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Who Are The North Sentinelese Tribe That Killed An American Missionary?

Who Are The North Sentinelese Tribe That Killed An American Missionary?

They just want to be left alone, and they are well within their rights to be left alone.

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Yesterday the world was shocked to hear about the death of the American tourist/missionary John Allen Chau at the hands of native people on North Sentinel Island.

That might have been the first that you'd heard about the Sentinelese, an ancient indigenous tribe who violently reject all contact with the outside world, but they have been there for hundreds of years, largely minding their own business.

That being said, on the rare occasions that they come into contact with the world as we know it, it tends to be worthy of remark.

North Sentinel Island is a small island - about the size of New York's Manhattan Island - that lies in the Bay of Bengal. It is part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and administratively part of India.

However, the reality is a lot different to that.

In reality, the Indian government leaves them to it. This is for a few reasons.

Firstly, intrusion into their lives from the outside world would expose the population to diseases and bacteria that they have no immunity to. That could kill the whole population off, which would be a real tragedy.

Secondly, they genuinely have no interest in the outside world, and it is their right not to want to be a part of it.

Campaign group Survival International says this about them: "They [The Sentinelese] vigorously reject all contact with outsiders.

"It is vital that their wish to remain uncontacted is respected - if not, the entire tribe could be wiped out by diseases to which they have no immunity. Contact imposed upon other Andaman tribes has had a devastating impact."

The tribe of North Sentinel Island.
Survival International

On top of the problems mentioned, it is also in our interests not to contact them.

In 2004 a helicopter that was sent to check if the tribe had survived the Boxing Day Tsunami was pelted with rocks and arrows by members of the tribe.

In 2006, two fishermen drifted accidentally into the North Sentinel's waters - they were killed.

In fact, this has been taking place since the 1700s. In 1771 the merchant ship 'Nineveh' was shipwrecked in poor weather conditions near to the island.

Survival International

They were eventually rescued by the Royal Navy but were forced to fend off attacks from the locals whilst they waited.

The message is: The Sentinelese folk are quite happy where they are, thank you very much.

As well they should be, let's try to keep it that way for them.

Featured Image Credit: Survival International

Topics: World News, News, Interesting, Weird

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