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21 Breathtaking Photos Of Isolated Tribes From All Around The World
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Years ago, we first laid our eyes on the stunning photographs that Jimmy Nelson published in his book "Before They Pass Away" that gave us a look at over 30 vanishing native tribes from all around the globe. From Mongolian to Indian tribes, Jimmy spent weeks with each group to learn their culture, capture it from his point of view and collect interesting facts.
In 2018, Nelson published his second major project titled "Homage to Humanity." He visited 34 isolated tribes in five continents, revisiting some from his previous journey. While his first book was a collection of pictures, this time the photographer decided to expand and added travel journals, maps, local facts, and personal interviews, shifting the focus of his story from the objects he captures to the journey itself.
"When I was 17, I started a journey, and it's still the journey that I'm on today," Nelson said. "It's about reconnecting and finding myself. I've dressed it and disguised it with photography and tribes and indigenous cultures, but ultimately it's a very personal journey of wanting to feel and survive and be alive."
In his work, Jimmy explores the idea of reconnecting to our roots and our humanity, and he believes that indigenous people play an important role in our perception of ourselves as human beings. That's why he's inviting everyone to join the global discussion on cultural identity. The more you know about the world around you, the easier it is to accept and appreciate it. In a couple of weeks, Jimmy Nelson is planning to release a movie featuring 1500 photographs, "all stitched together into one amazing journey across the cradle of human culture."
More info: jimmynelson.com
This post may include affiliate links.
Hakamou'i, Ua Pou, Marguesas Islands, French Polynesia
Yang Shuo Cormorants, China
It looks like scene from some kind of myth or legend. Gloomy river and its guards, peaceful but fierce - if necessary. I love these lanterns - they gives such small amount of light and still it is impressive (I love that most colours here are greyish, that is beautiful). Amazing photo.
Samburu Tribe, Kenya
Mask Dancers, Paro, Bhutan
Perak Women, Thikse Monastery, Ladakh, India
I want to know whats behind them...are they snow/ice huts? or sculptures? and what are they used for? hopefully google can help me out.
Vaioa River, Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
Khoyor Tolgoi Hill, Altan Tsogts County Bayan Ulgii Provence, Mongolia
Are these the Mongolian eagle or falcon guys recently featured on Nova or Nature on PBS?
Huli Wigmen, Ambua Falls, Tari Valley, Papua New Guinea
Tarangire, Rift Escarpment, Tanzania
Angge Village, Upper Mustang Nepal
Dream world. Just gorgeous. I wish I could see this is person but I know that it's a super long journey that is beyond my scope. I think That's why I appreciate this photo series so much...
Te Aroha Mikaka & Sky Bay Of Islands, Haruru Falls, North Island, New Zealand
Likekaipia Tribe Ponowi Village, Jalibu Mountains, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Uramana Clan, Amuioan, Tufi, Papua New Guinea
Paro Pass, Bhutan
This is not paro pass. This is chele la pass situated in the paro-bonday-haa highway.
Korcho Village, Omo Valley, Ethiopia
Being Indigenous doesn't mean living in the past and living out your colonial fantasies.
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Beautiful pics but would be even better if there were more women represented.
If they can get their hands on weapons like that and know how to use them then they can't be that isolated
Lake Argentino / Cerro Christal On Horizon Patagonia, Argentina
thosa are normal gauchos they aint no tribe why didn they go to the mapuche or other native tribes smh
I can’t imagine how much time goes into bringing us even one of these photographs; the time to travel there, the gaining of trust of the people and the setting up. It is a labor of love and respect and I am privileged that with one tap on a screen I can get to see this. Thank you for broadening my horizons.
Well said.
I agree. It is truly amazing what we are shown here ❤
It is sad that these tribes are disappearing because people are pushing them out of their home.
This can happen as well as with so many animals, it's about GREED !!!
Just as palestinians are pushed out
Amazing pictures of indigenous tribal dress. A shame that, apart from ceremonies and photographs, many of them will be wearing western garb in everyday life. Long may they keep their traditions alive.
I'm from Kenya but not from the same tribe but majority of the Masai tribes that you saw in the different pictures do actually live and dress like that on a daily basis. There is very few, usually the younger generation that move to the city and try living a modern life and wearing westernized clothing. They're probably one of the very few tribes that remain indigenous in the entire country and continent.
Sun, Sea and Sand resort near Mombasa was an amazing eye-opener to Africa, As was Tsavo and Voi Lodge - sadly on a guided tour for safety
Thanks for that information, sad that the young generation think it could be better, I hope they return to live a better life where they were born !!!
