culled from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentinelese_people



[size=28pt]The Sentinelese [/size](also Sentineli, Senteneli, Sentenelese, North Sentinel Islanders) are one of the Andamanese indigenous peoples and one of the most uncontacted peoples of the Andaman Islands, located in India in the Bay of Bengal. They inhabit North Sentinel Island which lies westward off the southern tip of the Great Andaman archipelago. They are noted for vigorously resisting attempts at contact by outsiders. The Sentinelese maintain an essentially hunter-gatherer society subsisting through hunting, fishing, and collecting wild plants; there is no evidence of either agricultural practices or methods of producing fire. Their language remains unclassified.

[size=28pt]Population[/size]

The present population of the Sentinelese is not known with any great degree of accuracy. Estimates have been produced ranging from lower than 40, through a median of around 250, and up to a maximum of 500. In the year 2001, the Census of India officials recorded 39 individuals[2] (21 males and 18 females); however, out of necessity this survey was conducted from a distance[3] and almost certainly does not represent an accurate figure for the population who range over the 72 km2 (17,800 acres) island. Any medium- or long-term impact on the Sentinelese population arising from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and resulting tsunami remains unknown, other than the confirmation obtained that they had survived the immediate aftermath.[4]

On previous visits, groups of some 20–40 individuals were encountered regularly. Habitations of 40–60 individuals were found on two occasions. As some individuals are almost certainly hiding, a better approximation of group size cannot be determined. This would suggest that some 2–6 groups occupy the island. The rule of thumb population density of 1.5 km2 (370 acres)/individuals in comparable hunter-gatherer societies indicates that one such group could live off the land alone. A significant amount of food is derived from the sea. It seems that the groups encountered, at any one time, could only have come from a rather small part of the island. There appear to be slightly more males than females. At any given time, about half of the couples seemed to have dependent children or the women were pregnant.

[size=28pt]Characteristics[/size]

The Sentinelese and other indigenous Andamanese peoples are frequently described as negritos, a term which has been applied to various widely separated peoples in Southeast Asia, such as the Semang of the Malay archipelago and the Aeta of the Philippines, as well as to other peoples as far afield as Australia (notably former populations of Tasmania). The defining characteristics of these "negrito" peoples (who are not a monophyletic group) include a comparatively short stature, dark skin and "peppercorn" hair, qualities also found commonly across the continent of Africa. No close contacts have been established, but the author Heinrich Harrer described one man as being 1.6 m (5' 4" tall and apparently left handed.[5]

pix coming soon!!

[size=28pt]Culture[/size]

Most of what is known about Sentinelese material culture is based on observations during contact attempts in the late 20th century. The Sentinelese maintain an essentially hunter-gatherer society, obtaining their subsistence through hunting, fishing, and collecting wild plants; there is no evidence of any agricultural practices.[1]

Their dwellings are either shelter-type huts with no side walls and a floor sometimes laid out with palms and leaves, which provide enough space for a nuclear family of 3 or 4 and their belongings, or larger communal dwellings which may be some dozen square metres and are more elaborately constructed, with raised floors and partitioned family quarters.

Advanced metalwork is unknown, as raw materials on the island are extremely rare. It has been observed, however, that they have made adroit use of metal objects which have washed up or been left behind on their shores, having some ability at cold smithing and sharpening iron and incorporating it into weapons and other items. For example, in the late 1980s two international container ships ran aground on the island's external coral reefs; the Sentinelese retrieved several items of iron from the vessels.[6]

Their weaponry consists of javelins and a flatbow with high accuracy against human-sized targets up to nearly 10 metres.[citation needed] At least 3 varieties of arrows, apparently for fishing and hunting and untipped ones for shooting warning shots, have been documented.[citation needed] Fishing arrows have a number of forward-pointing prongs; hunting arrows have ovoid arrowheads, with bodkin-type tips for both purposes, the latter two as well as their associated barbs below the tip made from iron. The arrows are over 1 m (3 ft) long. The harpoon- or javelin-type arrows are nearly half as long again, about the same length as the bows (over 3 m (10 ft)), and can also be thrown or used for stabbing, but the latter probably only rarely.

For catching large fish, a harpoon is used which is similar in design to the fishing arrows, but nearly 2.5 m (8 ft) long. Knives are also known, but it is unclear to what extent the Sentinelese fashion them themselves.

Known tools include adzes, pounding and smithing stones, and various finely or coarsely woven baskets for small-grained or larger goods, as well as bamboo and wooden containers. Fires are maintained as embers inside dwellings, possibly assisted by resin torches. There exist fishing nets and basic outrigger canoes used for fishing and collecting shellfish from the lagoon but not for open-sea excursions.

