Mykhailo Polyakov, man arrested in India for contacting ancient Sentinel tribe

A 24-year-old American tourist was arrested in India after illegally landing on North Sentinel Island, a protected territory home to one of the last uncontacted tribes on Earth.

Authorities said Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov crossed the sea using a modified inflatable boat, left offerings of Diet Coke and a coconut, filmed his brief visit, and returned to the mainland, where he was apprehended.

North Sentinel Island is part of India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. It has been off-limits since 1956 due to the extreme isolation of its Indigenous inhabitants, the Sentinelese.

Who are the sentinelese?

The Sentinelese are considered one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous tribes.

Anthropologists believe their ancestors may have lived on the island for over 50,000 years, with no significant contact with the outside world.

They live as hunter-gatherers, relying on the island’s dense forests and shallow coastal waters. They construct simple dwellings and use bows, arrows, and spears. The tribe communicates in a language that remains entirely undocumented and untranslatable.

Estimates put the population at between 50 and 150, though the Indian government has never conducted a census, respecting the tribe’s desire for isolation.

The Sentinelese have lived on their island for thousands of years and have no contact with the outside world. (Supplied: Survival International)

Why is the island off-limits?

In the wake of the 2004 tsunami this member of the Sentinelese tribe was photographed firing arrows at a helicopter. (Supplied: Indian Coastguard/Survival International)

In 1956, India declared North Sentinel Island a tribal reserve and prohibited anyone from approaching within five kilometres. The law was introduced to protect the tribe from diseases, to which they have no immunity, and to preserve their culture and safety.

To this day, Indian naval patrols strictly monitor the exclusion zone. Violations can result in fines, imprisonment, or both. Photography and video recordings of the tribe are also illegal under India’s Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act.

The risk of a modern virus, even a common flu, wiping out the Sentinelese remains high, according to health experts.

How Polyakov planned his trip?

Police say Polyakov arrived in Port Blair on March 26 and had been planning his visit in secret. He reportedly customised a motor onto an inflatable boat and set off alone before sunrise on March 29. GPS was used to navigate the 25-mile stretch of ocean separating the mainland from the island.

Once offshore, he spent nearly an hour blowing a whistle to attract attention from the shore. Seeing no movement, he stepped briefly onto the beach, dropped off a can of Diet Coke and a coconut, collected sand samples, and returned to sea.

He was arrested after fishermen near Kurma Dera beach spotted his return and alerted authorities. His GoPro footage confirmed his landing.

How India responds to intrusions?

A picture taken on an Indian government trip to the island. (Supplied: Andaman and Nicobar Police)

Indian officials have arrested and charged Polyakov under laws that protect Indigenous communities. A case has been registered for breaching tribal protections. Authorities say he is also being investigated for possible attempts to contact other tribes during previous visits to the region.

“He may have made contact with other vulnerable groups on Baratang Island earlier this year,” said an officer involved in the case. “We are questioning hotel staff and reviewing footage from his camera.”

The American embassy has been informed.

Contact with the tribe has rarely ended well

Historically, outsiders approaching the island have been met with hostility. In 2006, two fishermen were killed after their boat drifted into the island’s waters. In 2018, missionary John Allen Chau was shot with arrows and left on the beach after illegally attempting to convert the Sentinelese to Christianity.

Earlier attempts at contact date back to the British colonial period, with several ending in illness or violence. A British official in the 1880s kidnapped six Sentinelese, including children, to Port Blair. The two adults died, and the children were returned with gifts, further alienating the tribe.

Government efforts to establish friendly contact in the 1970s and 1980s were met with resistance. After a brief window of apparent tolerance in the early 1990s, the Indian government ceased visits altogether by 1996.

Experts say isolation has protected them

Survival International, a global Indigenous rights group, condemned Polyakov’s actions. “Even one outsider’s contact can prove fatal to a tribe like the Sentinelese,” said spokesperson Jonathan Mazower. “They’ve made it clear time and again: they want to be left alone.”

He added that the tribe’s ability to survive for millennia without outside interference is a testament to their self-sufficiency.

“The photos and footage we’ve seen over the years show they’re thriving. They are not a people who need saving — they need protecting,” Mazower said.