12,000 years ago, agriculture was discovered. You could claim they were never in need of agriculture on this island. Alternatively, they are ignorant of the existence of anything resembling agriculture. But this indicates that this group of Stone Age people is extinct. People who continue to live as though they are from the Stone Age. They lead a hunter-gatherer way of life.
They do not grow it. Instead, they fish, hunt, and gather fruit from trees. Because they choose to stay isolated, they are the most remote tribe on Earth. When the outside world has attempted to communicate with them, there has been violence. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were first mentioned in writing in the second century AD. Roman mathematician Claudius Ptolemy referred to them as the “Islands of Cannibals.” It is not just North Sentinel Island that is covered in this description. We are unsure of the specific tribe mentioned here, as it applied to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Following this, a Chinese traveller from Sumatra to India in 673 AD claimed that the islanders were cannibals. They consume human flesh. Arab explorers of the Andaman Islands in the eighth and ninth centuries made the same remarks.
During the time of Raja Raja Chola I in the eleventh century, a shrine was constructed with inscriptions asserting the same beliefs—that these islands are filthy and that cannibals reside there. North Sentinel Island, in particular, was first documented in writing in 1771. This island’s surveyor noticed light when an East India Company ship sailed by. The incident on this island’s shore in 1867 involved an Indian merchant ship carrying about a hundred passengers. The Sentinelese attacked the survivors of the disaster.
Thankfully, the British Royal Navy helped them make their escape. This was the first instance in which the North Sentinelese people attacked and expelled foreigners from their island. In 1880, British officer Maurice Vidal Portman approached the Sentinelese people, who decided to meet with them in an effort to build rapport and “civilize” them.At this point, the British had contacted all of the Andaman tribes. They could speak with them and maintain amicable communication with them.
Portman brought individuals from the other Andamanese tribes to North Sentinel Island so the North Sentinelese could communicate with the other tribe members. Upon arrival, he discovered that the members of the other Andaman tribe spoke a language that was incomprehensible to him due to its differences from the North Sentinelese language. Communication could have been more feasible.
During his travels, Portman encountered an elderly couple and their four children on North Sentinel Island. He chose to take them hostage. Bringing them back to Port Blair with him. He learned that the elderly couple died soon after arriving at Port Blair due to the North Sentinelese people’s protracted isolation from the outside world. This made Portman feel so bad for the kids, so he brought them back to the island. Presenting them with some gifts.
It’s highly possible that the kids carried bacteria and other pathogens from the island they knew nothing about. These would have killed many people, thereby infecting more. We may have evolved immunity to the diseases of the present day since our ancestors were exposed to these illnesses year after year and gained immunity to them.
However, North Sentinel Island’s inhabitants were cut off from the outside world and secluded from every novel illness. Consequently, their bodies had not grown immune. The North Sentinelese people are thought to be aggressive toward foreigners, in large part because of the Portman incident. Which led to multiple trips to the island of North Sentinel.
In 1967, Triloknath Pandit, the island’s first official anthropologist, visited. His squad of twenty included the governor, scientists, military officers, and unarmed navy men. Their crew spent almost a kilometre on the island following the Sentinelese footsteps. However, they failed to locate any people. The group left some gifts for them, including coconuts, pots, pans, and other iron equipment, and headed back.
When a government research team visited this island in 1970, they erected a stone inscription stating that North Sentinel Island is part of the Indian Territory. In 1974, an Indian film crew produced a documentary on the tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Triloknath Pandit, the film team, and a few military personnel were present. They left some coconuts behind as gifts once more. Even a live pig was brought as a gift by them.
After leaving these items on the shore, they returned to observe the villagers’ response. Following a while, a group of aboriginal people emerged on the coast and began using bows and arrows to attack them. Prem Vaidya, the film director, was struck by one of the arrows on his thigh. They even attacked the pig that was left behind as a present. Buried the dead pig in the sand after killing it.
Friends, this was the first time the people of North Sentinel had been photographed.
