One of the copycat objections to John Chau's abortive effort to evangelize the Sentinelese is that his very presence endangered their existence. However, one problem with that objection is that, to my knowledge, you can't infect someone unless you're a carrier, and he'd been vaccinated for multiple contagious diseases.
But there's another side to the issue. From what I've read, he majored in sports medicine. So there's a comparative risk assessment. On the one hand there's the hypothetical risk that he himself was a biohazard. From what I can tell, that's a low risk.
On the other hand, there's the risk of a people-group with no access to modern medicine. Ironically, I expect most of Chau's critics insist that healthcare is a human right and clamor for universal healthcare.
What's the average life expectancy for humans living in the wild with no access to modern medicine? What's the rate of infant mortality among the Sentinelese? Or the rate of women who die in childbirth?
Consider infection from cuts. No antibiotics or antivirals.
I wonder if the Sentinel islands have venomous snakes, and crocodiles.
Mortality aside, there's quality of life issue. Absent modern medicine, consider impacted wisdom teeth, or a broken leg that doesn't heal property because it wasn't set properly. Consider life without painkillers.
For that matter, they could be wiped out by a typhoon without warning–since they don't listen to weather reports or have the ability to evacuate.
The Gospel aside, there are great benefits for a primitive people-group to have a medical missionary in their midst. And even though Chau's abilities would be limited, had he been able to befriend them, he could bring in additional resources from the outside.
It’s ironic that so many of those attacking Chau are the racists, endorsing the old noble savage myth.
ReplyDeleteChau believed the Sentinelese are people, sinners, like all people.
For the critics the Sentinelese are like an extinct species: look, don’t touch. We can’t expect them to not kill people cause, well, they just don’t know what we know.
Amazing that all these “anti-imperialists” are jumping onto the same boat as old Tacitus: “Look at those savages over there! Isn’t there way of life tragically beautiful?!”
Just to add a couple of brief points for now:
ReplyDelete1. "The salt water or Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the only crocodile species found here. The Water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator andamanises) is an endemic subspecies and attains a length of about 3m from nose to tail. Out of 40 species of snakes recorded here, 10 are venomous. These include the King Cobra, Andaman Cobra, Pit Vipers, Andaman Krait and sea-snakes. The Reticulate Python is the largest of the non-poisonous snakes and is found only in the Nicobar islands."
There's more information on other fauna here.
2. Chau mentions he finished a NOLS Wilderness-EMT course which presumably means he's a widerness emergency medical technician (certified).
That means the Sentinelese have no access to antivenom in case of snakebite.
DeleteLack of access to suitable anti-venom is actually a world-wide problem: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/who-gears-up-to-solve-the-worlds-antivenom-crisis/3009205.article
Delete1. Of course, there’s a huge difference between a “shortage” of antivenim vs. zero access to and availability of antivenom. The Sentinelese face the latter.
Delete2. The WHO or a vocal segment of the WHO has a progressive axe to grind. For example, they don’t wish to use certain animals to produce antivenom. It’d be against their rights as animals. Despite the fact that that would potentially save many human lives and potentially close the shortfall.
Do you think the Sentinelese individual(s) who killed John Chau should be prosecuted?
ReplyDeletei) I doubt we can determine who did it.
Deleteii) Even in parts of the Western world, it's legal to shoot an intruder for trespassing. So I don't know if it qualifies as murder from a legal standpoint.