Mincaye/Mincayani is a murderer who should be rotting in a cell. If I speared a bunch of people I'd be sent to prison.
Waiting for the first fool to give him a pass because murdering friendly strangers was part of his "culture" or whatever.
I'll be the tool.
Indigenous peoples aren't exactly held to the law in that country. Quite simply, they aren't citizens of that country. Stuff like that has happened since. It turns into a political football that no-one wants.
Do you hold a tribe that has no connection with the world encroaching on it to laws that are made by that world?
In the wild, which is where the missionaries were, you pay your monies, you take your chances.
They knew there was the risk. The Wao people considered the strangers a threat. They were defending themselves as best they knew how. You could try to hold them to the standard of the law, but they wouldn't understand it.
It's not as simple as you try to make it out to be.
Studios do not care if the population likes it, as long as they are paying to see it. blackmamba
@Pimperator, I am a Christian and while I have deep respect for the actions of the missionaries (I don't think that if I were in their shoes, I would have ever been able to forgive), I have to agree with you. Mincaye is obviously guilty of murder (it's irrelevant that this happened more than 50 years ago) and in an ideal world he (and the other tribesmen who were involved) would have been arrested and indicted for murder. Even a 10-year old kid (in the Western world) would have faced some sort of punishment if he/she had committed a murder.
@BilligerVogel provided a very good explanation (it's akin to this case:
http://digitaljournal.com/article/180868)
I don't think that the Sentinelese were ever prosecuted for the murders of these fishermen (the North Sentinel Island that they inhabit is technically under Indian control, but in practice they are allowed complete autonomy over their own affairs).
Btw, Mincaye has travelled to the United States on a number of occasions (in the 2000s). I wonder what would have happened if the US authorities had decided to incarcerate him and prosecute him for the murders of US citizens. It doesn't matter that Steve Saint (and probably some of the other descendants of the American missionaries) would have likely refused to press any charges.
Hi Ernest!
I was privileged enough to get to see Mincaye and Steve at one of their stops in Orlando Fl. Really good guys, and Mincaye's take on our culture is pretty humorous as well as eye-opening.
On the subject of murder and U.S. prosecution:
No purpose would be served in prosecuting those responsible today, excepting to exonerate Mincaye and crew. Being these were indigenous peoples, they would be seen as a somewhat sovereign nation. The missionaries, no matter how good their intent, were, simply put, intruders on Wao lands. The case for self-defense could be made.
God's justice is so much more than our own. In this case, the end result for the Wao people was a greatly beneficial outcome, rather than the bloodbath that surely would have resulted had Ecuadorian authorities invaded the jungles intent on capturing the Waos responsible. (And of course, as we know, the original Ecuadorian solution to the 'Auca problem' was a bloodbath. Just the thing that Nate and company were trying to avoid.)
The fact that The missionaries' relatives did not call for revenge was what spoke to the Waos. In Wao culture, there was no concept for forgiveness.
Studios do not care if the population likes it, as long as they are paying to see it. blackmamba
Hey BilligerVogel!
Fascinating that you got the chance to hear them speak (I am guessing that Mincaye conversed in his native tongue).
I like your take on the whole issue, though as you yourself imply it's not a clearcut case of self-defense (and as a matter of fact I am not completely supportive of the "Castle doctrine" notion).
I agree that it's good that further bloodshed was avoided. However, given the lack of sophisticated weapons at the Wao's disposal, there is the possibility that they could have been bloodlessly apprehended (tranquilizer guns could have been used) and law enforcement officials wouldn't have suffered any casualties.
My point is that if the wife, son and/or daughter of one of the missionaries was not so forgiving and wanted them tried for murder (due to the difficulty/emotional toll faced in dealing with the loss of a husband/father), I would be very sympathetic to him/her and wouldn't begrudge his/her quest for justice. Individual grievances matter and I could see why quite a few people may feel dissatisfied that the tribesmen and tribeswomen were let off the hook.
Cheers!
P.D.
Hi Ernest,
Yeah, Mincaye did speak his language, Steve translated.
While I agree with the idea of the family desiring justice not being denied, these families were more concerned with the vision of their husbands and fathers.
The missionaries were there in hopes of avoiding the Ecuadorian solution to the Auca (Wao) problem. The Ecu gov't was going to wipe them out due to concerns with oil exploration companies.
Further, the Auca's were in their environment. The Ecu soldiers/Police would be at a distinct disadvantage.
The Wao's would have been formidable adversaries given their skill at stealth and their proficiency with poison-dart blowguns. Ecu soldiers more than likely wouldn't have seen it coming until too late. For sure there would have been casualties on both sides.
We all have our own sense of what constitutes justice. Mine has been re-evaluated over the last decade or so.
Good talkin' with ya! K.J.
Studios do not care if the population likes it, as long as they are paying to see it. blackmamba