Food consists primarily of plantstuffs gathered in the forest, coconuts, which are frequently found on the beaches as flotsam, pigs, and, presumably, other wildlife (which apart from sea turtles is limited to some smaller birds and invertebrates). Wild honey is known to be collected and the Sentinelese use a kind of rake to pull down branches to gather fruit or nuts, such as sapodilla and pandanus.

A January 1880 British expedition to the island led by M. V. Portman reported that "their methods of cooking and preparing their food resemble those of the Ongés, not those of the aborigines of the Great Andaman."[7]

On 29 March 1970, a research party of Indian anthropologists, which included T. N. Pandit,[8] found themselves cornered on the reef flats between North Sentinel and Constance Island. An eyewitness recorded the following from his vantage point on a boat lying off the beach:

Quite a few discarded their weapons and gestured to us to throw the fish. The women came out of the shade to watch our antics... A few men came and picked up the fish. They appeared to be gratified, but there did not seem to be much softening to their hostile attitude ... They all began shouting some incomprehensible words. We shouted back and gestured to indicate that we wanted to be friends. The tension did not ease. At this moment, a strange thing happened — a woman paired off with a warrior and sat on the sand in a passionate embrace. This act was being repeated by other women, each claiming a warrior for herself, a sort of community mating, as it were. Thus did the militant group diminish. This continued for quite some time and when the tempo of this frenzied dance of desire abated, the couples retired into the shade of the jungle. However, some warriors were still on guard. We got close to the shore and threw some more fish which were immediately retrieved by a few youngsters. It was well past noon and we headed back to the ship...[9]
[edit]Present situation

Their island is nominally part of and administered by the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In practice, however, the Sentinelese exercise complete autonomy over their affairs and the involvement of the Indian authorities is restricted to occasional monitoring, even more infrequent and brief visits, and generally discouraging any access or approaches to the island. It is therefore de facto autonomous.

From 1967 onwards, the Indian authorities in Port Blair embarked on a limited programme of attempts at contacting the Sentinelese, under the management of the Director of Tribal Welfare and anthropologist T. N. Pandit. These "Contact Expeditions" consisted of a series of planned visits which would progressively leave "gifts", such as coconuts, on the shores, in an attempt to coax the Sentinelese from their hostile reception of outsiders. For a while, these seemed to have some limited success; however, the programme was discontinued in the late 1990s following a series of hostile encounters resulting in several deaths in a similar programme practiced with the Jarawa people of South and Middle Andaman Islands and because of the danger of introducing diseases.

[size=18pt]In 2006, Sentinelese archers killed two fishermen who were fishing illegally within range of the island[/size]. The archers later drove off, with a hail of arrows, the helicopter that was sent to retrieve the bodies.[10] To this date, the bodies remain unrecovered, although the downdraught from the helicopter's rotors at the time exposed the two fishermen's corpses, which had been buried in shallow graves by the Sentinelese.[11]

shooting arrows at approaching helicopters!!





^^ A Sentinelese man aims his bow and arrow at an Indian Coast Guard helicopter as it flies over his island on Dec. 28, surveying for tsunami damage. Circumstantial evidence suggests the indigenous tribes of the southern archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar used ancient know-how to save themselves from the catastrophic tsunami.

mini documentaries...

not in english sorry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yehiEiuFu4

but you can see their hostility in the footage.

supposedly the first "friendly encounter" with the sentinelese.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaPYwlXOTzQ

LOL!!

Describing the Sentinelese tribe of India's remote Andaman islands in his travel journals, the notoriously trite 13th-century explorer Marco Polo wrote: 'They are a most violent and cruel generation who seem to eat everybody they catch.'

it's never been proven if they are cannibalistic but highly xenophobic? for sure.
in fact scientists believe their preference for isolation is what saved them.

Anthropologists want so badly to collect samples from these people who are believed to be some of the first africans to leave the continent and inhabit south east asia..but the sentinelese are like HELL NO!! i DON'T blame them!!

All civilisation were xenophobic. Some are still subtly one. Their 'xenophobia' might be reactionary and l think that thought could be pursued extensively, not this largely one sided documentary taken as fact.

Heck, if my civilisation and existence was threatened half as much as the Red Indians, l'd murder everything moving

I agree with u.
#thinkingaloud...

No offense but these ppl almost seem unreal to me.
From their looks to their mannerism. Perhaps im just too used to seeing ppl act "civil" or docile. Idk...i dont want to sound ignorant but geeze!

