The Last Member Of The Bo Tribe

 Boa Sr died in 2010 at the age of 85 and she was the last member of the Bo tribe in Andaman Island, India. The Bo are thought to have lived for as many as 65,000 years which made them the descendants of one of the oldest human culture on earth. The Aka-Bo language is one of the most endangered languages in India and the death of Boa Sr made the ancient tribe to go into extinction.

Boa Sr lost her husband and children and while she was still alive, she had no one to converse with in Aka-Bo language, despite the fact that there are still 52 Bo remaining who are non-speakers of the Aka-Bo language. The Bo were colonized by British in 1858 and most of them (The Bo) died from the diseases transmitted by the colonizers.

File Photo: Boa Sr, The Last Member Of The Bo Tribe | Credit: CNN

The tribe which lasted for 65,000 years had little speakers of the Aka-Bo language; Boa Sr became lonely when her husband and children died because she had no one to speak the Aka-Bo language with. A vast majority of them lost their lives in the 2004 during the Asian tsunami, but Boa Sr survived.

File Photo: Boa Sr And Her Husband | Credit: The Guardian

Despite losing her husband and children, Boa Sr was still very cheerful as she gave visitors who came to learn more about the language a homely welcome. She explained to them how she managed to survive being the only member of a tribe who could speak the language. She said she was born in the jungle and grew up living the traditional way of the Bo life.

What People Said Played A Role In The Extinction Of The Bo Tribe

In the mid 1970s, the Indian government moved the Bo to a single island and provided a hut made of concrete floors and thin roof for them. They could barely eat and were given little stipends. People believe that relocating them to one of the most remote islands played a role in the extinction of the tribe as they were not able to mix with a large number of people.

People have said that her death has led to the loss of several disciplines of studies including Anthropology, History, Linguistics, etc.