Submitted by CaptainJZH t3_10mq259 in todayilearned
Reply to comment by CaptainJZH in TIL workers dismantling the wrecked MV Primrose off of North Sentinel Island were confronted by the isolated Sentinelese, but defused the situation by giving them bananas and letting them on board to acquire scrap metal. Workers were visited by the Sentinelese 2-3 times a month for 18 months. by CaptainJZH
I could be mixing up uncontacted tribes but I think I’m the 19th century somebody from the “real” world went to the island and he was welcomed and they had a civil meeting. But because they’re isolated and don’t have any exposure to our basic virus’ their leader for sick and died. I think since then they’ve viewed any attempted contact as an attack. Maybe seeing these guys dismantling a ship right off the beach and not attempting to explore the island told them that these guys weren’t trying to attack. Uncontacted tribes are so interesting to me especially in 2023 with the 24 he news and social media influence. I want to know if they’re mentally healthier than us or if we need a middle ground.
I imagine life is pretty brutal in the Sentinelese islands.
For starters your entire existence is dictated by tribal law
Second, you have nowhere else to go
Third, no modern medical equipment, the flu will end their lives
Lastly there is limited agriculture
On on hand you are free from the burden of choice, but on the other you aren't given many choices at all.
I'm sure some have found peace, while others suffer silently
The problem is that North Sentinel island isn't in the middle of nowhere. There are other islands in the area where the native were brought "civilization". The result was poverty and misery. The sad truth is that they're probably better off being left alone
While it's easy to romanticize the avoidance of Civilization while we're in it, I don't really think life is "better" for them.
I think it makes "us" feel better, because we can say we kept someone away from it all, but in reality it we're just gatekeeping.
The country of Iceland (372k people) has an app because accidental incest was such a thing, now how do you think the Sentinelese (<200people ) are doing? You need around 500 or so to be able to avoid "genetic drift"
All that being said, I do think we should leave them alone
But on the other, if it turned out the island had used their young women to breed like cattle as soon as they're fertile, would we still leave them to their isolated ways?
The question I've always asked is would you rather the middle class today or a king A Thousand Years ago? 95% of people say they would rather be middle class today.
The other 5% are the ones who are rooting for society to collapse
Why do you assume that tribal law is automatically bad?
Why do you assume they want to go somewhere else? They could build boats and leave if they wanted.
Where would the flu come from?
You seem to be making a lot of assumptions about them and their lives.
>Why do you assume that tribal law is automatically bad? >
Little oversight due to lack of peers, I'm sure they still have a justice system of sorts though
>Why do you assume they want to go somewhere else? They could build boats and leave if they wanted. >
I assume most creatures with sentience tend to desire to branch out on occasion, also idk if the isolated North Sentinelese tribe can just up and make a seafaring craft anymore, it's been 60k years since they've arrived on the Island.
>Where would the flu come from? >
Ok sure, maybe not the flu, how about contracting a disease from an infected carcass?
>You seem to be making a lot of assumptions about them and their lives.
Well, since I'm not going to go and meet them anytime soon, then yes, that is what I'm doing, because visiting them would very possibly kill them.
>the flu will end their lives
The only way they will get flu would be by contact with outsiders. (Which is why that arrogant missionary may, for all we know, have killed them by carrying with him the common cold, or other viruses they have no resistance to).
If they don't know any different then why would subjects like choice and the ability to have the freedom to choose between regular,soy and oat milk bother them and as far law and governance why would that bother them either we also live under tribal law but our "tribe" is much larger and our laws are much broader in scope since there is a law that will dictate what we can or cannot do for every second of our day.everybody suffers from time to time but its how we deal with hardships that count and finding your own version of peace in this life.
Similarly, most people suffer in our society, and some have found peace. Maybe they're better off
>Sentinelese islands
It’s just one island that they live on. North Sentinel Island.
The rest of the islands are the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
There are other modern peoples inhabiting the other islands.
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