IKLAND the worst people in the world

For over fifty years, the scientific world accepted the word of Colin Turnbull simply because he had the trappings of a scientist. His 1965-67 report of the Ik, a tribe living in the remote border of Uganda and Kenya, concluded that they were so depraved, the world would be better off without them.

Margaret Mead accepted the study without due diligence. There were doubters such as Bernard Heine in 1983, but the lie persisted until Cevin Soling’s riveting documentary: “Ikland, The Worst People In The World.” His perilous quest for verification revealed Turnbull made it all up – his British accent was enough to convince Americans he was authentic. Turnbull was so haunted by the deception that when he died in 1994, his estate was split between the United Negro Fund and the College of Charleston, dedicated to British culture.

Fact is, the Ik are egalitarians barely eking out a living under dire circumstances in order to escape hostile neighbors. They exist on very little and were even shot for sport by tourists. Nonetheless, they share what little they have. Turnbull could’ve learned from them but instead he chose to defame them for his own advancement. He was the depraved that the world would be better off without.

In this documentary, Soling brought along a Rubenesque drama teacher who taught the emaciated Ik to perform “A Christmas Carol”. The absurdity was painful to watch. It was yet another manifestation of the “missionary position” that was the problem with Turnbull in the first place. They made a movie, packed-up and waved goodbye. Leaving one to wonder: if the Ik were a lost tribe of whites, would they be left to be forgotten?

Ikland Theatrical Release Poster