Triloknath Pandit made several tries in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. However, every time, it was the same tale. The tribe would always slaughter and bury the pigs in the sand when he travelled to the island in small teams bearing presents and pigs. They had once given them a doll as a present. They also buried it in the sand after shooting it with an arrow. Primrose, a cargo ship sailing from Bangladesh to Australia, ran aground on this island due to a storm in 1981.
The Sentinelese people arrived to assault the passengers once more, but happily, their arrows missed their target due to the bad weather.They made distress calls and, somehow, made it to the vicinity of the ship.A week later, a helicopter came to their aid.However, this event holds great significance in the history of the North Sentinelese people because this tribe had never seen iron before at that point in their history. That is, until they discovered iron.
Upon becoming friends with the North Sentinelese people after this, it was discovered that they had begun utilizing iron in their bows and arrows. The iron they’d pilfered off this vessel. They had succeeded in using the iron. Google Maps shows the location of this shipwreck. It is located to the north of North Sentinel Island. 1991, the following significant historical event was witnessed: It was the first friendly contact between the North Sentinelese people. They had never received visitors before, and they weren’t aggressive.
Indian anthropologist Madhumala Chattopadhyay undertook an expedition in January. Without any weapons, she travelled with her little group. And presented them with coconuts; this time, the Sentinelese accepted. Was the reason it was unique—all previous expeditions had been led by men—that a woman had gone to meet them? This cordial exchange contained something really startling.
A Sentinelese guy pointed his bow and arrow at the team when they met them again the following day after they had returned. He was going to shoot them at any second. But before he could kill the foreigners, a Sentinelese woman moved forward and pushed the arrow down. After paying attention to the woman, the man buried his weapon in the sand. The expedition members could then set foot on the ground for the first time. And were able to personally deliver the coconuts to the Sentinelese people.
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About a month later, there was yet another trip. Once more, the Sentinelese people did not use weapons when Triloknath Pandit and Madhumala travelled on it together. As they disembarked from their boats, the hospitable Sentinelese people gathered coconuts. That was, however, the final instance of the Sentinelese people being so amiable with the outside world. After 1991, every attempt to make contact with the Sentinelese people resulted in violence.
We’re not sure why it occurred. How come the Sentinelese people changed from being violent to being so amiable in such a short amount of time? Consequently, the Indian government forbade individuals from visiting the island after 1997. When they expressed no desire for communication, the government realized there was no use in constant contact with them. They ought to be permitted to continue living in peace on the island. Regarding them, the government adopted an “eyes-on, hands-off” approach.
We are going to keep an eye on the tribe. We will help them if they require any support. However, we shall refrain from touching them. There was a terrible tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004. Indian Coast Guard representatives flew to the island to monitor the situation and ensure the locals were secure and the island was undamaged. Arrows were fired in reply at the aircraft. The officials in the chopper realized that the Sentinelese people must be okay since they were the ones being assaulted.
The tsunami caused this island to rise 1.5 meters. There was no need to be concerned as the tribe’s members appeared to be in good condition. A tragic tragedy occurred in 2006. Due to their error, two local fishermen approached the island too closely. The Sentinelese then attacked and killed them. The government then determined that to ensure that no one comes within 5 km of this island, there must be a 5 km radius.
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As I mentioned at the start of the blog, John Allen Chau’s 2018 incident was the most recent. This man was slain on the island because he was a fervent Christian fanatic and went there on purpose. It begs the question, what do we know about these individuals? Regarding the North Sentinelese population. The knowledge of this is intriguing. Their height ranges from 5’3″ to 5’5″, based on the journal entries John wrote about his experiences.
The camera footage also reveals that the Sentinelese people have well-defined physiques, short hair, and glowing black complexions; there were no indications of obesity or malnourishment.Some others had yellow paste on their faces, according to John’s diary.Instead of clothing, they adorn their heads, necks, and loins with fiber stings. Ladies wear thinner fibre strings, while men wear thicker bands. Men carry weapons such as spears, firearms, and bows.
