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US Tourist Arrested After Attempting to Contact Uncontacted Tribe in India
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, a 24-year-old American aspiring YouTuber and self-proclaimed “danger tourist,” was apprehended by Indian authorities after reportedly trying to reach out to one of the world’s few remaining uncontacted Indigenous tribes. The incident occurred on March 29, when Polyakov returned from an overnight venture to North Sentinel Island, the habitat of approximately 100 Sentinelese individuals. His trip involved an extensive planning process, including multiple reconnaissance trips and a perilous 23-mile journey across treacherous Indian Ocean waters in a modified inflatable raft equipped with an outboard motor.
According to officials, after arriving offshore, Polyakov spent about an hour signaling the Sentinelese with a whistle. He eventually made landfall for approximately five minutes, during which he recorded video footage with a GoPro camera, collected sand as a keepsake, and left behind a coconut and a can of Coca-Cola as offerings. His brief interaction with the beach ended without a meeting with the tribe, which, fortuitously, may have spared him from the fate of previous intruders who were killed by the Sentinelese over the past two decades.
North Sentinel Island is home to around 100 remaining members of the Sentinelese tribe. Credit: DirectGlobe via Getty Images
Globally, there are believed to be around 100-200 uncontacted Indigenous tribes, among which the Sentinelese are among the most renowned for their voluntary isolation and the protection afforded to them by international law. Existing on the densely forested North Sentinel Island, which is roughly the size of Manhattan, they have reportedly lived there for over 55,000 years.
While sensational headlines occasionally depict Sentinelese hostility, attempts to contact them are illegal and pose significant risks, not just to the visitors but to the tribe itself. Historical and medical evidence suggests that isolated communities are extraordinarily susceptible to diseases brought in by outsiders, which could have devastating consequences.
Caroline Pearce, the director of the advocacy organization Survival International, stressed the impact of such reckless actions. “Uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common diseases like the flu or measles, which could lead to their extinction,” she noted in a statement.
Interventions with isolated tribes are conducted cautiously and only under essential circumstances. Recently, a member of an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon purposefully approached a nearby Brazilian village, prompting a swift response from experts to protect the individual’s health and well-being.
“It’s astonishing that someone could act so recklessly,” Pearce commented. “This individual not only jeopardized his own safety, but also the lives of every individual in the Sentinelese tribe.”
Despite existing prohibitions on contact, many uncontacted tribes continue to face threats from expanding economic projects, deforestation, and encroachment on their lands. Pearce highlighted the contradiction within the Indian government’s policies, especially regarding the fate of Indigenous communities such as the Shompen of Great Nicobar Island, whom she warned could face existential threats due to development plans that aim to transform their territory into a major urban center, dubbed “the Hong Kong of India.”
“It underscores a broader issue—governments must respect international laws and the rights of uncontacted peoples to their land,” Pearce added, advocating for stronger protections.
The legal outcome for Polyakov, who has also documented visits to regions controlled by the Taliban in his YouTube content, remains uncertain. Engaging with isolated tribes is prohibited in India, as is any photography or recording of them. If convicted, he may face a prison sentence of three to five years for his actions.
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