Buzz
In 2018, 26-year-old John Allen Chau made the choice to conduct missionary work among the 'uncontacted' people of North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal. His decision, however, was misguided. The islanders had a reputation for being hostile towards outsiders, and the Indian government had banned contact with them. Chau called the island 'Satan’s last stronghold.'
Despite this, Chau repeatedly paid fishermen to drop him off near the island. On his first attempt, the locals forcefully rejected him. During his second attempt, he even sang Christian hymns to the Sentinelese. Initially, the tribe's reactions were mixed, but when a boy shot an arrow into his bible, Chau retreated once more.
On Chau’s third try, the islanders killed him and buried his body in the sand.
North Sentinel Island's inhabitants are often referred to as the 'last uncontacted tribe.' However, in truth, they’ve been approached multiple times over the past 200 years, with tragic results.
10. The Shipwreck Incident
The first signs of life on North Sentinel Island were spotted in 1771 by a passing survey ship, but no one is believed to have set foot on the island until 1867. That year, the Indian merchant ship Nineveh was stranded on a reef near the island. The 86 passengers and 20 crew members who survived the treacherous reef and made it ashore must have been grateful for their survival.
Though their relief was short-lived.
For two days, the Sentinelese observed their unexpected visitors from a distance. On the third day, it seemed that the tribe decided the survivors had overstayed their welcome. The Sentinelese launched an attack on the stranded group on the beach. The captain of the ship described the islanders as 'completely naked, with short hair and red-painted noses.' He also mentioned that they were firing iron-tipped arrows at the visitors.
Armed with only sticks and stones, the passengers and crew of the Nineveh defended themselves against the Sentinelese for as long as they could. Ultimately, the survivors were rescued by a Royal Navy vessel.
9. The Naval Commander
In 1879, the British government appointed 19-year-old Maurice Portman to oversee the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, despite the British Empire having no legitimate claim to the territory. While the larger islands served as key outposts for the empire, the smaller ones, including North Sentinel Island, held little value in terms of resources or minerals.
Nevertheless, Portman led an expedition to the island. When he and his men reached the heart of the settlement, they discovered huts that had been hastily abandoned. The inhabitants had fled inland when they saw the approaching troops. The strangers searched through the belongings of the islanders before continuing their pursuit.
Several days later, the expedition stumbled upon an elderly couple and four children who appeared to have fallen behind the rest of the tribe. The isolated islanders were captured and taken to Port Blair, where Portman kept them in his home for 'study.'
Sadly, the captives quickly fell ill. The elderly couple passed away within days. It is believed that the Sentinelese, living in isolation, were particularly vulnerable to diseases from the outside world.
Realizing the children were also deteriorating, Portman sent them back to the island. He dropped them off on the beach, leaving behind gifts of food, blankets, and harmful pathogens. It remains uncertain whether any of the children survived or how many of the islanders fell ill due to Portman’s interference.
Later, he wrote, 'This expedition was not a success. We cannot be said to have done anything more than increase their general terror of, and hostility to, all comers.'
8. The Government Official
Sydney Possuelo recalls his first encounter in 1971 with an uncontacted tribe—an isolated Indian group in the Amazon. At the time, he served as a Brazilian government sertanista, an official tasked with making contact with uncontacted tribes. Over the course of his career, he met nine previously uncontacted tribes and has since changed his view on the potentially harmful practice. He now believes these people should be left alone, to continue living their lives as they always have.
In 1971, Possuelo led a mission to free the Jaboti and Makurap tribal people, who had been enslaved in the rubber forests deep within the Amazon. His group ventured deep into the jungle until their guides refused to go any further, having spotted signs of the elusive 'brabos.' Possuelo noted the presence of huts, shelters, mats, remains of fires, arrowheads, marked trees, and animal traps surrounding them.
Although these items were familiar to him from his time living with the Xingu peoples of Brazil, he noticed sharp bamboo stakes planted in the ground. Some of the stakes were hidden by leaves—deadly traps for the unwary. These were 'the signs of a people who were fiercely resisting the advances of our society.' They were fighting to protect the land that had been their home for generations.
In the 1970s, the military governments in Brazil began constructing a road network that would slice through the Amazon, ravaging the territories of indigenous peoples. Until then, the region had been seen as uninhabited. The government called upon many sertanistas to make contact with the tribes standing in the path of the road.
In the mid-90s, a group of 24 Korubo people split off from their main tribe and unknowingly migrated towards an area where armed loggers and colonists were invading. Fearing for their safety, a FUNAI team decided to intervene in 1996 to warn them of the impending danger. Filmed by Possuelo, this represents one of the few true instances of ‘first contact’ ever captured on film. Unlike many other first encounters, this one was peaceful, and no Korubo lost their life as a result. Possuelo worked tirelessly to keep the Korubo as isolated as possible, even after the death of numerous colleagues at the hands of tribal members.
Possuelo continues to emphasize, 'My beliefs remain as strong today. When a people is isolated and at peace; when nothing threatens them, why do we need to contact them? Just because we know they exist? They often make it clear that they desire their isolation, so the first right of isolated peoples is to allow them to remain isolated.'
7. The Anthropologists
The Sentinelese were mostly left alone until 1967 when anthropologist T.N. Pandit attempted to contact the islanders. Over the course of approximately 20 to 25 years, he made several visits. Initially, the native people retreated inland and hid from him. However, Pandit slowly earned their trust by leaving gifts on the beach for them.
