In short:
Indian police have arrested an American man who visited a restricted island and left offerings to a tribe not contacted by the modern world.
Mykhailo Polyakov had previously made two unsuccessful attempts to reach North Sentinel Island, home of the Sentinelese people.
What’s next?
Local authorities say he has been released on a three-day remand “for further interrogation”.
He left them a coke can? That feels like peak 1980s jingoism.
I really, really hope he will get prison time for this.
What a piece of garbage.
Dude blessed the cokeless with coke.
Can you imagine them experiencing carbonation for the first time?
The Sentinelese are famously hostile toward outsiders. Would they drink from a strange can that appeared on the beach? Would they know that it is a drink, or even how to open it? These are things we know because we grew up with the concept of canned soda. But even with that knowledge, I sure as hell wouldn’t drink from a random soda can I found sitting on a beach. I find it hard to imagine that the Sentinelese, who shoot arrows at anyone they see approaching their island, would interpret a random can as a sign of goodwill (let alone as something they’re supposed to ingest.)
They may assume it’s a weapon, or some kind of cursed item. If they do something to agitate it, like shooting an arrow or throwing a rock, they’d probably be terrified by the exploding carbonation - which could reinforce the idea of it being a weapon or something demonic.
Scum
He’s lucky that he was not shot, either by the tribe or by the Indian forces
LEAVE THE SENTINELESE ALONE. They obviously don’t want to be contacted and corrupted by the outside world and I can’t blame at all. The only people they hurt are invaders to their island. The Indian Government is right to protect their isolation.
I would appreciate it if hyper advanced aliens came to earth. That said, I wouldn’t want some random crackpot alien coming to earth doing no due diligence and leaving us with nothing but hyper soda before leaving and never coming back
I was joking with my sister that the tribe will be the 3rd party that has the formula for coke after they taste that one can and their entire culture devolves into trying to create more.
The problem is, he left Diet Coke. What an evil man.
I’m really conflicted on this uncontacted tribe stuff. The ethicical discussion leans towards preserving them. I don’t know that seems pretty messed up. I guess we should respect their wishes to be left alone, but damn.
You’re conflicted how exactly?
I appreciate the idea of conservation and respecting their desire to be left alone. But what about individuals? Perhaps some dream of going out into the world but societal pressure holds them back? What about some dying of illness that we find trivial to cure? I love TNG but is the prime directive really the best way to approach things? I really have no idea.
Thankfully anthropologists, ethicists and legal scholars do have some idea. And they all say stay the fuck away.
Since you are presenting yourself as being familiar with the subject: why?
Edit: shout out to the one guy downvoting me for asking for a coherent explanation…which the other guy helpfully provided. Your opinion is noted.
Survival International - Why Uncontacted Tribes Should Be Left Alone
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - Right to self-determination, right to live free from interference, right to live free of violence or genocide, right to territory.
The Guardian - David Hill - Scientists must let world’s most isolated tribes make own decisions