Atieno - I loved visiting your coutry and meeting the people there and hopefully seeing a little of their real life. Sadly some of was all for tourists in parts. Well remember the camel owner. I took a picture of his camel on day 2. He rushed over to demand money for the photo, and chased me demanding money every time he saw me for the next 12 days. I would hide from the camel man.
Their beauty never ceases to stun me!
Have another upvote
I just read your comment again and realized you're making a future reference and not a statement about today's society so you can just ignore my long response lol
Hello Diane a! I'm glad your visit! It's a shame but understandable that you had to have a guided tour and couldn't just tour freely Unfortunately when locals realize you're a tourist they tend to exploit you. I'm very sorry about the camel man lol Hope you will come again! Yes Mombasa is usually the tourist spot; very beautiful. I'm from the Lake Victoria area if you're familiar with that area. Right now I'm living in the US but I really want to go back in 2019
We managed some time with local people, in the village next to the hotel complex. Most of them worked there. Huge contrast to the western world. Was a little scary to look out of my window and see a guard sat there with a rifle every night. Remember on my last night, had no room in the suitcases for a large beach towel. Tried to give it to the porter who came to help with the luggage. He was too scared to accept it without us writing a note for him confirming we had given it, lest he be accused of stealing. I later appreciated that the camel man's poor animal was his livelihood and it provided for his family. At the time, however, if he had been the least bit friendly, rather than screaming at me for "stealing" a picture of the camel, and hounding me every time he saw me on the beach I would have paid him, would also probably have paid for a camel ride. I also feel really guilty about giving the cleaning lady at Mombassa airport a hard time. I had used my last bit of Kenyan money to buy a very large brandy as was petrified of flying. She accidentally knocked it over and I got angry at her. How could I have been so thoughtless as to expect her to replace it - obviously she couldnt. My one drink was probably her weeks wage.
Hey sharron lynn parsons sometimes going to the city is the only way for a sustainable living since they should face drought or famine and have to walk for days to find water and ways to survive
You're welcome J! :)
I figured that I've a problem imagining everyday life of people from other cultures. I am so used to Western lifestyle that when I try to think about other possibilities I have serious problems. Shame on me that I am so concentrated on my own cultural circle and so ignorant when it comes to others. Presentations like yours shows me that there are other cultures with their own traditions, beliefs and lifestyle. I know that on your photos people are wearing their festive clothes and jewelry and that their everyday life looks very different but still your work shows me something different and unknown, makes me curious and wanting to know more. Thank you for your work and these beautiful photos.
I remember visiting Kenya 25 years ago. The local craftsmen (stone and wood-carvers) and fruit sellers were obsessed with western clothing - anything with a logo on it.Would literally have the shirt off your back. Honestly "not want money - want T shirt" pointing at what you were wearing. We learned to take or wear a spare top when shopping- barter system in action. Came home with lot fewer clothes but some nice African art.
It was sad that they wanted to exchange the fruits of several days work for a cheap T shirt
The 2018 pics here kinda small, on his website looks bigger and better. His works is stunning, and the video shows how beautiful really is.
This was amazing!!! Loved these images! Good job!!
What a bunch of lame people, they ought to update things to our hip contemporary ways and start drinking SBX and using smart phones and listening to Kanye! Srsly though, while traditional tribal cultures are of incredible value and we should learn from them and document their culture, we shouldn't assume from these photos that these cultures are endlessly peaceful and happy and egalitarian. That view has derisively been called the Noble Savage theory, and in the case of many hunter-gatherer or pre-modern societies around the world, it is highly inaccurate. Many pre-modern societies are wracked with bloody conflicts, can be extremely patriarchal and chauvinistic to women, can have the same moments of unhappiness and small mindedness that we have in our modern world.
Any photos from the North Sentinel?...No?! :P On a serious note though- these photos are gorgeous. I can imagine how hard it was to approach them and communicate with them to get these pics done.
where is the untouched andaman & nicobar islands sentinelese tribe. They should be on number one
What is actually the most impressive part to me, is that not a person looks obese. can you imagine the 3rd world problems that they avoid, like obesity. I find it amazing, beautiful and glad that someone has shared and documented this.
I noticed one lady in #17 who is big. She could be pregnant, though.
Love makes our diversity beautiful
These are just beautiful!
Thank you so much for this, so mesmerizing
Very neat love culture
Stunning and beautiful people and photography!