Coconuts, pots, and pans were well-received, but candy and plastic toys were not. Similarly, the pig left tethered on the beach was also rejected.
When the anthropologists returned, they found that the pig’s throat had been slit and its body buried in the sand. After several years of gifting, the islanders started to approach the anthropologists’ boat to collect the coconuts, which do not naturally grow on the island.
Despite these interactions, the Sentinelese made it clear that they did not welcome visitors on their island. Anyone who ventured too close was met with threats of knives or spears.
Eventually, the Indian government decided to halt the program.
6. The Conquerors
In 1970, a small group of surveyors made landfall on the beach farthest from the natives and formally claimed the island for India.
The surveyors quickly placed a stone plaque to mark the event before retreating hastily to their boat. The invasion was so discreet that it is highly unlikely the Sentinelese even knew that India had just claimed their land. In fact, they likely had no idea what India even was.
Nonetheless, the plaque remained, which was the main takeaway.
5. The Documentary Makers
In 1974, a film crew from National Geographic produced a documentary about the Andaman Islands, titled Man in Search of Man. They followed the efforts of T.N. Pandit and his team of anthropologists, who had been leaving coconuts on the beach as offerings.
The filmmakers had spent some time on other islands and had planned to stay three days on North Sentinel. Their goal was to leave gifts each day, hoping to gain the islanders’ trust.
As the boat crossed the reef, the Sentinelese emerged from the forests and fired arrows to prevent the strangers from landing. The crew navigated to a safer spot and left their gifts on the sand.
They then waited, hoping that the secluded tribe would eventually welcome them onto the beach.
The islanders did not.
Instead, they launched another volley of arrows, this time closer, and one of the arrows struck the director in the thigh. The warrior who shot the arrow could be seen “laughing proudly.” Most of the gifts were rejected, but the coconuts, still a favorite, were taken back into the forest.
While the expedition was largely unsuccessful, it did accomplish one thing: the filmmakers captured the first known photograph of the islanders—from a distance.
4. The Former King of Belgium
In 1975, Leopold III, the former king of Belgium, was reportedly thrilled by an encounter with the Sentinelese. However, he witnessed it from the comfort of a boat. While on a cruise hosted by local dignitaries, Leopold visited the Andaman Islands when the vessel neared the shore of North Sentinel Island one evening.
A young tribesman was keeping watch on the beach. As the strangers approached, he rose and shot an arrow to drive them off. Rather than being frightened, the king is said to have expressed “deep gratification” at the experience.
3. The Drunken Fishermen
In 2006, two middle-aged Indian fishermen ventured out to North Sentinel Island to catch crabs. They arrived at night, as fishing in the protected waters was illegal. After anchoring, they decided to warm themselves against the night’s chill with a bit of alcohol.
And then, just a bit more.
It’s believed that the two fishermen fell asleep. Additionally, their anchor, a rope tied around a rock, came loose, causing the boat to drift toward the island. As the sun rose, other fishermen nearby tried to warn the men of the looming danger, but they remained asleep.
When the boat didn’t return, their families alerted the authorities. Unfortunately, it was already too late. The two men had been attacked. The coast guard tried to intervene, but they were met with a barrage of arrows.
As a helicopter flew overhead, the downdraft from its rotor blades blew away the sand, revealing the bodies of the fishermen buried in a shallow grave.
The two corpses were left on North Sentinel Island, along with the body of John Allen Chau. Indian authorities determined it was too dangerous to recover the remains. This conclusion was made with the safety of both the rescuers and the Sentinelese in mind, who have firmly expressed their desire to remain undisturbed.
2. The Post-Tsunami Welfare Check
In 2004, a massive tsunami struck the Bay of Bengal, sparking concerns that the Sentinelese might have been completely wiped out. The island's population had always been difficult to estimate, ranging from a handful of individuals to as many as 500.
Could the tsunami have eradicated the last uncontacted tribe?
In response, the Indian Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter to assess the situation. As the helicopter flew at a low altitude over the beach, a tribesman emerged from the jungle, pulled back his bow, and shot an arrow at the rescue aircraft.
It has been speculated that the islanders may have been better off than many of their neighbors during the tsunami. The Sentinelese might possess a unique understanding of the wind and sea patterns, allowing them to move inland before the wave even reached them.
1. The Cargo Ship
In 1981, the 16,000-ton freighter, MV Primrose, was stranded in a storm. The ship, carrying 31 crew members, found itself caught on a reef at midnight after being tossed around by massive waves.
By morning, the crew realized that dry land was only a few hundred yards away. Although the island looked inviting, the sea remained too turbulent to launch the lifeboats. Fortunately, the captain decided to stay on board with his crew and wait for rescue.
It wasn’t long before the crew spotted movement on the beach. People were coming out of the forest, and they didn’t seem friendly. They were brandishing spears, bows, and arrows at the stranded ship.
In a panic, the captain sent a message requesting weapons to be dropped via airdrop to defend against the “wild island people armed with spears and arrows.” The crew’s fear intensified when the islanders climbed into their wooden boats, appearing to head toward the freighter.
The ship’s captain sent another urgent cable. “Worried they will board us at sunset. All crew members’ lives not guaranteed.”
Fortunately for the crew of Primrose, the rough seas kept the islanders from getting too close. However, the crew had to remain vigilant around the clock, armed with whatever they could find.
Several days later, the crew was rescued by helicopter. Sadly, the ship capsized near the reef. It is believed that the islanders later scavenged the wreckage and used the iron from the ship to craft deadly arrowheads.
