Nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, North Sentinel Island is still one of the most remote locations on the planet, inhabited by the Sentinelese, a native tribe which has resisted contact with the rest of the world for millennia. Estimated to number between 50 and 100, the Sentinelese are thought to be direct lineal descendants of the initial humans to migrate out of Africa, classifying them as one of the oldest uncontacted tribes.
The Indian government has banned all travel to the island and made it illegal for outsiders to set foot on its shores. The Sentinelese have been in isolation for more than 60,000 years, defending themselves against any visitors with bows and arrows. Any efforts to travel to the island by researchers, government officials, or adventurous explorers have been repelled with hostility.
A history of violent encounters
The Sentinelese have a long tradition of protecting their island from outsiders. In 1896, a escaped Indian convict who had washed up on the beach was murdered by the tribe. In 1974, they shot arrows at a National Geographic film crew trying to document their lifestyle. Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, an Indian Coast Guard helicopter dispatched to assess the tribe's status was confronted with arrows, indicating their sustained existence and rejection of outside intervention.
One of the worst incidents was the one that occurred in 2018 when US missionary John Allen Chau illicitly tried to reach the island to spread Christianity. He was murdered by the Sentinelese, thereby reiterating their message of not wanting to be disturbed.
An unsuccessful attempt
Although most interactions with the Sentinelese have been unfriendly, some peaceful contacts have been documented. In the early 1990s, Indian anthropologists Triloknath Pandit and Madhumala Chattopadhyay initiated careful contact, being able to present coconuts to the tribe. These, though, never evolved into regular communication.
The Sentinelese's extreme suspicion of outsiders can be traced to colonial days. In 1880, British naval officer Maurice Vidal Portman abducted six islanders and brought them to Port Blair. The abductees, possessing no immunity to new diseases, became ill and two of them died. The remaining four were sent back with gifts, but the harm was already done. This traumatic experience most likely had a big role to play in the tribe's hostility towards outsiders.
The ultimate untouchable mystery
North Sentinel Island is still a mystery. Satellite imagery shows dense forest, virgin beaches, and tiny clearings, but the island has never been explored or mapped in detail because of protective laws. Anthropologists and historians still guess at Sentinelese life, language, and means of survival.
With the advent of modern diseases, tourism, and climatic changes threatening them seriously, experts believed their isolation is the key to retaining their existence. The island is still a glimpse into the primitive past of humanity—a tale that needs to be seen from a distance, letting the Sentinelese live undisturbed, as they had lived for millennia.
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