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John Allen Chau

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John Allen Chau
Born(1991-12-18)December 18, 1991[1]
Scottsboro, Alabama, U.S.
DiedNovember 17, 2018(2018-11-17) (aged 26)
North Sentinel Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Burial placeNorth Sentinel Island
NationalityAmerican
EducationOral Roberts University[2]
OccupationChristian missionary

John Allen Chau (December 18, 1991 – November 17, 2018) was an American evangelical Christian missionary who was killed by the Sentinelese, a tribe in voluntary isolation, after illegally traveling to North Sentinel Island in an attempt to introduce the tribe to Christianity.[3][4]

Early life

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Chau was born on December 18, 1991, in Scottsboro, Alabama, the third and youngest child of Lynda Adams-Chau, an organizer for Chi Alpha, and Patrick Chau, a Chinese-American psychiatrist who left China during the Cultural Revolution.[5] Chau grew up in Vancouver, Washington and attended Vancouver Christian high school. He admired numerous explorers and missionaries including David Livingstone and Bruce Olson.[6]

He attended Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, where he managed the university soccer team,[7] and graduated cum laude in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in exercise science.[8]

Before 2018, Chau had participated in missionary trips to Mexico, South Africa and Iraqi Kurdistan. He first traveled to the Andaman Islands in 2015 and 2016 as part of his missionary trips, but did not visit North Sentinel Island at that time.[6]

Contact with Sentinelese and death

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In 2017, Chau participated in 'boot camp' missionary training by the Kansas City-based evangelical organization All Nations.[9] According to a report by The New York Times, the training included navigating a mock native village populated by missionary staff members who pretended to be hostile natives, wielding fake spears.[10] During that year, he reportedly expressed his interest in converting the Sentinelese.

In October 2018, Chau traveled to and established his residence at Port Blair, capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he prepared an initial contact kit including picture cards for communication, gifts for Sentinelese people, medical equipment, and other necessities.[6] In August 2018, the Indian Home Ministry had removed 29 inhabited islands in Andaman and Nicobar from the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime, in an attempt to promote tourism.[11][12] However, visiting North Sentinel Island without government permission remained illegal under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956.[13][14][15]

In November, Chau embarked on a journey to North Sentinel Island, which he thought could be "Satan's last stronghold on Earth",[16] with the aim of contacting and living among the Sentinelese.[17][9] In preparation for the trip, he was vaccinated and quarantined,[18] and also undertook medical and linguistic training.[19]

Chau paid two fishermen ₹25,000 (equivalent to ₹33,000 or US$400 in 2023) to take him near the island.[20] The fishermen were later arrested.[21]

Chau expressed a clear desire to convert the tribe and was aware of the legal and mortal risks he was taking by his efforts, writing in his diary, "Lord, is this island Satan's last stronghold, where none have heard or even had the chance to hear your name?", "The eternal lives of this tribe is at hand", and "I think it's worthwhile to declare Jesus to these people. Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed ... Don't retrieve my body."[22][23][24]

On November 15, Chau attempted his first visit in a fishing boat, which took him about 500–700 meters (1,600–2,300 ft) from shore.[20] The fishermen warned Chau not to go farther, but he canoed toward shore with a waterproof Bible. As he approached, he attempted to communicate with the islanders[25] and to offer gifts, but he retreated after facing hostile responses.[24][26]

On another visit, Chau recorded that the islanders reacted to him with a mixture of amusement, bewilderment, and hostility. He attempted to sing worship songs to them, and spoke to them in Xhosa, after which they often fell silent. Other attempts to communicate such as echoing the tribesmen's words ended with them bursting into laughter, making Chau theorize that they were cursing at him.[26] Chau stated they communicated with "lots of high-pitched sounds" and gestures.[27] Eventually, according to Chau's last letter, when he tried to hand over fish and gifts, a boy shot a metal-headed arrow that pierced the Bible he was holding in front of his chest, after which he retreated again.

