Today in Focus Colonialism for clicks? The influencers targeting uncontacted tribes
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Oct 5, 2026 
Ecuadorian Kichwa Indigenous activist María José Andrade Cerda and Guardian feature writer Elle Hunt explore influencers pursuing contact with isolated Indigenous peoples. They discuss disease risks, illegal expeditions, colonial “savior” narratives, viral tribal tourism and the ethics of filming without consent. They also examine whether online fame can ever serve community needs, including a controversial clean-water collaboration.
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Influencers Target Voluntarily Isolated Peoples
- About 200 Indigenous groups worldwide live in voluntary isolation, mainly in South America.
- Survival International increasingly tracks influencers pursuing contact, adding digital fame to older threats from missionaries, governments, and corporations.
The YouTuber Who Landed On North Sentinel
- Mikhailo Polyakov funded repeated expeditions to North Sentinel Island despite a three-mile exclusion zone.
- After researching the risks himself, he made three attempts and ultimately landed on the island.
Why Contact Can Spread Catastrophic Disease
- Vaccination does not eliminate the danger of introducing unfamiliar diseases to isolated communities.
- Earlier Brazilian contact missions, even with protective intentions, reportedly wiped out large portions of Indigenous populations.
