Explorer made doomed attempt to convert tribe on remote island before he was tragically killed
On 17 November, 2018, missionary John Allen Chau was killed while attempting to convert a tribe of people living on North Sentinel Island to Christianity.
The missionary thought that North Sentinel Island, and the tribe of people living in voluntary isolation there, might be 'Satan's last stronghold on Earth'.
The Sentinelese people living on the island have met attempts to contact them with hostility - as pretty much every time someone has tried to visit them, they've been attacked, and there are times when intruders on the island have been killed.
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Since they clearly want to be left alone, the area has been declared a tribal reserve since 1956 and it's illegal to come within three miles of North Sentinel Island.
That didn't stop Chau, however, as he paid some fishermen to take him close to the island.
Writing in his journal beforehand he claimed that 'eternal lives of this tribe is at hand' and that he thought it was 'worthwhile to declare Jesus to these people'.
He also wrote that people should not be angry at anyone who might kill him, indicating that he knew his life would be at risk by trying to get to the island.
On 15 November, he got close enough to paddle himself the rest of the way in a kayak, and called out his name to the people on the island as well as telling them 'Jesus loves you'.
The islanders drove him away, but he later returned and made another attempt which was also unsuccessful.
Chau tried to sing songs of worship to the islanders and repeat their words back to them, and eventually arrows were shot at him - with one piercing even The Bible he was holding.
Despite all of this, he made another attempt on 17 November, and the fishermen who'd taken him to North Sentinel Island said they later saw people from the tribe burying his body on the beach.
Indian officials later made several efforts to recover his body, but all failed and it was decided not to trouble the Sentinelese more.
Chau himself was posthumously criticised for visiting the island and running the risk of spreading diseases among the Sentinelese which they would have no immunity to.
There have been accusations that the Sentinelese are a 'cannibal tribe', but past analysis of the bodies of people killed by them has indicated that they did not eat their victims.
Chau's family forgave the people who killed him, saying at the time: "He loved God, life, helping those in need and had nothing but love for the Sentinelese people.
"We forgive those reportedly responsible for his death."
Topics: World News, Travel
Joe Harker