11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!

Modern people have many times set foot on the island. And often the story is not very happy for both parties.

Do you still remember the case of the bad American tourist named John Allen Chau recently? Chau illegally invaded India's North Sentinel island. Unfortunately, this is also the home of a famous "killing strangers" tribe, and Chau has become the latest victim.

Picture 1 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!
Victim John Allen Chau.

It is known that indigenous people call this tribe the Sentinel, a branch of the Andaman race . Sentinel is one of the most mysterious tribes in the world, by hostility and cutting off all connections with the outside world. They will welcome guests from modern society with arrows, and be ready to kill anyone who sets foot on the island.

However, Chau's accident is not the first case of modern people contacting the Sentinel clan. Since the 19th century, at least 11 cases have been recorded, and what happened is not very pleasant for both parties.

1. Indian merchant ship washed ashore in 1867

Picture 2 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!
North Sentinel Island looks from above.

In the summer of 1867, a merchant ship from India called Nineveh crashed, washed into the reef area near the North Sentinel. A total of 86 passengers and 20 sailors swam safely to shore.

But they are only safe for the first 2 days. According to the victims, on the 3rd day, the Sentinel clan appeared and attacked everyone.

"They wore nothing, their hair was cut short, their nose was red, and they all opened their mouths to produce a strange sounding sound. Their arrows were coated with iron" - quoted the captain of the Nineveh ship.

The sailors fight back to the aboriginal people with sticks and stone bricks. It is unclear how much the casualties are, only that the group has been rescued by the Royal Navy.

2. The abduction of 6 Aboriginal people in 1880

Picture 3 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened! Contacting outsiders is of no use other than harming them, Portman shares with the Royal Geography Society of London.

At the end of the 19th century, British naval officer Maurice Vidal Portman - who supervised the Nicobar Islands decided to make some discoveries about the Andaman clan. In 1880, he and his team went to North Sentinel Island, visited several abandoned villages, and found four children and an elderly couple.

Portman brought all 6 people to Port Blair (India). But very soon, he realized his mistake. The two Sentinel elders quickly died of illness, as their immune systems have not improved over many generations. There were 4 children, they were returned to the island with some gifts - at least as noted from Portman's schedule.

Later, Portman had to admit that he had regretted coming to disturb the island inhabitants.

"It's not helpful to have contact with outsiders other than harming them, and this is what I regret the most, because what I do can make them extinct," Portman told London's Royal Geography Society.

3. Prisoners fled to the island and it was a tragedy

In 1896, a Muslim prisoner escaped on the island of Adaman with a raft, but ended up drifting right into the North Sentinel. The search team found his body several times later with "a few stab wounds and an ancient stab knife" - quoted in American Scholar.

4. The Indian government has surveyed the island since 1967

Picture 4 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!
Tribe on Sentinel Island.

In the late 1960s, anthropologist Triloknath Pandit began conducting several surveys on the island.

With a team of more than 12 people, Pandit surveyed the island over the next four decades. During his first visit in 1967, he tried giving them some gifts with the help of the local police.

"They look at us with great care, and they are not happy because everyone's hands are full of names," - Pandit said.

Pandit did not have direct contact with the Sentinel that time, but he tried it the next time, and even succeeded once in 1991.

Currently, it is unclear how many people tried to learn about the island in the same way, but since 1992, many anthropologists have been curious and visited here.

5. 1970: India claimed the island

Picture 5 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!
Sentinel Island officially belongs to India since 1970.

India gained independence in 1947, but at this time Sentinel Island remained derelict, like an independent nation.

Things changed only in 1970, when the Indian government boarded the island and placed a stone monument claiming the island for the Indians. Since then, Sentinel Island has officially belonged to India.

6. Exploration team from National Geographic in 1974

In 1974, National Geographic's film crew consisted of several anthropologists and police went to the North Sentinel. They want to make a documentary about the Andaman people.

But is it that easy? When the ship approached the island, the Sentinel greeted them with a rain of arrows. Not giving up and to show goodwill, a policeman was wearing armor on the shore, leaving some gifts and returning to the boat.

As a result, the bow and arrow shot more, and one of them hit the director of the film's lap.

7. Visit of exile king (1975)

King Leopold III of Belgium - who was later expelled by the country - once once sailed across the North Sentinel. Although he did not set foot on the island, a Sentinel warrior pointed his bow and arrow at the king and let go. Luckily, the arrow did not hit.

8. In 1981, cargo ships washed ashore

Picture 6 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!
The 1981 cargo ship accident, lucky sailors were not attacked by the islanders.

One of the most memorable events on the island was the 1981 cargo ship accident. At that time, the Primrose ship carried wrecked bird food, pushing 28 sailors onto the island within 2 weeks.

The victims were rescued by helicopter. They were also fortunate not to be attacked, but in return the ship was sent by the Sentinel . foul. Later field visits recorded Sentinel using metal tools from wrecks.

9. 1991: Licensing to recover items from the Primrose wreck

Mohamed Brothers, a ship company, was licensed by the government to reach the island, in order to recover some of the wrecks in 1991.

The fleet approaches the island every few months, with police escort. Occasionally, they bumped into Aboriginal people, but no casualties occurred. They even picked up a Sentinel bow that was floating in the water and brought to display.

10. 2004 tsunami disaster: Indian patrol team used a helicopter to inspect the island

Picture 7 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!
A young Sentinel raised his bow, shooting straight at the helicopter.

The dual earthquake and tsunami on the Indian Ocean in 2004 affected the North Sentinel. The Indian government thus wanted to know their situation after the disaster, and sent a helicopter to fly.

Fortunately, everything was intact, the tribe was almost unaffected. In response to the Indian government's concern, a young Sentinel raised his bow, shooting straight at the helicopter (of course not).

11. 2006: 2 fishermen were killed because of illegal . catching crabs

Picture 8 of 11 times modern people disturb the tribe on Sentinel Island and this is what happened!
Two ill-fated fishermen were killed by the Sentinel in 2006 after visiting the island to catch crabs.

Sunder Raj and Pandit Tiwari are the names of two ill-fated fishermen murdered by the Sentinel in 2006. These two people came to the island to catch sea crabs. And while sleeping, the Aboriginal people took action

The aborigines then bury the bodies of both, and despite the efforts of the Indian coast patrol, they only get one body.