The Deadly North Sentinel Island

The North Sentinel tribe are one of the last tribes left on the earth who are untouched by the outer world. It is said that they have chosen to live an isolated life. And people who often visit the island end up regretting their decisions. In the past few decades, the north sentinel islanders have shown clear signs that they’d like to be left alone by the outer world. No one has really known what and how they have survived for so long without modern means of survival. The island is surrounded by natural coral reefs and has an abundance of sea life. The North Sentinel Island is situated near the Bay of Bengal in the Indian ocean and is one of the islands out of the Andaman islands which comes under the Indian government's jurisdiction.

There have been several failed attempts made by people to come in contact with the Islanders. They have always been violent and unwelcoming towards visitors or intruders and tend to greet them with arrows, spears and knives. It is also said that they might not be immune to the diseases that the outer world possesses and may die if they’re ever exposed to them. It is said that the tribe has been existing since 60,000 years and currently might have a population of 15 to 150 people. Their activities were witnessed by only a few people. They have been seen carrying bows and arrows. It is assumed that they live on fruits, roots and tubers. They build canoes to catch and harvest fishes and crabs. Mostly they eat eggs of seagulls and turtles or hunt pigs and birds for their living.

There have been instances where people who tried making contact with them or got too close to the island were killed eventually. The Indian Navy ship Nineveh once sailed across the North Sentinel Island, where the passengers stayed back on the island for 3 days. This was clearly not entertained by the islanders, who warned them with arrows and spears for overstaying. The passengers threw sticks and stones for their defence until they were rescued by the Royal Navy ship. In the year 1880, a naval officer Maurice vital portman came with his few men to search for the Sentinelese people.

He eventually captured two elder couple and few children and took them to Port Blair ( the capital of Andaman islands ). It is said that the elder couple fell sick and died at Port Blair. This was because their body was not immune to the diseases of the outer world. The Naval officer then dropped the kids at the island due to their safety purposes and also hoping that they don't spread any disease to the remaining ones.

Once, an Indian criminal had once escaped who then ended up in this deadly island. Authorities who were looking for the escaped convict, found his body pierced with arrows and throat slit. Once even a national geographic director was hit by an arrow on his thigh.

Several anthropologists have tried having a friendly interaction with them out of which only one of them succeeded. He was professor Triloknath Pandit. Professor’s team often tried to lure them with gifts. Mostly pans and utensils, animals, toys and loads of coconuts. They did not care about the toys and the animals and buried them under the sand. But they were delighted to receive the utensils and especially coconuts as the island did not have coconut trees. He was also warned by a little boy with a knife that he will be killed if he tried to come ashore.

Professor Triloknath Pandit with the tribesmen

After many failed attempts, something different happened. Once the tribesmen came without any weapons when professors team arrived to offer gifts. One of the sentinel men raised a knife to attack when suddenly a sentinel woman stopped him ( indicating him that they are harmless ) and came till their boat to collect the gifts.

Professor's team offering coconuts

They have certain limits on their hospitality. A few days later when the team arrived again, one of the men signalled the professor by showing him a knife that it’s time to go back!

Since then, the Indian government has decided to leave the tribe alone and has restricted access to the island to a certain distance. Entry into the island is strictly prohibited.

A recent incident that occurred last year caught the world's attention, where a 26-year-old John Allen Chau, an American missionary trespassed into the island with the help of local fishermen in an attempt to meet and convert the sentinel tribe to Christianity. Despite their warnings and his two failed attempts, he was killed by them the third time.

John Allen Chau

It looks like the Sentinelese people are well aware of the human disruptions and hence are trying to protect their tribe and live in peace and we should let them be.

So what are your thoughts about the North Sentinel Tribe?