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How much do we know about our planet?
People are constantly studying it. They climb mountains, descend to the ocean floor and wander through dense forests. It seems that by the 21st century there should be no mysteries left on on Earth. But it’s not. So it’s enough to visit the Bay of Bengal to find one of the most mysterious places on the planet. I suggest North Sentinel Island. It won’t be an easy journey. In this video, you’ll learn what’s hidden on a closed island in the Indian Ocean. I’m going to show you how dangerous other people’s secrets can be and what sacrifices curiosity leads to. You may even get to know one of the most mysterious tribes on the planet. And it’s better to do so virtually. Why? You’ll see for yourself. First, a few facts. You’ve probably already heard of north sentinel. Island? This is just one of the many islands in the Indian Ocean. Not very large, about 60 km² or 23 sq mi. However, this particular island is completely closed to the public. Neither tourists nor residents of the nearby islands can approach it. Even scientists aren’t allowed here.
Why is this particular place so infamous?
I’ll tell you right now. It’s not because of poisonous spiders or snakes, and certainly not an ancient curse. It’s just that this island is home to the most unusual people on Earth. On a small square of land, there lives anywhere from 15 to 400 people. And this spread isn’t accidental. Today, there are simply no guests on North Sentinel. There’s no one to count the people, to create any records. Most likely, the local population can’t read or write. I say most likely because there’s no confirmation of these facts. Scientists can only speculate and observe from a far. Of course, in such a situation you can call on modern technology for help. For example, satellite images. But even here, we fail. The island is covered in dense forests. Everything but the shore. It’s simply impossible to see anything through the vegetation. Theoretically, anything could be hidden there, leaving dinosaurs, traces of an alien civilization. The underground city of Atlantis. Why not? Little is known about the people who live on this island. They’re called the Sentinelese. They’re one of the Andaman indigenous peoples that live on their own. According to scientists, for about 600 years, the Sentinel people have lived in almost complete self isolation. That is, since primitive times. All of this time they’ve developed independently, without seeing the rest of the world. Yes, these are people who have no idea what bitcoin global warming and Netflix are. Why, they don’t even know what a horse is. Some researchers have still managed to get a look at the natives. The local residents are described as relatively short people, about 165 CM, or five and a half feet. This may be due to island dwarfism. Scientists also noted dark, shiny skin, even teeth and strong muscles. Sentinel people are hunter gatherers. Despite the past millennia. They haven’t changed their habits.
The tribe probably uses bows, arrows and spears to hunt land animals. They collect seafood by hands such as crabs and shellfish. It’s believed that the natives eat them in large quantities. Their settlements are full of empty shells. Some of their practices haven’t developed at all since primitive times. It’s believed that Sentinel people don’t engage in agriculture, though they can build canoes. But the most interesting thing is that it’s not clear whether the natives know how to make fire, although they do use it, even in the year 2020. Just imagine that the Sentinel people live in small temporary huts, appreciate metal, dance and speak an unknown language. That’s about it. A unique island of a unique civilization. Scientists would be willing to do anything to learn about the local tribe. But it’s forbidden. Not by the islanders themselves, of course. Officially, North Sentinel Island is administered by India, although there’s no agreement between the natives and the government. However, the Indian authorities make sure that the Sentinels are not disturbed. The main reason is the isolation of the tribe. Having lived for thousands of years without contact with the outside world, the tribe hasn’t been able to develop immunity to common diseases. Even a short interaction with a person from the outside could end very sadly within a primitive community. The disease would spread very quickly. The Sentinels risked simply being killed. And these aren’t empty threats. In the 19th century, British officer Maurice Vidal Portman studied the inhabitants of the island. These studies cannot be called humane. At one point, Portman kidnapped six sentinels. He then took them to the nearest major city. All the natives soon fell ill and two adults died. Portman returned four sick children to the island and left them on the beach. Fortunately, despite such experiments, the tribe survived. The island is protected so that diseases from the mainland don’t reach it. Indian border patrol boats periodically patrol the coastal waters. You can only come within nine plus kilometers, or about five nautical miles. Anything closer is a restricted area. North Sentinel Island is protected as a rare treasure. And this is partly true. There are very few non contact peoples like the Sentinels left. However, the islanders can also stand up for themselves. Moreover, they do it regularly. They deliberately refuse to contact the outside world, and they react very aggressively to foreigners. When I say aggressive, I mean that the Sentinels are ready to kill any outsider, even if they aren’t threatened. Of course, there have also been peaceful contacts. The first one took place in 1991. But in 1997, visits to the island stopped. Now they try not to contact the Sentinels at all. In 2004, after an earthquake in the Indian Ocean, the government of India sent a helicopter to the island. The disaster, which claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people, should have destroyed the Sentinels. But the natives survived the disaster.
How did they manage it’s?
Unknown the elements damaged the coral reef where they foraged for food. Though the islanders adapted, but they weren’t too happy about the helicopter. They began throwing stones and spears at it and shot at it with arrows. In general, they made it clear they were okay, by the way. Scientists believe that the hostility of Sentinels is a sign of the physical and cultural stability of the community, not just a desire to shoot down a huge iron bird. Despite official bans and life-threatening risks, people are still drawn to North Sentinel Island. On January 27, 2006, Indian fishermen were illegally fishing for crabs near the Forbidden island. They didn’t respond to the warning signals of other vessels as their boat drifted into shallow water. Alas, these fishermen never returned home. The ship was attacked by Sentinel soldiers, killing the intruders. Three days later, an Indian Coast Guard helicopter flew to the island to collect the fishermen’s bodies.
The Sentinels met them with spears and arrows. The resistance was so strong that the bodies had to be left on the island. They say the natives buried the fishermen. Almost everything that reaches North Sentinel Island disappears without a trace. In the year 2018, the fate of the unfortunate crab catchers was repeated by missionary John Allen Chau. To get to the island, he paid two fishermen about $30,000. Chao tried to make contact with the natives several times, but it all ended as expected. The Sentinels killed him with bows and arrows. The fishermen who brought him to the island were later arrested. Chau’s body remained on North Sentinel and may have been buried. Today, North Sentinel Island remains one of the most poorly studied places on earth. We can only guess what’s hidden in the depths of its forest and what’s really hidden by a tribe that is forever stuck in the primeval era