While these are fascinating photos, just a small correction. Photo 11 is of the Naga sadhus. Technically they are not a tribe but sadhus belonging to different regions who choose to live like this after giving up everything. They are Hindu monks but their lifestyle is different from the mainstream sadhus and sadhvis. They are not considered part of mainstream hinduism. It would be incorrect to include them here because the other photos are of tribes.
And what about America, our continent? These are tribes from Brazil, I thought Peru, but no, Brazil to Alaska. Tribes who are very much like they just to be in the 1500. Why don't they are in this album?
Beautiful photos. What a job! Just one tribe missing ..... from Sentinel Island in the Andamans ... and let's hope it stays missing for a long time to come.
Oh, these are stunning! Cultures at their rawest. These photos gave an inside look to them.
This photo series has been a great experience, so much incredible beauty from around the world, much appreciated !!!
I would love to see his movie. I will check that out. Sounds fascinating.
pity that isolated tribes can be summarised in such a short post, there should be hundreds of them oh wait, I forgot, we killed them, or sent them to reserves.
i'm pretty sure all those people put their t-shirts and sweats back on after the shoots
I love this kind of stuff!
Exotic indigenous people. Our lives - to them - are just as exotic as their lives are to us. Try thinking about other people as if they are the same as we are. They are the same.
These are damn impressive.
Great pictures! I love the purity of the tribes.
These are amazing!
OMG! Those photographs are stunning!
Stunning locations and people. I just wished pictures wyere more spontaneous, not posed.
stunning locations and people... I just wished the pictures were kore spontaneous, not posed.
Beautiful.
Fascinating.
And every single one of them would kill and maybe eat you.
???
Hardly any women in these photos.
So what?
I can’t imagine how much time goes into bringing us even one of these photographs; the time to travel there, the gaining of trust of the people and the setting up. It is a labor of love and respect and I am privileged that with one tap on a screen I can get to see this. Thank you for broadening my horizons.
Well said.
I agree. It is truly amazing what we are shown here ❤
It is sad that these tribes are disappearing because people are pushing them out of their home.
This can happen as well as with so many animals, it's about GREED !!!
Just as palestinians are pushed out
Amazing pictures of indigenous tribal dress. A shame that, apart from ceremonies and photographs, many of them will be wearing western garb in everyday life. Long may they keep their traditions alive.
I'm from Kenya but not from the same tribe but majority of the Masai tribes that you saw in the different pictures do actually live and dress like that on a daily basis. There is very few, usually the younger generation that move to the city and try living a modern life and wearing westernized clothing. They're probably one of the very few tribes that remain indigenous in the entire country and continent.
Sun, Sea and Sand resort near Mombasa was an amazing eye-opener to Africa, As was Tsavo and Voi Lodge - sadly on a guided tour for safety
Thanks for that information, sad that the young generation think it could be better, I hope they return to live a better life where they were born !!!
Atieno - I loved visiting your coutry and meeting the people there and hopefully seeing a little of their real life. Sadly some of was all for tourists in parts. Well remember the camel owner. I took a picture of his camel on day 2. He rushed over to demand money for the photo, and chased me demanding money every time he saw me for the next 12 days. I would hide from the camel man.
Their beauty never ceases to stun me!
Have another upvote
I just read your comment again and realized you're making a future reference and not a statement about today's society so you can just ignore my long response lol
Hello Diane a! I'm glad your visit! It's a shame but understandable that you had to have a guided tour and couldn't just tour freely Unfortunately when locals realize you're a tourist they tend to exploit you. I'm very sorry about the camel man lol Hope you will come again! Yes Mombasa is usually the tourist spot; very beautiful. I'm from the Lake Victoria area if you're familiar with that area. Right now I'm living in the US but I really want to go back in 2019
We managed some time with local people, in the village next to the hotel complex. Most of them worked there. Huge contrast to the western world. Was a little scary to look out of my window and see a guard sat there with a rifle every night. Remember on my last night, had no room in the suitcases for a large beach towel. Tried to give it to the porter who came to help with the luggage. He was too scared to accept it without us writing a note for him confirming we had given it, lest he be accused of stealing. I later appreciated that the camel man's poor animal was his livelihood and it provided for his family. At the time, however, if he had been the least bit friendly, rather than screaming at me for "stealing" a picture of the camel, and hounding me every time he saw me on the beach I would have paid him, would also probably have paid for a camel ride. I also feel really guilty about giving the cleaning lady at Mombassa airport a hard time. I had used my last bit of Kenyan money to buy a very large brandy as was petrified of flying. She accidentally knocked it over and I got angry at her. How could I have been so thoughtless as to expect her to replace it - obviously she couldnt. My one drink was probably her weeks wage.
