Hidden Pieces of Humanity: Learning About Uncontacted Peoples

Written by: Hanning Yan Edited by: Carine Medellus

Photo taken from alamy

From the phones that we use to access the Internet, to the cars we drive everywhere, and the planes we take across the ocean, our lives are incredibly connected. Each day, modern technology provides the possibility of interaction with many people from different places and backgrounds. A life without these connections seems unimaginable. Remarkably, there still exist tribes of people throughout the world that have no contact with the outside world!

These tribes are referred to as “uncontacted peoples,” groups without continued contact with any outsiders. We, you and I, are not invited! Because of this, it’s difficult for researchers to predict how many uncontacted tribes exist. Some estimate around one to two hundred, mostly living in South America or on islands in the South Pacific Ocean, where water makes their isolation easy to defend. There are a few groups that are more well-studied than others, but the most famous are the Sentinelese people!

The Sentinelese live on North Sentinel Island, a tropical forest island surrounded by the waters of the Indian Ocean. Scientists predict that they have lived there for years before being detected in 1771 by British sailors. Researchers think that negative early experiences with Europeans led to severe illness for the Sentinelese people, which contributed to their fierce resistance to outsiders. They have been separated for so long that neighboring groups are unable to understand their language!

Throughout history, they have maintained a similar lifestyle, eating animals like boar and turtle, fishing and harvesting crabs, as well as eating native plants and fruits on the island. They are protected by the Indian government through strict laws preventing outsiders from passing through the nearby waters. From one approved visit in 1967, we learned that they live in huts, facing each other, and take care of small, shared fires outside their homes. They build small canoes, which they use to navigate the waters near the island. 

It’s difficult to learn any more than this, because the Sentinelese people haven’t let outsiders onto or even near the island for decades. We can wonder what life is like on North Sentinel Island, and scientists will continue to seek information about a different way of life than our own. Still, it may be something we’ll never know!

References

1. Bullard, Eric. “Sentinelese | EBSCO.” EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.ebsco.com, 2025, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/sentinelese.

2. Smith, Kiona N. “Everything We Know about the Isolated Sentinelese People of North Sentinel Island.” Forbes, 30 Nov. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2018/11/30/everything-we-know-about-the-isolated-sentinelese-people-of-north-sentinel-island/.

3. Survival International, and Survival International. “Sentinelese.” Survivalinternational.org, 2025, survivalinternational.org/peoples/sentinelese.