The death of an American tourist, allegedly at the hands of the Sentinelese tribe — a primitive tribe on the verge of extinction — has put the spotlight on the fragility of six tribal groups of the Andaman islands. Threatened by climate change, tourism and other modern practices, these communities stand to lose their very existence which is crucial now.
After the 2011 Census in the islands, an official document described the operation as “a tough but fascinating exercise down the corridor of time”. Research over the years has posited different theories about the origin of the hunter-gatherer communities that live here, but clarity is still vague.
After the 2011 Census in the islands, an official document described the operation as “a tough but fascinating exercise down the corridor of time”. Research over the years has posited different theories about the origin of the hunter-gatherer communities that live here, but clarity is still vague.
John Allen Chau, a 27-year-old American whose Instagram account is filled with photos shot in exotic locations, landed in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
He had one thing on his mind -- an expedition to North Sentinel, an island inhabited by the Sentinelese, a 60,000-year-old indigenous tribe that is among the last 'uncontacted people' in the world.
What Chau wanted to do was deadly dangerous. The Sentinelese have a history of violently rejecting any and all contact from the 'modern' world. Often with bows and arrows.
In 2006, two Indian fishermen inadvertently landed on the shores of North Sentinel, an island that is part of the Anadamans archipelago. The Sentinelse, who are protected under Indian law, killed them.
John Allen Chau, a Christian missionary who was also a traveller and a football coach, knew a similar fate could befall him if he dared to venture to North Sentinel Island.
The Sentinelese, a negrito tribe who live on the North Sentinel Island of the Andamans, have not faced incursions and remain hostile to outsiders.
Sixty thousand years ago, a group of homo sapiens left Africa and made North Sentinel Island their home. Unlike the other Andamanese tribes that have shown an inclination to interact with the outside world, the Sentinelese have furiously -- sometimes violently -- rejected contact.
They officially number just 15. However, their population could be higher since the 2011 Census of India, which counted 12 Sentineli men and three women, was done from a distance.
The Indian government, concerned about their welfare, made attempts in the past to win over their friendship through gifting missions.
The missions were unsuccessful and the government ultimately abandoned efforts to make contact with the Sentinelese.
India now follows a "hands-off, eyes-on" policy towards the Sentinelese; i.e. no efforts will be made to interfere in with the Sentinelese's affairs. But, the government does occasionally send out boats to check whether the Setinelese are alright.
These boats area anchored more than an arrow's throw away, and for good reason.
THE LAST NOTE
Among the last notes Chau made in his 13-page journal was a message to his family. The message, which is dated November 16, reads like a goodbye.
"You guys might think I'm crazy... but I think it's worth it to declare Jesus to these people [the Sentinelese]," Chau began his letter.
"Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed...rather please live your lives in obedience to whatever He has call you to [do] and I'll see you again when you pass through the veil," Chau said.
Chau then went on to once again explain how it important it was for him to preach Christianity to the Sentinelese.
"This is not a pointless thing...the eternal lives of this tribe is at hand I can't wait to see them around the throne of God worshipping in their own language...," Chau said, ending with a reference to chapter 7, verses nine and ten of the Bible's Book of Revelation.
These verses talk about "all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne... crying out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne...'"
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References: Google, IndiaToday
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