The many accounts about the killing of John Allen Chau by the Sentinelese has brought to light not only the misplaced zeal of missionaries, but also the rights of indigenous communities to defend themselves their resources, lands and determine their own futures.
Articles published on the issue have also recreated an ‘exotica’: describing the Sentinelese as the most isolated, or oldest human community, or speaking of ‘the moment’ when an anthropologist created history by making contact with them. This exotica could actually raise the hopes of daring folks to make contact for trophy – or selfie – moments.
On another level, an Australian senator has politicised the issue by pretending to applaud the Sentinelese, in a comparison to Australia rejecting Asian migrants. The Andamanese have long fascinated and created dread among outsiders; both Marco Polo and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle considered them monstrous.
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Since the Sentinelese remain un-contactable, knowledge about them is limited to the few exchanges made. Still, according to the anthropologist A.K. Das, one can gain approximate knowledge on their languages and cultures through studies on more accessible Andaman communities, like the Onges, the Great Anadamanese, and the Jarawas.
The Onges believe in benevolent and malevolent spirits that reside in the forests and the sea. The spirits can be divided into those linked to natural phenomenon such as tsunamis, earthquakes, winds from different directions, and rainbows; and those linked to the dead.
There is a sequence to burial rites, where rituals are performed to assist the soul to transform into a spirit benevolent toward the community. The corpse is painted, then wrapped in large leaves and secured by reeds, and faced towards the rising sun, which hastens decomposition. The east is also believed to be the direction where the spirit flies, and after the burial rites, the community moves away from the location.
The bodies of ‘enemies’ are also buried and left alone, for they are perceived to be malevolent spirits. While addressing the body, the community shoots arrows rapidly into the surroundings to drive away the evil effects of the spirit.
First contacts
These islanders have their own narratives of contact. In the mid-18th century, the Danish East India Company landed in Nicobar (which they would abandon a century later). The Car Nicobarese, says Das, perceived the Danes as the spirits of their ancestors with flaxen hair, blue eyes, carrying fob or pocket watches, wearing hats – even smoking cigars. Once the Danes left, the Nicobarese created the wooden sculptures of their ancestors wearing only loincloths seated on chairs with Western accessories of watches, hats and cigars.
The tribes of Andaman islands. Credit: Bidyut Kumar Das.
The British later attempted to control the Islanders, especially the Great Andamanese, who were practically wiped out due to invasion and disease. The Indian government addressed the Onges by rehabilitating them in Little Andaman; reserves were also created for the Jarawas.
According to Das, in addressing contact with the communities, there are biological, social and psychological factors that come to play. It is well known that biologically since they are not vaccinated, the communities are vulnerable to simple infections like flu which can wipe them all out. Rehabilitation can displace them sociologically from their habitat and lifestyles and cause psychological displacement as well.
The experiment with the Onges has not worked very well, but the Jarawa model of creating a reserve has fared better. In fact, there are special wards for the Jarawas in the civil hospitals which remain out of bounds for others, and help is provided when the community reaches out. It is also observed that with time, there is now a population of a mixed race among the Onges and in some cases among Jarawas
Unlike the indigenous communities of the Amazon in Peru and Brazil, the Sentinelese do not face conflict concerning land, resources, and territory. The South American communities have faced aggression from loggers and drug traffickers, who have not hesitated to kill them. Recently a non-contactable community made contact and communicated how drug traffickers had exterminated many of their fellowmen.
Apart from protecting them from invasions of tourists, adventure-seekers, and missionaries, the Sentinelese are confronted with the effects of climate change and the degradation of their habitats. “There need to be ways to replenish habitats and address the health requirements of the Sentinelese,” says Das. One could use mixed-race individuals who are physically and even by way of rituals, beliefs and languages similar to the Sentinels and hence may prove to be useful for trust building. Their help could seek to address issues related to health.” Seed bombing or aerial reforestation could be a way to replenish forests. It is a technique of throwing protected seed-balls that germinate in the rains.
These islands have the largest and rich diverse stretch of coral cover in India. The coral reefs provide food and are also considered the medicine chest of the sea. The life of the coastal communities around the world is intricately woven around these reefs. After the 2004 tsunami, there was both coastal damage and a tectonic uplift. In fact, coral reefs that were submerged are exposed, lagoons have vanished, resulting in loss of fishing grounds.
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The international collaborative program CORDIO (Coral Reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean), a collaborative program involving researchers in eleven countries in the central and western Indian Ocean, estimate that the uplifted North Sentinel Island reefs are unlikely to survive. They are too high for the high tide to reach them or submerged too shallowly to tolerate the increased intensity of sunlight.
Engagement with marine ecologists and a more intensified policy could devise ways to support the ecosystem of the Sentinelese. Such programmes of replenishing habitats of the forests and oceans, along with strict rules of no contact, could ensure that such communities who represent a unique civilisational and natural heritage can continue to live with dignity and are provided their space and freedom of choice.
Navina Jafa is vice-president of Centre for New Perspectives, a think tank that works on intangible heritage, traditional knowledge through research and pilot programs for sustainable development.