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© Salomé/Survival |
The Andaman Islands are home to four 'Negrito' tribes – the Great
Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese. The Nicobar Islands are home
to two 'Mongoloid' tribes – the Shompen and Nicobarese.
The 'Negrito' tribes are believed to have arrived in the islands from
Africa up to 60,000 years ago. All are nomadic hunter-gatherers,
hunting wild pig and monitor lizard, and catching fish with bows and
arrows. They also collect honey, roots and berries from the forest.
The 'Mongoloid' tribes probably came to the islands from the Malay-Burma coast several thousand years ago.
- Great Andamanese: Population 43. The tribe that has suffered most
from contact with outsiders: 99% have been wiped out since the British
first colonized the islands. Before the tsunami they lived in a
government settlement and were dependent on government aid. They have
just been moved to the islands' capital, Port Blair, as their village
was badly damaged in the tsunami.
- Onge: Population 100. Their forest home has been plundered by
poachers and loggers. They were settled by the Indian administration
and are dependent on food handouts. The 73 Onge living at Dugong Creek
fled to high ground when they saw the sea level fall, and so survived.
- Jarawa: Population about 270. Have only had peaceful contact with
outsiders for six years. They live on the west coast of South and
Middle Andaman, and are believed to have survived the tsunami. They are
still completely independent and live entirely by hunting, gathering
and fishing. The main threat to their existence comes from the highway
running through their territory: the Indian government was ordered to
close this by the Supreme Court in 2002, but it has ignored the order.
- Sentinelese: Population estimated at 50-250. The most isolated of all
the tribes, they have no peaceful contact with outsiders, and fire
warning arrows at those who approach. Their home, Sentinel Island,
appears to have been relatively unaffected by the tsunami, and some
Sentinelese have been sighted since the disaster. They are completely
self-sufficient hunter-gatherers.
- Shompen: Population 380. A relatively isolated tribe of Great Nicobar
Island, the Shompen are hunter-gatherers who have some, limited,
contact with outsiders. Overflights of their territory suggest their
forest has been little damaged, raising hopes that the tribe has
survived more or less intact.
- Nicobarese: Population 30,000. Unlike the other tribes, the
Nicobarese are largely horticulturalists. Most have converted to
Christianity, and are much more assimilated than the other Andaman and
Nicobar tribes, but still maintain their own distinct culture. The
Nicobarese have also suffered much more from the tsunami. All 12
villages on one island, Car Nicobar, have been washed away, and many
are feared dead.
A note on terminology: the tribal people of the Andaman and Nicobar
islands are neither 'primitive' nor living in the 'stone age'. Their
way of life has not remained unchanged for thousands of years. Like all
peoples, their cultures have been continuously evolving. There is no
reason why the tribes cannot both survive and thrive, as long as their
lands and resources are secure.
Survival's Andaman campaigners, Sophie Grig and Miriam Ross, have both
spent several weeks in the Andamans, and are in close touch with
contacts there. Tel (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email mr@survival-international.org
Photos and footage available.