On his final visit, on November 17, Chau instructed the fishermen to abandon him.[28] The fishermen later saw the islanders dragging Chau's body, and the next day they saw his body being buried on the shore.[20]

Aftermath

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Upon learning about Chau's death, the fishermen returned to Port Blair and gave Chau's diary to his friend, also a Christian preacher, residing in the capital city.[20] He informed Chau's family in the U.S., who contacted the Consulate General of the United States in Chennai for assistance.[20] The Andaman government was notified on November 19.[20] On November 21, the Director General of Police issued a statement on the restrictions on public access to North Sentinel Island.[20]

Despite efforts by Indian authorities, which involved a tense encounter with the tribe, Chau's body was not recovered.[9] Indian officials made several attempts to recover the body but eventually abandoned those efforts. An anthropologist involved in the case told The Guardian that the risk of a dangerous clash between investigators and the islanders was too great to justify any further attempts.[29] A murder case was opened following his death.[30]

Chau was criticized by Survival International among others for visiting the island despite the possibility of introducing pathogens to the native Sentinelese, to whom they could have been deadly since it was likely that the natives had not been previously exposed to diseases from outside the island.[5][31][32][33] All Nations, the evangelical organization that trained Chau, was criticized on social media for describing Chau as a martyr while expressing condolences for Chau's death. Chau's father also blamed his son's death on the missionary community for inculcating an extreme Christian vision in Chau.[6]

In response to Chau's death, M. Sasikumar of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies questioned the legal charge of murder and what he perceived as a romanticized version of the incident in the media. He wrote that the incident should instead serve as a warning that the "eyes-only" policy with regard to the Sentinelese needs to be more strictly enforced, and include the local fishermen in order to prevent a repetition.[3]

Michael Schönhuth, professor for cultural anthropology at the University of Trier, Germany, found the media response to Chau's killing of cultural interest. He wrote that the narratives that emerged were part of a larger discussion regarding the proper relationship between the modern world and the remaining isolated indigenous peoples. Schönhuth wrote that contacting isolated people groups such as the Sentinelese still remains a controversial subject matter, even among experts. However, uncontrolled contact, as in the case of Chau, is forbidden because of the significant risk of lethal infections against the unprotected immune system of isolated communities.[34]

The 2023 National Geographic documentary film The Mission explores Chau's life.[35][36]

