An American man was arrested for illegally entering tribal reserves on North Sentinel Island (part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and left a can of coke and coconut as a product.
Mykhailo Viktorov, 24, was detained after sailing to the island, the Sentinel tribe of one of the last isolated groups left in the world.
Polyakov takes a temporary boat to the island, 25 miles from Andaman. It seems that the Sentinel is known for his hostility to outsiders and does not notice him. It is known that the tribe will attack any invaders to protect their lands, killing those who have previously ventured into their territory.
Indian police are currently investigating the situation surrounding Polikov’s visit, and police chief HS Dhaliwal noted: “We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal areas. We are also trying to find out where he has also visited during his stay in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.”
The Sentinel tribe lived in isolation on North Sentinel Island for more than 60,000 years without the impact on the outside world. They continue to use hand tools, including bows and arrows, to defend their homes. Their isolation was partly due to events in 1880, when outsiders brought illness and captured members of the tribe, further distrust of any foreign contact.
This incident reminds people of previous encounters with outsiders. In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau was killed by a tribe while trying to convert it to Christianity. Similarly, the island has a long history with anthropologists and other outsiders, although over time, the tribe’s reluctance to participate has become stronger and stronger.
Authorities have strictly prohibited visits to the North Sentinel Island to protect tribes from external diseases and respect voluntary isolation. Nevertheless, the incident highlights the dangers of interacting with such remote tribes, as well as the dangers of modern invasion of protected territories.
