This is a clear example of bureaucrats getting so focused on their task that they miss the forest for the trees. They need to have a little conversation with themselves.
We need to get an accurate count of the Sentinelese!
Q: Why do we even do the census in the first place?
A:Well, as a society we’ve decided that, knowing how many people we have, and where they are, and some other important demographics about them makes it easier and more efficient for the government to effectively serve to the people.
Q: Are the Sentinelese going to benefit in any way from this?
A: Well, no, but…
THEN YOU DON’T NEED TO COUNT THEM!
But if I count those people I get a bigger budget!
—Some bureaucrat
how to count Indigenous people who strongly resist contact with the outside world
How about fucking not counting them? Is this kind of a joke?
Drop a large bowl of candy on their shore with a sign that says “one candy per child” and then come back the next day and count how many were taken.
Always make we wonder, how would I feel if one day I woke to the fact that aliens, orders of magnitude more advanced, were protecting Earth from their influence. I can’t internalize the difference in a stone age tribe and my life now. Logically, yes. Emotionally, no even close.
For those saying we shouldn’t bother, I’d counter that we want to know how they’re doing. If the population drops steeply, that’s a cause for concern. Maybe the modern world we’re protecting them from slipped in.
