The Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island: A Reappraisal of Tribal Scenario in an Andaman Island in the Context of Killing of an American Preacher

Abstract

John Allen Chau (27), a Christian preacher and a US citizen, was shot dead on 16 November 2018 in the North Sentinel Island with a flurry of arrows by the most isolated tribe in the world, the Sentinelese. Chau illegally entered the prohibited area with the help of local fishermen for trying to interact with the uncontacted people in his effort to preach Christianity among them. In the island, he was shot and killed by the inhabitants. The tragic death of Chau is a matter of grief indeed. But, what is equally distressing is the report that the Andaman police have registered a criminal case for murder against the unknown tribesmen. The tribesmen living there are, perhaps, the only truly isolated hunter-gatherer tribal community in the world today. Their isolation is a sort of self-imposed isolation or isolation by preference. Till today, they have maintained their independent existence, repelling all attempts to engage with and contact them with the might of their bows and arrows. In the present article, an attempt has been made, in the light of historical and anthropological evidences, to discuss the context of this incident and the discourse it has generated.

Keywords

Sentinelese John Allen Chau tribesmen tsunami misconceptions tribal reserves

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