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North Sentinel. Why do we know so little about the inhabitants of this forbidden island?
The island of North Sentinel is inhabited by a tribe untouched by civilization, and every attempt to make contact with them ends in failure. Who are the Sentinels and what makes them unique? Why is the island a forbidding place?
Still in the 21st century, a small number of people have managed to survive, isolating themselves from globalized civilization. There are fewer and fewer of them, and with them more indigenous cultures and their languages are being lost. The Sentinels are unique in this regard. They have the island on their own, no one bothers them, and even contact with the islanders is forbidden by law.
Where is Sentinel Island located?
The small island of Sentinel is located west of the Andaman archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. The island has long been known to be populated, but was avoided due to the hostile attitude of the islanders. In 1947, it was theoretically incorporated into India under the name North Sentinel. In fact, however, the Sentinels still have full independence. The potential lack of important natural resources further promotes the isolation of the natives from forceful intervention. Since 2005, entry to the island has been banned by law.
The island is covered with subtropical deciduous forest. Little is still known about the flora and fauna of the ecosystem there. Little information on the subject comes from records made by Maurice Vidal Portman, who commanded the first exploration expedition in 1880.
Who are the Sentinels?
They most likely came from Africa, like the ancestors of the Andaman peoples. They live on Sentinel Island, which remains completely isolated from the outside world. For this reason, we know very little about them. They live in large huts with several hearths for many families. However, we don’t know if they can make fire or obtain it from fires, for example.
The women tie strings of fiber to their waists and necks, while the men wear wide belts on their hips, necklaces and headbands. They build simple boats to catch fish, but these do not allow them to go to sea. Today’s residents also use recycled metal tools from ships wrecked on coral…
