Copyright VICE
There was a time when “travel influencer” meant someone living in Bali for six months, sharing discount codes and drone shots. Now, some creators are searching for content in places that have survived centuries without any contact with outsiders—and the result could erase entire indigenous tribes. A report from Survival International, titled Uncontacted Indigenous Peoples: At the Edge of Survival, warns that social media influencers are endangering uncontacted tribes by entering restricted territories and exposing residents to deadly diseases. Videos by VICE The group estimates that 196 uncontacted communities remain worldwide, 95 percent of them in the Amazon. Around 90 are at immediate risk from missionaries, illegal miners, and, increasingly, influencers with GoPros and poor judgment. “The results of contact are catastrophic,” Survival International wrote. “The devastating and predictable deaths of children, parents, siblings, and friends on a genocidal scale.” Even minimal exposure, the report says, can wipe out entire groups through infections they have no immunity against. It’s an outcome seen throughout colonial history. Among those called out is British YouTuber Miles Routledge, who allegedly bragged about plans to sneak onto India’s North Sentinel Island. The island is home to the Sentinelese, who are widely considered the most isolated tribe on Earth. Visiting the island, or even approaching within three nautical miles, is illegal. In April, American influencer Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov spent nine hours crossing open water in a rubber dinghy with an outboard motor, trying to reach North Sentinel Island. Once close to shore, he reportedly blew a whistle to get the tribe’s attention and left a Diet Coke and a coconut as “offerings.” Indian police intercepted him soon after and placed him under arrest. The Sentinelese have made their stance clear for hundreds of years. In 2018, they killed an American missionary who entered their territory in an attempt to convert them. Yet viral culture keeps pulling people back. Each new stunt spawns a flood of hashtags and reaction videos that glorify the risk and invite copycats. Survival International says half of the world’s remaining uncontacted tribes could disappear within a decade if governments fail to enforce no-contact policies. Illegal fishing, deforestation, and proselytizing missions already threaten their existence. Now, clout has joined the list. “These peoples are not living entertainment,” the charity wrote. “Their lives and rights cannot be exchanged for likes on TikTok or subscriptions to YouTube channels.” In the race for online fame, creators are mistaking human beings for content.
