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[Gaborn]

For more than 150 years they have been fighting what seems like an irreversible decline. The Onge tribe of the Andaman Islands, which numbered 670 at the end of the 19th century, has gradually dwindled to about 100 members. Or at least that was the estimate before a group of the Sboriginal men apparently found what they thought was a bottle of alcohol washed ashore.

It was a fatal mistake; at least eight of the men have died after drinking what transpired to be poison. A further 15 are in hospital and one is critically ill. In an instant, the tribe's population has been slashed by almost 10 per cent. The discovery of the bottle was in effect an act of decimation.

"This is a calamity for the Onge," said Stephen Corry, the director of the London-based charity Survival. "If any more die, it could put the survival of the entire tribe in serious danger." The Onge are one of four indigenous tribes of the Andamans, a cluster of islands about 700 miles (1100km) south of the Indian mainland. Two of the tribes – the Jarawa and the Sentinelese – have no, or limited, contact with outsiders and the Greater Andamanese total just 50 people.

The numbers of the Onge have plunged since Britain established a penal colony in the Andamans in the 1850s. Reports suggest troops killed a number the tribe while at the same time the establishment of settlements saw more people encroaching on what had been their exclusive territory.

More recently, the threat has been that of alcohol. Much like the Aboriginal people of Australia and the Native Americans of the United States, alcohol has had a devastating effect on the former hunter-gatherer community, which is now dependent on food aid.

The Indian authorities have supposedly prohibited the sale of alcohol to the tribes but some shopkeepers are happy to profit from illicit sales.

"These guys are addicted to alcohol," said Denis Giles, a journalist and activist who lives on the islands. "The Jarawas and the Sentinelese do not consume alcohol. They are safe. But the Onge are picking up all the bad things from our society rather than giving us their good things."

The authorities have ordered an investigation to discover whether the men died after drinking poison that had been washed ashore – as has been reported – or from somewhere else.

A team of doctors was dispatched from the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Port Blair, to Dugong Creek, where the men were taken ill. Helicopters flew the sick to hospital.

The deaths of the tribes people highlights a seemingly ceaseless collision between the Andaman tribes and the outside world. The Onge now live on a reserve less than a third the size of their original territory. Settlers from the mainland have taken over much of Little Andaman, where the Onge live.

Deforestation is reducing their ability to hunt. Custom dictates that men kill a wild pig before they marry and the tribe claims their reduced ability to hunt hunt has led to fewer births.

The Jarawa are also fighting outside influence. A highway cuts through the tribe's reserve, bringing tourists and unwanted attention. It seems only the Sentinelese are safe. Always hostile to efforts by Indian authorities to make contact, the government now pursues a policy of leaving them alone on their own island, North Sentinel.

Story Here

What a tragedy

Spoiler

500 threads created by me though!

 

[sixteen-bit]

Spoiler

500 threads created by me though!

congrats

horrible story

 

[crowphoenix]

Oh, man. That really sucks.

 

[lil smoke]

which numbered 670 at the end of the 19th century, has gradually dwindled to about 100 members

That got my attention.

 

[Ferrio]

 

[CygnusXS]

One of the more tragic examples of "shit happens". Life is too random sometimes.

Deforestation is reducing their ability to hunt. Custom dictates that men kill a wild pig before they marry and the tribe claims their reduced ability to hunt hunt has led to fewer births.

That's kind of shocking to me. I understand the importance of tradition, but if they feel that their impaired ability to adhere to custom is hindering their survival, maybe it's time to adapt?

 

[kaizoku]

They don't have enough people to qualify as some kind of seperate race or people do they?

Why don't they make more effort to integrate with you know...modern civilization? Its all very well being one with nature and all that, but lets be honest they're bloody miserable, and they stay that way because the rest of us treat them like endangered rabbits.

Just finding it weird, if say a group of ancient egyptians travelled through time and settled in a tiny part of the world, they would not be left alone like some wildlife reserve.

Are they just resistant or are we just not willing to integrate them anymore than the occassional aid and visitor?

 

[Gaborn]

They don't have enough people to qualify as some kind of seperate race or people do they?

Why don't they make more effort to integrate with you know...modern civilization? Its all very well being one with nature and all that, but lets be honest they're bloody miserable, and they stay that way because the rest of us treat them like endangered rabbits.

Just finding it weird, if say a group of ancient egyptians travelled through time and settled in a tiny part of the world, they would not be left alone like some wildlife reserve.

Are they just resistant or are we just not willing to integrate them anymore than the occassional aid and visitor?

When I was checking to see if this story was posted I found this related story. The Onge might be different because of their closer proximity and contact to modern civilization but...

 

[industrian]

 

[speculawyer]

That John Frum is a devil, not a god!

 

[Dr_Cogent]

Survival of the fittest. Don't drink of strange bottles I guess?

 

[Koomaster]

the tribe's population has been slashed by almost 10 per cent. The discovery of the bottle was in effect an act of decimation.

I don't know why I'm so thrilled to see 'decimation' being used nearly correctly. It's not a true decimation, but it's pretty darn close.

Anyway, I wonder if the person who wrote the article was excited too?

 

[Jamesfrom818]

First thing that popped into my head

 

[PhoenixDark]

The story boozes with sadness

 

[Dark Octave]

I see a photoshop or two in this thread's future.

:lol Also, are they normally just dirty as fuck, like that?

 

[StriKeVillain]

No CSI yet? For shame.

 

[joeblackisback]

Survival of the fittest. Don't drink of strange bottles I guess?

Seriously. I find it hard to weep for a tribe where 10% of the population thinks its okay to pick up bottles off the ground and not only drink from them, but pass them around. Good riddance, my tribal homeys.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

 

[lil smoke]

:lol Also, are they normally just dirty as fuck, like that?

I wasn't sure if he is dead from the liquor or if he's just laying back chillin out. It's like damn at least bury this dude.

 

[Gaborn]

I wasn't sure if he is dead from the liquor or if he's just laying back chillin out. It's like damn at least bury this dude.

Judging by the photo caption he's just chilling.