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Yet another U.S. social media influencer has done something dumb—and incredibly disrespectful—abroad.
In March, a YouTuber named Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, who posts under the name Neo-Orientalist, attempted to illegally interact with a protected group of indigenous people called the Sentinelese, according to a statement by Survival International, an organization that advocates for the rights of indigenous and tribal people. The Sentinelese are one of the most isolated indigenous people in the world, according to the organization, meaning that contact with outsiders could lead to the spread of devastating diseases within their communities.
The Sentinelese live on the Manhattan-sized forested island of North Sentinel in the Indian Ocean, and violently resist contact with all foreigners. After repeated attempts to contact the Sentinelese in the 70s, 80s, and 90s ended in violence—and in some cases, death—the Indian government stopped trying to befriend them, according to Survival International. It is currently—and unequivocally—illegal to visit North Sentinel Island.
But that doesn’t seem to have concerned Polyakov, who landed on the island long enough to leave a coconut and a can of cola, and fortunately did not see any of the Sentinelese. Indian authorities arrested him, and the YouTuber now faces possible jail time.
“In a reckless attempt to get attention on social media, his illegal actions could have wiped out the entire Sentinelese tribe through introducing new diseases such as flu to which they have no immunity,” reads the Survival International statement.
In fact, contact with outsiders has previously decimated isolated indigenous communities. The population of the Onge people, who inhabit nearby Little Andaman Island, declined by 85% following the arrival of British colonists and Indian settlers, according to Survival International. The Great Andamanese peoples suffered even more drastic consequences: their population declined by 99% after forced contact.
Polyakov could have also gotten himself killed. Even if he receives a jail sentence, his violation will still have a happier ending than that of John Allen Chau, a missionary from the U.S. who in 2018 illegally visited North Sentinel island in an attempt to evangelize its inhabitants, and was ultimately killed by the Sentinelese.
Very little is known about the Sentinelese. What we do know comes from observations conducted from boats floating beyond Sentinelese archers’ range, as well as the very few interactions that did not degenerate into violence—such as in 1991, when the Sentinelese accepted gifts from Indian officials, the statement explains.
It seems like the Sentinelese sustain their way of life in the rainforest by hunting, gathering, and fishing on outrigger canoe-like boats, and live in either large communal huts or smaller temporary shelters. They also make bows, arrows, and spears, Survival International reports. Various observers have documented the presence of children and pregnant women, with the total population size estimated at around 150. However, we don’t know what the Sentinelese call themselves, or the island they live on.
In the 19th century, a British officer led a party to the island, where they kidnapped two elders and four children. The elderly individuals died, after which the children were returned to the island with gifts. While we don’t know what the broader consequences of these actions were, it’s likely that the children would have infected their community with foreign diseases. This, along with other experiences, might have triggered intergenerational trauma that solidified the people’s rejection of foreigners.
“The Sentinelese have made it clear that they do not want contact,” reads the Survival International statement. “It is a wise choice.”