Hey sharron lynn parsons sometimes going to the city is the only way for a sustainable living since they should face drought or famine and have to walk for days to find water and ways to survive
You're welcome J! :)
I figured that I've a problem imagining everyday life of people from other cultures. I am so used to Western lifestyle that when I try to think about other possibilities I have serious problems. Shame on me that I am so concentrated on my own cultural circle and so ignorant when it comes to others. Presentations like yours shows me that there are other cultures with their own traditions, beliefs and lifestyle. I know that on your photos people are wearing their festive clothes and jewelry and that their everyday life looks very different but still your work shows me something different and unknown, makes me curious and wanting to know more. Thank you for your work and these beautiful photos.
I remember visiting Kenya 25 years ago. The local craftsmen (stone and wood-carvers) and fruit sellers were obsessed with western clothing - anything with a logo on it.Would literally have the shirt off your back. Honestly "not want money - want T shirt" pointing at what you were wearing. We learned to take or wear a spare top when shopping- barter system in action. Came home with lot fewer clothes but some nice African art.
It was sad that they wanted to exchange the fruits of several days work for a cheap T shirt
The 2018 pics here kinda small, on his website looks bigger and better. His works is stunning, and the video shows how beautiful really is.
This was amazing!!! Loved these images! Good job!!
What a bunch of lame people, they ought to update things to our hip contemporary ways and start drinking SBX and using smart phones and listening to Kanye! Srsly though, while traditional tribal cultures are of incredible value and we should learn from them and document their culture, we shouldn't assume from these photos that these cultures are endlessly peaceful and happy and egalitarian. That view has derisively been called the Noble Savage theory, and in the case of many hunter-gatherer or pre-modern societies around the world, it is highly inaccurate. Many pre-modern societies are wracked with bloody conflicts, can be extremely patriarchal and chauvinistic to women, can have the same moments of unhappiness and small mindedness that we have in our modern world.
Any photos from the North Sentinel?...No?! :P On a serious note though- these photos are gorgeous. I can imagine how hard it was to approach them and communicate with them to get these pics done.
where is the untouched andaman & nicobar islands sentinelese tribe. They should be on number one
What is actually the most impressive part to me, is that not a person looks obese. can you imagine the 3rd world problems that they avoid, like obesity. I find it amazing, beautiful and glad that someone has shared and documented this.
I noticed one lady in #17 who is big. She could be pregnant, though.
Love makes our diversity beautiful
These are just beautiful!
Thank you so much for this, so mesmerizing
Very neat love culture
Stunning and beautiful people and photography!
While these are fascinating photos, just a small correction. Photo 11 is of the Naga sadhus. Technically they are not a tribe but sadhus belonging to different regions who choose to live like this after giving up everything. They are Hindu monks but their lifestyle is different from the mainstream sadhus and sadhvis. They are not considered part of mainstream hinduism. It would be incorrect to include them here because the other photos are of tribes.
And what about America, our continent? These are tribes from Brazil, I thought Peru, but no, Brazil to Alaska. Tribes who are very much like they just to be in the 1500. Why don't they are in this album?
Beautiful photos. What a job! Just one tribe missing ..... from Sentinel Island in the Andamans ... and let's hope it stays missing for a long time to come.
Oh, these are stunning! Cultures at their rawest. These photos gave an inside look to them.
This photo series has been a great experience, so much incredible beauty from around the world, much appreciated !!!
I would love to see his movie. I will check that out. Sounds fascinating.
pity that isolated tribes can be summarised in such a short post, there should be hundreds of them oh wait, I forgot, we killed them, or sent them to reserves.
i'm pretty sure all those people put their t-shirts and sweats back on after the shoots
I love this kind of stuff!
Exotic indigenous people. Our lives - to them - are just as exotic as their lives are to us. Try thinking about other people as if they are the same as we are. They are the same.
These are damn impressive.
Great pictures! I love the purity of the tribes.
These are amazing!
OMG! Those photographs are stunning!
Stunning locations and people. I just wished pictures wyere more spontaneous, not posed.
stunning locations and people... I just wished the pictures were kore spontaneous, not posed.
Beautiful.
Fascinating.
And every single one of them would kill and maybe eat you.
???
Hardly any women in these photos.
So what?