Are all isolated tribes destined for extinction? (war, events, colonization)

[Rocko20]

I was thinking about the long history of the isolated Sentinelese tribe. I'm surprised they've been able to survive throughout history with little to no modern medicine or science, but reportedly their population is anywhere from a dozen people to hundreds of them.

Save for any tpe of invasion or colonization, are all isolated tribes destined for extinction? It certainly seems there is just a matter of time before a "western germ/bacteria" makes contact and wrecks havoc or a possible tsunami hits in such areas like it did several years ago for those living on islands.

[2x3x29x41]

Originally Posted by Rocko20

I was thinking about the long history of the isolated Sentinelese tribe. I'm surprised they've been able to survive throughout history with little to no modern medicine or science, but reportedly their population is anywhere from a dozen people to hundreds of them.

Save for any tpe of invasion or colonization, are all isolated tribes destined for extinction? It certainly seems there is just a matter of time before a "western germ/bacteria" makes contact and wrecks havoc or a possible tsunami hits in such areas like it did several years ago for those living on islands.

Yes, I would say so.

If not a pathogen or a natural disaster then a cultural intrusion. Maybe a new Indian government changes its policies, or the tribe for whatever reason alters its 'kill all outsiders' policy. It won't take much, and there's no going back once it happens.

Modernization - and by that I mean everything dating back to the advent of agriculture and civilization - leads increasingly towards a homogeneous world.

[Chango]

Humanity itself is destined for extinction... all things change and no human society or even species of life remains the same forever.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by Rocko20

I was thinking about the long history of the isolated Sentinelese tribe. I'm surprised they've been able to survive throughout history with little to no modern medicine or science, but reportedly their population is anywhere from a dozen people to hundreds of them.

Save for any tpe of invasion or colonization, are all isolated tribes destined for extinction? It certainly seems there is just a matter of time before a "western germ/bacteria" makes contact and wrecks havoc or a possible tsunami hits in such areas like it did several years ago for those living on islands.

Here's a calculation for you:

https://www.newscientist.com/article...rs-calculated/

"The 'magic number' of people needed to create a viable population for multi-generational space travel has been calculated by researchers. It is about the size of a small village – 160. But with some social engineering it might even be possible to halve this to 80."

That gives us a ballpark number we could apply to any isolated group. Of course, it would assume a certain level of medical care available.

What we don't know is the social structure of the Sentinelese. For example, could they have a clan structure that prevents inbreeding? I suspect the Sentinelese have survived many natural disasters.

[msgsing]

Universally humankind has been close to extinction many times through our evolution in this world. Natural disaster, famine, diseases like the influenza and the black death. Not to mention devastating global war and genocide. Perhaps in the end one final twist of fate or catastrophe will wipe us out just as effectively as some isolated tribe struggling to survive.

[antinimby]

Life is full of irony. Wouldn't surprise me that some kind of cataclysmic disaster befalls the world's civilization and the lone survivors end up being these isolated tribes.

[SunGrins]

If an isolated tribe lives in a place with some sort of resources that civilization wants they are doomed, or at least their isolated life and culture are doomed. Once Karaoke arrives, all is lost.