It's ok to recognise their 'incivility'. Change is a revolutionary sentiment. You don't even need to belong to the era of the oppression, suppression and extreme hostility suffered by the Red Indians in North America, aboriginals in Australia, Incas by the Spanish in Peru etc to determine the extent of your capacity to hate these marauding foreigners.

I am not trying to evoke deep seated disgust but to enable others see this in a balanced perspective.

The history of these people are being written by demeaning foreigners who are not exactly bastion of great ideals. Civilisations have been wiped out in south america and elsewhere and history tells us who the belligerents are.

joudini: It's ok to recognise their 'incivility'. Change is a revolutionary sentiment. You don't even need to belong to the era of the oppression, suppression and extreme hostility suffered by the Red Indians in North America, aboriginals in Australia, Incas by the Spanish in Peru etc to determine the extent of your capacity to hate these marauding foreigners.

I am not trying to evoke deep seated disgust but to enable others see this in a balanced perspective.

The history of these people are being written by demeaning foreigners who are not exactly bastion of great ideals. Civilisations have been wiped out in south america and elsewhere and history tells us who the belligerents are.

More excellent points!

While i may find them funny or rather interesting (looking from a wester pov) it is true that they are protecting themselves from a lot of things, from diseases which would instantly weaken their precious immune systems, to even having problems with racism and having to deal with other issues that come with living in a eurocentric world. While i find them fascinating, i do feel it is best to leave them alone. Not just because they'd kill invaders but its just a moral issue. A lot of cultures and ppl for that matter are emdangered because of globalism and forced multiculturalism.

And lastly you made another good point about the onesided view in the documentaries. While we may see them as strange and "stuck in the stone age", they ultimately have the right to live as they please without invasion and harassment. I too would take up arms if i felt threatened. Its like if some "martians" invaded earth i am certain less than 2 percent of the human population would welcome them willingly or friendly off the bat lol. So good point.

So it go.

We can only appreciate the whole picture if we understand the distinct uniqueness of its pieces.

I don't know the amount of restoration that will erase the ineffaceable marks left on the memory of oppressed cultures like this. These guys and other at risk cultures have to find an outlet to release the suppressed fury they experience when faced with inexhaustible means of repression. This is what our learned imperialists understand as 'xenophobia'.

I love your points, and liberalism.

And he is cool too

joudini: We can only appreciate the whole picture if we understand the distinct uniqueness of its pieces.

I don't know the amount of restoration that will erase the ineffaceable marks left on the memory of oppressed cultures like this. These guys and other at risk cultures have to find an outlet to release the suppressed fury they experience when faced with inexhaustible means of repression. This is what our learned imperialists understand as 'xenophobia'.

I love your points, and liberalism.

And he is cool too

true.
lol guess i should change the title of the thread!!

btw sweetie who is "he"?

MsDarkSkin:

true.
lol guess i should change the title of the thread!!

btw sweetie who is "he"?

The dude beside you on your profile (yeah, yeah, l checked). I don't know who he is to you but he is a lucky nicca

You a mod on the gaming section?

BTW, you gat new conscious underground hiphop acts you think l could check out?

No babes. that's not me!!
that's a random Jamo babe and a Jamo photographer.

I used to be mod in the gaming section but
resigned my position. as for underground hip hop acts
truth be told i don't listen to rap from this generation underground or commercial.

Aiight Mr. Joudini,
I'm out. It was a pleasure talking to u.

MsDarkSkin: No babes. that's not me!!
that's a random Jamo babe and a Jamo photographer.

I used to be mod in the gaming section but
resigned my position. as for underground hip hop acts
truth be told i don't listen to rap from this generation underground or commercial.

If that's not you, its all good. For l know if am to attach a face to your handle, l'll need divine inspiration to convey what l feel inside .

No underground act has impressed you lately? No ab-soul, kendrick, elzhi, brother ali etc? Lady, you getting me curious!

joudini:

If that's not you, its all good. For l know if am to attach a face to your handle, l'll need divine inspiration to convey what l feel inside .

No underground act has impressed you lately? No ab-soul, kendrick, elzhi, brother ali etc? Lady, you getting me curious!

awe thanks.

and no.
no underground acts. unfortunately..i am not at all close to or should i say "hip"
to what is going on in my own generation. I'm an old soul.

#stuckINthe90s!!

MsDarkSkin:

awe thanks.

and no.
no underground acts. unfortunately..i am not at all close to or should i say "hip"
to what is going on in my own generation. I'm an old soul.

#stuckINthe90s!!