References

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  1. ^ "Christian Martyr: John Allen Chau". Covenant Journey. November 21, 2018. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  2. ^ Gettleman, Jeffrey; Kumar, Hari; Schultz, Kai (November 23, 2018). "A Man's Last Letter Before Being Killed on a Forbidden Island". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Sasikumar, M. (2019). "The Sentinelese of North Sentinel island: A reappraisal of tribal scenario in an Andaman Island in the context of killing of an American Preacher". Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India. 68 (1): 56–69. doi:10.1177/2277436X19844882.
  4. ^ McKirdy, Euan (November 22, 2018). "'You guys might think I'm crazy': Diary of US 'missionary' reveals last days in remote island". CNN. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Perry, Alex (July 24, 2019). "The Last Days of John Allen Chau". Outside. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Conroy, J. Oliver (February 3, 2019). "The life and death of John Chau, the man who tried to convert his killers". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. ^ ORU Men's Soccer [@orumsoccer] (November 21, 2018). "We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of John Chau. John served as a team manager for #ORUMSoc during his time at ORU. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and all of those who knew him at this time" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ "Reflections On Alumnus John Chau". Oral Roberts University. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Police face off with Sentinelese tribe as they struggle to recover slain missionary's body". News.com.au. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  10. ^ Gettleman, Jeffrey (November 30, 2018). "John Chau aced missionary boot camp. Reality proved a harsher test". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  11. ^ "Restricted Area Permit eased for foreigners visiting 29 Andaman and Nicobar Islands". gktoday.in. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  12. ^ "NCST to visit A&N Islands from 4th to 6th December 2018, to investigate and monitor the issue of U.S. national feared killed by protected tribes" (Press release). November 28, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Press Information Bureau (pib.gov.in).
  13. ^ "Protecting the Sentinelese". Drishti IAS. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  14. ^ "Primitive tribals in hilly / forest areas" (Press release). Ministry of Tribal Affairs. December 2, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Press Information Bureau (pib.gov.in).
  15. ^ Osborne, Mark; Joglekar, Rahul (November 26, 2018). "John Allen Chau detailed efforts to convert islanders to Christianity in final diary entries: 'You guys might think I'm crazy'". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  16. ^ Gjelten, Tom (November 27, 2018). "Killing of American missionary ignites debate over how to evangelize". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020 – via NPR.org.
  17. ^ Bonner, David (December 8, 2018). "John Allen Chau is no Jim Elliot. The story of John Chau illustrates the dangers of indoctrination in evangelical culture and being naïve". Wondering Eagle (blog). Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020 – via WordPress.
  18. ^ "What John Allen Chau's missions agency wants you to know". Christianity Today. November 28, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  19. ^ Stetzer, Ed (November 28, 2018). "Slain missionary John Chau prepared much more than we thought, but are missionaries still fools?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g Banerjie, Monideepa (November 22, 2018). "American paid fishermen Rs. 25,000 for fatal trip to Andamans island". New Delhi Television. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  21. ^ Eustachewich, Lia (November 23, 2018). "Cops arrest suspects believed to help US missionary on fatal trip". The New York Post. Archived from the original on November 24, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  22. ^ Slater, Joanna (November 23, 2018). "'Satan's last stronghold ... ?' U.S. man wrote before death on Andaman island". New Delhi Television. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  23. ^ Chavez, Nicole (November 25, 2018). "Indian authorities struggle to retrieve U.S. missionary feared killed on remote island". CNN. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  24. ^ a b "US tourist killed by tribe in Andaman and Nicobar's North Sentinel Island, seven arrested in connection with murder". firstpost.com. November 21, 2018. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  25. ^ Slater, Joanna (November 21, 2018). "'God, I don't want to die', U.S. missionary wrote before he was killed by remote tribe on Indian island". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  26. ^ a b Gettleman, Jeffrey; Kumar, Hari; Schultz, Kai (November 23, 2018). "A man's last letter before being killed on a forbidden island". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  27. ^ Slater, Joanna; Gowen, Annie (November 23, 2018). "Fear and faith: Inside the last days of an American missionary died on tribe's remote Indian Ocean island". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  28. ^ "U.S. man killed by remote tribe was trying to spread Christianity". South China Morning Post. Reuters. November 22, 2018. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018. Notes by John Allen Chau, shot dead with arrows last week on India's North Sentinel Island, show he hoped to 'establish the kingdom of Jesus on the island'. Chau's notes reveal bafflement at 'aggressive' responses from the tribe when he had 'been so nice to them'.
  29. ^ Safi, Michael; Giles, Denis (November 28, 2018). "India has no plans to recover body of US missionary killed by tribe". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  30. ^ "John Allen Chau: 'Incredibly dangerous' to retrieve body from North Sentinel". BBC News. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  31. ^ Elonai, Maisha (November 28, 2018). "John Allen Chau was brave. He was also reckless". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  32. ^ "Statement on killing of American man John Allen Chau by Sentinelese tribe, Andaman Islands" (Press release). Survival International. November 21, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2020 – via survivalinternational.org.
  33. ^ "Missionary claims that John Chau did not pose a threat to the Sentinelese – Survival responds" (Press release). Survival International. November 29, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2020 – via survivalinternational.org.
  34. ^ Schönhuth, M. (2019). "Dead missionaries, wild Sentinelese: An anthropological review of a global media event". Anthropology Today. 35 (4): 3–6. doi:10.1111/1467-8322.12514.
  35. ^ "National Geographic Documentary Films Dates Theatrical Release for The Mission". Business Wire. August 31, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  36. ^ "Behind evangelist Chau's fatal mission to the Sentinelese". Frontline. February 3, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
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