Case Study 12.1: Leave Well Enough Alone?

Globalization may be bringing the world closer together, but there are still isolated cultural groups. Survival International, a nonprofit advocating for Indigenous rights, estimates that there are around 100 tribal peoples who have little if any contact with modern society. One such people lives on the island of North Sentinel (roughly the size of Manhattan) off the coast of India. The Sentinelese, numbering between 50 and 100, are hunter-gatherers who hunt with spears and arrows fashioned with metal that washes ashore. The group is extremely hostile to outsiders, shooting arrows at anyone who tries to land on their island. In the 1970s, a visiting National Geographicdocumentary filmmaker was hit in the leg. In 2004, islanders shot at a military helicopter sent to check on their welfare following a hurricane. In 2006, two fishermen were killed when they washed ashore after their boat capsized. The Indian government prohibits outsiders from coming within three nautical miles of North Sentinel, fearing that the islanders have no immunity to many common diseases and believing that outside contact would destroy their culture.

Young American Christian missionary and adventurer John Allen Chau didnt let the groups fearsome reputation or the law keep him from visiting North Sentinel Island. Hoping to evangelize the Sentinelese, Chau bribed local fishermen to take him to the island. He then paddled a kayak to shore, carrying a fish, scissors, a soccer ball, and other items as gifts, declaring My name is John, and I love you and Jesus loves you.¹ He retreated back to the fishing boat after being shot at. There he left a letter telling his parents not to blame the islanders if he died and instructing them to not retrieve his body. The next day, he headed back to shore where he was killed and buried on the beach. Indian police gave up on their attempts to recover Chaus body after they too were greeted with arrows. No action will be taken against the Sentinelese for killing him. Johns family forgave those who took his life.

Chaus friends and his sponsoring mission organization, All Nations, called him a martyr who gave his life on a divine mission to reach people who had not yet heard the Christian message. All Nations training director Pam Arlund pointed out that John, who was an experienced world traveler, prepared for his trip to North Sentinel by completing emergency first-aid and linguistic training. In order to protect the islanders from disease, he received a number of vaccinations and served a self-imposed quarantine to ensure that he wouldnt infect the Sentinelese. John was not reckless or extreme at all, and he had put together a very responsible plan, Arlund asserts. He had counted the costs and knew that he might lose his life. But he had also put plans in place to protect the North Sentinelese. Thats because he loved them.²

For their part, Indian government officials believe that Chau was reckless, engaging in a misplaced adventure in a highly protected area.³ They charged the fishermen who took him to the island with contributing to his death as well as with violating laws protecting Indigenous peoples. Even other Christians who promote evangelism were critical of his mission. According to Wheaton College professor Scot Morea:

Im appalled by the naivete of thinking you go to a beach, you throw a fish at some people, you holler at them, and then you come back and spend the night and everything is going to be fine. It doesnt show much sensitivity and it doesnt show much common sense.⁴

Chaus ill-fated encounter with the North Sentinelese highlights the ethical issues surrounding contact with isolated cultures. Should they be left alone because any outside contact is detrimental? Does initiating contact violate their right to determine their fate, particularly if they fear outsiders? On the other hand, is a hands-off approach outdated and paternalistic? Does it deny Indigenous peoples the benefits of modern development? Should governments intervene if it appears as if a culture is in danger from outside development or, as in the case of the Sentinelese, their numbers are apparently declining? The answers to these questions will continue to be debated as long as there are tribal groups cut off from global society.

Discussion Probes

1. Was Chau justified in breaking the law because he believed he was on a divine mission? Does serving a higher cause ever justify breaking the law?
2. Do you think Chau was ethnocentric? His sponsoring organization? Why or why not?
3. Did Chau violate the rights of the Sentinelese people by visiting their island even though they reject outsiders?
4. Was Chau reckless, or should he be honored as a martyr?
5. Should the Sentinelese people and other isolated peoples be left alone or brought into the modern world? What are the risks and benefits of either course of action?
6. What ethical principles should guide interaction with isolated tribal groups?