Uncontacted peoples

[David]

Following on from our discussion of migration in another thread, I found this very interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentinelese_people

[Pies4shaw]

No, if none of them can play Liszt, what is the point of their society?

[Tannin]

[David]

Yes, good point. I forgot about Canberra. Though they do have toasters there nowadays, I've heard!

Here's a brief video of an Indian expedition to North Sentinel Island (going by one of the other articles I read, I think they were leaving them coconuts as a peace offering).

http://youtu.be/7yehiEiuFu4

[Pies4shaw]

And Josh Frydenberg.

[stui magpie]

Interesting Island and people. I thought I posted about them last year but must not have.

You'd think there wouldn't be enough people there to allow for genetic diversity, those buggers would be more inbred than the Carlton cheer squad.

[Pies4shaw]

Perhaps that's why they haven't invented fire or tools or the Kawai RX-5, yet.

[sixpoints]

The Andamans and their southerly neighbours, the Nicobar Islands were a close and direct hit for the 2004 Tsunami.
Interestingly, the two island groups were in such proximity to the earthquake epicentre, that the massive subduction event physically effected both island groups.
The massive crustal movements forced the Andamans a metre or two vertically upwards. This left previously submerged coral reefs now permanently above the water line. They have all since died. But the Nicobars actually sunk by some metres (and thus suffered far more from the ensuing tsunami).
Bizzare.

http://infochangeindia.org/agenda/coastal-communities/the-sinking-of-the-nicobars.html

[David]

This is a really interesting story. What would you do in this case?

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/14/world/asia/india-jarawas-child-murder.html

[Wokko]

It's like Star Trek's Prime Directive, the one inviolable law of interstellar travel.

No identification of self or mission. No interference with the social development of said planet. No references to space or the fact that there are other worlds or civilizations.

I'm not sure where I stand on this, I'd be more inclined to think if people want to be left alone to traditional life then they have that right, but enforced isolation to me feels wrong. If their land was strategically or economically important would they be left alone? If not then it sounds like an academic theme park rather than altruism is the reason for enforcing primitive life on these people. How far do we 'allow' for traditions to be upheld? Would we allow a hidden Aztec tribe to continue ritual sacrifice for example? Gah, I don't know. Too hard basket.

[David]

I think I'd be fine with giving the Jarawa effective sovereignty over their land and backing off, which is what the administrators seem to be trying to do for the most part. The thing that seems disturbing is the decision to chase them back into the forest if they try to look for supplies or equipment. Are the Indian authorities protecting a vulnerable group of people, or are they running a zoo?

[stui magpie]

It's a hard one. How do you let them out, free to wander and go back in but at the same time try to keep others out of there?

If they, as a group, want to embrace modern society then by all means let them do it. But I understand the general feeling is they want to be left alone and the processes and policies set up are to help them maintain that, with just some contact like the social worker bloke who serves as a conduit.

From reading the article I reckon they've got the balance about right considering the circumstances although I still can't figure out how groups like these and the north sentinel islanders manage to survive with such limited genetic diversity .

[ronrat]

Quite a few of these tribes in the Amazon and Borneo for example satisfied the genetics by capturing young girls from other tribes and eventually they became mothers. If it happened today who knows? All out tribal war.

Many of the tribes in Fiji would only allow the Chiefs to marry within the family to preserve "the kingly blood". Now it is the opposite. A man must marry outside of his village and the wife moves to his gaff.

I doubt whether the royalty of Europe are much more diversified although Grace and Diana dis a lot to improve that but clearly both should have worn seatbelts.

[HAL]

Thanks for telling me your taste in men.