Nuria, a Mintakan female
Liko, a Mintakan male
Captain Jean Luc Picard (left) receives a Mintakan tapestry from Paki (center) and Nuria (right)
The Mintakans are a proto-Vulcan humanoid species native to Mintaka III, who exist in a Bronze Age state of technology. Despite their relatively minimal technological advancement Mintakan culture was highly empirical and by 2366 they had long since rejected the notion of a god or other supernatural beings and had been collecting astronomical and archaeological data for several generations.
In 2366, a Federation anthropological team studying the Mintakans accidentally exposed the primitive culture to 24th century technology when the duck blind they were operating out of had a reactor failure. The USS Enterprise-D responded to the situation and unknowingly worsened the cultural contamination when the Mintakans observed their comings and goings. As a result, the previously discarded beliefs in supernatural beings began to resurface in the village most directly affected. This would eventually lead to their mistaking Jean-Luc Picard for the Overseer, one of their gods. To avert the revival of religion, Captain Picard abducts the local leader, Nuria, to give her a guided tour of the ship to explain that the beings they discovered are simply mortals with advanced technology.
Unexpectedly, Nuria believed that this proved that Picard was indeed the Overseer. When they returned to the planet, Nuria finally believed the truth when Picard was almost killed by a Mintakan arrow.
While the cultural contamination occurred, the Mintakans were able to resume a somewhat natural society.
Mintakan women always walk in front of the men as a sign of ownership, and to stake out a negotiating position for any services that might be asked of the man. (TNG: "Who Watches The Watchers")