North Sentinel Island: The forbidden land manned by a reclusive tribe
In this digitally driven world of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, all of want to stay connected 24/7, don’t we? But you will be surprised to know that there exists a group of people who still loves to stay in isolation in their own little corner. Yes, we are talking about the inhabitants of the North Sentinel Island. Known as the Sentinelese tribe, the residents of this island resist any sort of contact with the outside world, so much so that, the Indian government had to ban visitors to this place. Way back in 1956, the North Sentinel Island was declared as a tribal reserve and travel within 5.6 kilometres of it was prohibited. Let’s explore this ‘forbidden’ land which has been off-limits to tourists for decades and its solitary dwellers.
North Sentinel Island: Where is it, exactly?
North Sentinel Island is part of the Andaman & Nicobar group of islands, the Indian archipelago situated in the Bay of Bengal. It’s a small area spread across 23 square miles and is surrounded by a shallow reef. The area is so remote that it’s hard to imagine that people could actually live here, that too, for the last 55000 years.
Sentinelese: The seclusive tribe of the North Sentinel Island
Not much is known about this ethnic group from this island, as they have practically zero connection with the rest of the world. As we have already mentioned, they don’t allow outsiders in their home turf. According to the 2018 census of India, the headcount of the Sentinelese tribe could be somewhere in between 40 and 400. The actual figures, as you have understood already, are impossible to gather. Here are some more interesting facts about this hunter-gatherer tribe North Sentinel Island which will surprise you for sure. They make their own weapons that include bows and arrows, spears and daggers. However, they still wait for lightning to strike for fire!
What happened to those who visited the North Sentinel Island?
Many, including visitors and researchers visited the island and tried to reach out to the members of the Sentinelese tribe. One of the earliest known contacts was attempted by a British colonial Royal Navy Officer named Maurice Vidal Portman in 1880. Additionally, people from a few shipwrecks (such as the ‘Nineveh’ in the late 19th century) who ended up on the island were received with violence.
Fast forward to 1967, the Indian government sent Triloknath Pandit, an anthropologist to try and explore the Sentinelese. He was accompanied by a team of police and naval officers, for safety of course! Although the group was able to locate the tribe, they resisted contact. This time Pandit and his team came back but they returned (more than once!) and left presents for the Sentinelese. They wanted to assure the inhabitants that no one wants to invade their colony. Although the tribe accepted the gifts (they were especially pleased with the coconuts), they still didn’t interact much with the outsiders. Interestingly, in 1974, even a National Geographic film crew had also visited the North Sentinel Island, but they were received with hostility as well.
Strangely, by 1991, they had become far less hostile to visitors. Although Indian government no longer bothered the Sentinelese post 1996, after 2004 tsunami, it had sent a helicopter to check on them. Surprisingly, they were all safe and even shot arrows at the helicopter! Looks like this tribe strongly holds on to the age-old war traditions that you must have read about in history.
Wait, there are more instances of resistance and violence of the Sentinelese. In 2018 an unfortunate incident took place when an American named John Allen Chau illegally stepped on the island. He lost his life at the hands of the tribe members.
Why is this tribe protected?
In case you’re wondering why a violent and reclusive tribe like the Sentinelese is protected by law, there are more reasons than one. Firstly, their immunity to life-threatening illnesses, such as the COVID-19, is likely to be zero. This could completely wipe out the entire population if not protected. Besides, such tribes co-exist harmoniously with the nature and safeguarding them is just another way of conserving natural resources as well.