You call stuck in the 90s 'old skool'? Lady, you amuse me. I listen to so much late 80s n early 90s rap, my friends say am a dark and introspective person ;. And when l listen to country music? I'll spare you what they say . Gotta let you go.

joudini:

You call stuck in the 90s 'old skool'? Lady, you amuse me. I listen to so much late 80s n early 90s rap, my friends say am a dark and introspective person ;. And when l listen to country music? I'll spare you what they say . Gotta let you go.

lol. i am not trying to toot my own horn..but every time i meet someone both online and off they tell me i am "weird in a fascinating way" , "different" or "interesting"

I'm just Kailz Yes sir an old soul.
You talking about 80s and 90s? MAAAAAN!!

I still listen to the Chronic and get hyped over it as if it was a new release!

what are your favorites from the 90s?

joudini:

You call stuck in the 90s 'old skool'? Lady, you amuse me. I listen to so much late 80s n early 90s rap, my friends say am a dark and introspective person ;. And when l listen to country music? I'll spare you what they say . Gotta let you go.

country music isn't bad jor!!
In fact i LOVE some country and don't get me started on ROCK!!

NIRVANA IS KING!!

MsDarkSkin:

lol. i am not trying to toot my own horn..but every time i meet someone both online and off they tell me i am "weird in a fascinating way" , "different" or "interesting"

I'm just Kailz Yes sir an old soul.
You talking about 80s and 90s? MAAAAAN!!

I still listen to the Chronic and get hyped over it as if it was a new release!

what are your favorites from the 90s?

You still listen to the chronic? It's a good thing there is distance btw us

Some of my favorites off d top of ma head; wutang (of course)- the 36 chambers etc, built 4 cuban linx (raekwon), my favorite wutang member -ghostface killah, l have all his albums, illmatic, stillmatic, doe or die (AZ), kool g rap, ras kass, the roots, a tribe called quest, KRS-1(the teacher), rakim, black star, NWA etc. l just love conscious hiphop. The purpose of life is a life with a purpose.

joudini:

You still listen to the chronic? It's a good thing there is distance btw us

yup. Chronic is a classic through and through.

Some of my favorites off d top of ma head; wutang (of course)- the 36 chambers etc, built 4 cuban linx (raekwon), my favorite wutang member -ghostface killah, l have all his albums, illmatic, stillmatic, doe or die (AZ), kool g rap, ras kass, the roots, a tribe called quest, KRS-1(the teacher), rakim, black star, NWA etc. l just love conscious hiphop. The purpose of life is a life with a purpose.

WOW!! you are on point!!
excellent selection. It's rare for ppl in our generation to know who Ras Kass is much less Kool G Rap

Wu Tang's C.R.E.A.M > 90 percent of rap today!! and that's just ONE TRACK!!

My favorite is old school west coast rap from dudes like MC Eiht, DJ Quik, Spice 1, South Central Cartel, Celly Cell, Daz Dilli/Kurupt; etc You like west coast rap?

OMG WE HAVE OFFICALLY DERAILED MY THREAD!! Abeg we should take this convo to the music section jor!!

check out some g-funk here:

https://www.nairaland.com/813741/what-music-listening-right-now/90#15069471

gangsta rap might not be your thing.
but if it is...man you gotta check these west coast legends out!!

Not trying to rain on this threads parade. But just saying...These people are genetically distant from Africans. Heck Europeans are a lot closer. Just saying for the people who are not well knowledgeable about this subject.

But anyways nice thread.

MsDarkSkin:


yup. Chronic is a classic through and through.



WOW!! you are on point!!
excellent selection. It's rare for ppl in our generation to know who Ras Kass is much less Kool G Rap

Wu Tang's C.R.E.A.M > 90 percent of rap today!! and that's just ONE TRACK!!

My favorite is old school west coast rap from dudes like MC Eiht, DJ Quik, Spice 1, South Central Cartel, Celly Cell, Daz Dilli/Kurupt; etc You like west coast rap?

Sure, l listen to the West coast and her gangstar raps . Cut ma teeth with NWA. I like MC Eiht good, heard him again on kendrick lamar GKMC album. Though l must confess the lyricism and pedestal consciousness of the east coast keeps drawing me back

joudini:

Sure, l listen to the West coast and her gangstar raps . Cut ma teeth with NWA. I like MC Eiht good, heard him again on kendrick lamar GKMC album. Though l must confess the lyricism and pedestal consciousness of the east coast keeps drawing me back

oh most def. the east coast has lyrical flow on lock.
but when it comes to story telling to where even someone who is not from the hood can
understand, west coast all the way.