The Sentinelese are skilled boat builders aside from this. With wood, they fashion narrow, compact canoes. They are not even two feet wide since they are so narrow. Surprisingly, they are not particularly interested in what they are doing. Most people have this “quality,” or at least some people have, which drives them to want to discover new areas.36 kilometres separate the North Sentinel Island from the closest island. It’s occupied. Despite this, the Sentinelese people have yet to attempt to travel to the island or discover locations outside it. We know that they are unable to grow for food. They hunt for food to survive like boars in the wild. The fish gather turtle eggs as well.
In addition to this, they consume fruits, flowers, and similar items. They even apply honey. The North Sentinelese people are fascinating in terms of language due to their inability to speak with outsiders. Triloknath Pandit once took an Onge Tribe member who belonged to a different Andaman tribe on an excursion. He was completely cut off from the Sentinelese. Additionally, according to Triloknath Pandit, the Sentinelese people were enraged when the Onge tribe members approached them.
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John mentioned in his diary that the Sentinelese speak a lot of high-pitched sounds in their language.For example, ba, pa, la, and sa.In terms of housing, the Sentinelese have two varieties: large huts that accommodate several coexisting families and smaller huts meant for lone families. The Indian government thinks there are between fifty and five hundred Sentinelese on this island, compared to John’s diary’s estimate of roughly 250. That’s an estimate, as no one has been able to determine the precise population residing there.
Their behaviour is known to us; instead of returning dead bodies to the jungle or crumbling them, they bury them beneath the sand at the beach. Regarding the ancient historians’ stories, the earliest recorded records do not support the claim that the locals are cannibals who consume humans. Additionally, we know that they will assault small groups of visitors; yet, if the group is significant, as Triloknath was, they will hide in the forest rather than engage in combat. Numerous missions have reported seeing youngsters and pregnant women, indicating that the island’s population is self-sufficient.
The fact that the North Sentinelese people can lead sustainable lives is arguably the most fascinating thing we have discovered about them. Living in harmony with nature and avoiding overcrowding, they inhabit a small island without logging the forest. Given how overpopulated most human settlements are, it is exhilarating. They frequently drive an animal extinct if they hunt it for sustenance while living on a small island.
Amazingly, though, they coexist so sustainably with nature that humans do not overrun it. These days, a lot of individuals think that we should keep trying to communicate with them.that we must introduce them to the rest of the world. We should introduce them to the technologies we’ve developed so they may also take advantage of them. It is our responsibility to modernize and enhance them. Conversely, others contend that we have a duty to shield kids from the external environment.
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They must be permitted to be alone as they are content with their quiet life. What are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments section below. From what I understand,
I recommend option number two. It is preferable to keep them apart for a few critical reasons. First of all, anytime babies come into contact with the outside world, they lack immunity to the diseases we inadvertently harbour. They would likely not be able to withstand the attack.
A more significant issue is that we have attempted to do this in the past with other tribes, and the outcomes haven’t always been favourable. For example, no one tried to contact the Jarawa tribe in the Andaman Islands for a very long period. Nevertheless, the Indian government’s attempts to build cordial relations with them during the 1970s were fruitful. It was then that they learned about the outside world. Their attempt was to blend in with the current times. Though most weren’t content with it, some did fit in.
Some tribal members could not even break down the packaged food we eat. Those who did eventually developed obesity as a result of their inability to exercise self-control. They had to look for their meals earlier because they had seen so much. When they were exposed to drugs like alcohol and smoking, they developed an addiction to them right away. Because they were too young to learn that they should avoid certain products and that they are detrimental.
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They got hooked on the new products as soon as they tasted them. Aside from this, when they assimilate into contemporary society, their culture, lives, styles, languages, traditions, and other belongings passed down through the years will be gone. This is a problem for the other Andaman and Nicobar Island tribes. When the British first colonized these islands in the 1800s, the Great Andamanese Tribe numbered about 5,000 people; now, just 41 people are left. If we keep trying to build and sustain our relationship with them, it could put them in danger. Furthermore, it could permanently wipe out their entire community.
As always, I hope you found this blog interesting. If you enjoy it, you can view related blogs below. I am much obliged!
