Spell It: Discover the world’s most isolated tribes

Imagine never even hearing of the internet, or of cars and buses, or even the mobile phone. There exist people around the world, for whom time remains untouched by technology or modern progress.

Click start to play today’s Spell It, where you can create the word “tribe” with the letters provided.

Isolated tribes have been found high in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, surrounded by water in islands off India and deep inside the Amazon and Congo rainforests. While they create a natural curiosity among anthropologists, these hidden tribes are generally acknowledged to have a right to their land and to self-determination.

Here are a few tribes that still live, cut off from contact with the rest of humanity:

1. Sentinelese, Andaman Islands, India

As the world’s most isolated tribe, the Sentinelese are known to be a hunter-gatherer society. No one knows how many members the tribe holds (estimates put them at 250), and attempted contact has often resulted in them reacting in a hostile manner. They often shoot arrows at approaching people, and even killed a 26-year-old American adventure blogger and evangelical missionary in 2018. Anthropologists discovered that the tribesmen repurposed iron discovered from nearby shipwrecks, into tools, but little else is known about them.

2. Asaro Mud Men, Goroka, Papua New Guinea

This tribe was discovered about 75 years ago. They are called ‘mud men’ because the tribe members usually cover themselves in mud, and wear oversized masks, for a dual purpose: to resemble the spirits that they worship and to shock and intimidate other indigenous tribes. In the local language, they are referred to as the “holosa” (which translates to “ghosts”) because they are usually seen emerging from the jungle like a slow, lethally quiet wave of white, with arrows nocked in their bows, and spears and clubs at the ready.

3. The Uncontacted Frontier, Latin America

The highest concentration of uncontacted tribes on Earth live along the borders of Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. From the Isconahua to Mascho-Piro, the tribes know no borders and often cross from one country to another as part of their nomadic lifestyle. While not much is known about them, they have been known to reject contact due to horrific violence and disease brought in by outsiders. The tribes have been known to react aggressively when defending themselves, and often leave signs in the forest, warning people to stay away from their territories.

What do you think of these isolated tribes? Play today’s Spell It and let us know at games@gulfnews.com.