Photographer Jimmy Nelson spent the past three years exploring the most remote places on Earth to capture mindblowing photographs of the last surviving tribes on Earth. Though his work albeit with good intentions has come under fierce controversy for painting a misconstrued picture of these tribes naturally ‘passing away’ and glosses over the genocidal violence to which many of the tribes pictured are being subjected. The less fortunate story is of indigenous people struggling to survive amongst and economically obsessed ‘progressive’ society. Here’s 80 images from the full series that convey the kind of drama and emotion that testifies to the irrepressible human will to beautify.
The full photographic book ‘Before They Pass Away’ is on Amazon here.
ASARO TRIBE
Location: Indonesia + Papua New Guinea
Photographed in 2010
The legendary Asaro Mudmen first met with the Western world in the middle of the 20th century. For countless years, the Asaro would frequently apply their mud and masks and terrorise other villages with occasional early- morning visits.
“Individually the people are all very sweet, but as their culture is being threatened they’re forced to stand up for themselves.”
– Jimmy Nelson
CHINESE FISHING TRIBE
Location: Guangxi, China
Photographed in 2010
Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method using cormorants – a species of aquatic birds . To control the birds, the fishermen tie a snare near the base of the bird’s throat. This prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat, but the birds can swallow smaller fish.
MAASAI TRIBE
Location: Kenya + Tanzania
Photographed in 2010
To be a Maasai is to be born into one of the last great warrior cultures. From boyhood to adulthood, young Maasai begin to learn the responsibilities of being a man and a warrior. The role of a warrior is to protect the livestock from human and animal predators and to provide security to their families. Through rituals and ceremonies, Maasai boys are guided and mentored by their fathers and other elders on how to become a warrior.
“Lions can run faster than us, but we can run farther”16
NENETS TRIBE
Location: Siberia – Yamal
Photographed in 2011
The Nenets are reindeer herders, migrating across the Yamal peninsula, thriving for more then a millennium with temperatures from minus 50°C in winter to 35°C in summer. Their annual migration of over a 1000 km includes a 48 km crossing of the frozen waters of the Ob River.
“If you don’t drink warm blood and eat fresh meat, you are doomed to die on the tundra”
KOROWAI TRIBE
Location: Indonesia + Papua New Guinea
Photographed in 2010
The Korowai are one of the few Papuan tribes that do not wear the Koteka, a penis gourd. Instead, the men ‘hide’ their penises in their scrotums, to which a leaf is then tightly tied. They are hunter-gatherers, living in tree houses. They adhere to strict separatism between men and women.
YALI TRIBE
Location: Indonesia + Papua New Guinea
Photographed in 2010
They live in the virgin forests of the highlands. The Yali are officially recognised as pygmies, with men standing at just 150 cm tall. The Koteka, penis gourd (work by the men on each side of the image below), is a piece of traditional clothing used to distinguish indigenous identity.
KARO TRIBE
Location: Ethiopia
Photographed in 2011
The Omo Valley, situated in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, is home to an estimated 200,000 indigenous peoples who have lived there for millennia.
The tribes here have always traded between each other, for beads, food, cattle and cloth. More recently, the trade has been in guns and bullets. Inevitably, as roads are made through the area, other goods like beer and food find their way into the villages.
DASSANECH TRIBE
Location: Ethiopia
Photographed in 2011
The tribe is typical in that it is not strictly defined by ethnicity. Anyone can be admitted.
The full photographic book ‘Before They Pass Away’ is on Amazon here.
ASARO TRIBE
Location: Indonesia + Papua New Guinea
Photographed in 2010
The legendary Asaro Mudmen first met with the Western world in the middle of the 20th century. For countless years, the Asaro would frequently apply their mud and masks and terrorise other villages with occasional early- morning visits.
“Individually the people are all very sweet, but as their culture is being threatened they’re forced to stand up for themselves.”
– Jimmy Nelson
CHINESE FISHING TRIBE
Location: Guangxi, China
Photographed in 2010
Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method using cormorants – a species of aquatic birds . To control the birds, the fishermen tie a snare near the base of the bird’s throat. This prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat, but the birds can swallow smaller fish.
MAASAI TRIBE
Location: Kenya + Tanzania
Photographed in 2010
To be a Maasai is to be born into one of the last great warrior cultures. From boyhood to adulthood, young Maasai begin to learn the responsibilities of being a man and a warrior. The role of a warrior is to protect the livestock from human and animal predators and to provide security to their families. Through rituals and ceremonies, Maasai boys are guided and mentored by their fathers and other elders on how to become a warrior.
“Lions can run faster than us, but we can run farther”16
NENETS TRIBE
Location: Siberia – Yamal
Photographed in 2011
The Nenets are reindeer herders, migrating across the Yamal peninsula, thriving for more then a millennium with temperatures from minus 50°C in winter to 35°C in summer. Their annual migration of over a 1000 km includes a 48 km crossing of the frozen waters of the Ob River.
“If you don’t drink warm blood and eat fresh meat, you are doomed to die on the tundra”
KOROWAI TRIBE
Location: Indonesia + Papua New Guinea
Photographed in 2010
The Korowai are one of the few Papuan tribes that do not wear the Koteka, a penis gourd. Instead, the men ‘hide’ their penises in their scrotums, to which a leaf is then tightly tied. They are hunter-gatherers, living in tree houses. They adhere to strict separatism between men and women.
YALI TRIBE
Location: Indonesia + Papua New Guinea
Photographed in 2010
They live in the virgin forests of the highlands. The Yali are officially recognised as pygmies, with men standing at just 150 cm tall. The Koteka, penis gourd (work by the men on each side of the image below), is a piece of traditional clothing used to distinguish indigenous identity.
KARO TRIBE
Location: Ethiopia
Photographed in 2011
The Omo Valley, situated in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, is home to an estimated 200,000 indigenous peoples who have lived there for millennia.
The tribes here have always traded between each other, for beads, food, cattle and cloth. More recently, the trade has been in guns and bullets. Inevitably, as roads are made through the area, other goods like beer and food find their way into the villages.
DASSANECH TRIBE
Location: Ethiopia
Photographed in 2011
The tribe is typical in that it is not strictly defined by ethnicity. Anyone can be admitted.
and 
at the same time.
Nice
