YouTuber arrested in India after attempting to contact isolated tribe
INDIA, April 5: A 24-year-old aspiring YouTube influencer and self-described "danger tourist," Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, was arrested in India after attempting to contact one of the world's last uncontacted Indigenous tribes. Polyakov, a US national, was taken into custody on March 29 at 10 am local time after returning from his overnight journey to North Sentinel Island, which is home to an estimated 100 Sentinelese people.
Polyakov's trip was carefully planned, involving several scouting expeditions and a perilous 23-mile journey across the Indian Ocean in an inflatable raft modified with an outboard motor. Once offshore, he reportedly spent an hour attempting to signal the Sentinelese by blowing a whistle before landing on the island's beach for about five minutes. During this brief visit, Polyakov recorded footage on his GoPro camera, collected sand samples as souvenirs, and left a coconut and a can of Coke as gifts. However, no members of the tribe appeared to meet him during his visit, which was potentially fortunate as his actions could have led to him becoming the fourth person in two decades to be killed by the Sentinelese.
The Sentinelese are one of the most isolated Indigenous tribes in the world, and their island is protected by law to maintain their isolation. They are part of the broader Andamanese people and have lived on North Sentinel Island for about 55,000 years. Despite occasional reports of violence from the tribe, including deaths of intruders, it is illegal to attempt to make contact with them. Moreover, such interactions can be dangerous, not only for the intruders but also for the tribe. Isolation from outside populations makes the Sentinelese highly vulnerable to diseases like the flu or measles, which could decimate their population due to their lack of immunity.
Caroline Pearce, director of Survival International, a nonprofit advocacy group, condemned Polyakov's reckless actions. She explained that uncontacted tribes have no immunity to common diseases, which could wipe them out entirely if exposed. "It's very well known by now that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common outside diseases like flu or measles, which could completely wipe them out," Pearce said. "This person's actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk."
Although interactions with uncontacted tribes are strictly regulated, they face growing threats from deforestation, land-grabbing, and encroaching commercial interests. Pearce praised the actions of Indian authorities in apprehending Polyakov, but also highlighted the government's failure to fully protect isolated Indigenous communities. For example, the Shompen tribe on Great Nicobar Island, near North Sentinel, could be endangered by a controversial government plan to build a large city, including a port and airport, on their island.
'The common factor in all these cases is governments' refusal to abide by international law and recognize and protect uncontacted peoples' territories,' Pearce argued.
The fate of Polyakov, who had previously uploaded videos of dangerous trips to Afghanistan, remains unclear. It is illegal in India not only to contact isolated tribes but also to photograph or film them. If found guilty of violating these laws, Polyakov could face a 3-5 year prison sentence for his reckless actions.
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