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Mentawai

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  • Fishing is the domain of the women. Their river catch of shrimps, crabs, clams, fish, eels and occasionally turtles provide a significant amount of the clan?s daily protein. They also fish in their taro fields, which are off-limits to men. .Fishing is one of the rare activities for which some women still wear banana leaves. In many villages, cotton clothing is quickly replacing such traditional gear, but on hot days in the taro fields or rivers, these leaves still offer the best protection from the sun..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Siberut has one of the densest and steamiest jungles in the world; mud swamps and deep riverbed crossings are everywhere. A network of logs and bamboo sections set in the mud links houses and villages. Athletic and graceful, even the eldest Mentawai don?t look down at the fly along these slippery logs, which inevitably send outsiders plowing into the thigh-deep mud that surrounds them..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support..
  • Fishing is the domain of the women. Their river catch of shrimps, crabs, clams, fish, eels and occasionally turtles provide a significant amount of the clan?s daily protein. They also fish in their taro fields, which are off-limits to men. .Fishing is one of the rare activities for which some women still wear banana leaves. In many villages, cotton clothing is quickly replacing such traditional gear, but on hot days in the taro fields or rivers, these leaves still offer the best protection from the sun..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Siberut has one of the densest and steamiest jungles in the world; mud swamps and deep riverbed crossings are everywhere. A network of logs and bamboo sections set in the mud links houses and villages. Athletic and graceful, even the eldest Mentawai don?t look down at the fly along these slippery logs, which inevitably send outsiders plowing into the thigh-deep mud that surrounds them..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support..
  • Fishing is the domain of the women. Their river catch of shrimps, crabs, clams, fish, eels and occasionally turtles provide a significant amount of the clan?s daily protein. They also fish in their taro fields, which are off-limits to men. .Fishing is one of the rare activities for which some women still wear banana leaves. In many villages, cotton clothing is quickly replacing such traditional gear, but on hot days in the taro fields or rivers, these leaves still offer the best protection from the sun..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Believing that most physical afflictions arise from a spiritual imbalance makes beautification to satisfy the soul an important part of every ritual. The sikeireis know that their own souls must be at peace before they can heal others. Their tattoos and body adornments are often enhanced with natural pigments extracted from fragrant yellow turmeric root and black ashes..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • As soon as they can walk, young girls follow their mothers around and begin helping with their chores. Today is fishing for shrimp and small fish in the flooded taro fields, a great opportunity to exchange the latest village news ñ a pastime the women, young and old, love..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • As soon as they can walk, young girls follow their mothers around and begin helping with their chores. Today is fishing for shrimp and small fish in the flooded taro fields, a great opportunity to exchange the latest village news ñ a pastime the women, young and old, love..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Fishing is the domain of the women. Their river catch of shrimps, crabs, clams, fish, eels and occasionally turtles provide a significant amount of the clanís daily protein. They also fish in their taro fields, which are off-limits to men. .Fishing is one of the rare activities for which some women still wear banana leaves. In many villages, cotton clothing is quickly replacing such traditional gear, but on hot days in the taro fields or rivers, these leaves still offer the best protection from the sun..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Sago is one of man?s earliest and highest yield foods: a single tree provides sixteen hundred pounds of carbohydrate-rich flour, enough to feed a family of ten for six months..Sago is the Mentawai Tree of Life and main staple food. Its flour is wrapped inside its own leaves before being roasted directly over a fire...The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • The sikeireis know the secrets of every plant in the rainforest that surrounds them. Many plants are edible or medicinal, some are magical and some provide sweet-scented perfumes. Others are deadly poisons but, conveniently enough, their antidotes usually grow close by..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • The sikeireis know the secrets of every plant in the rainforest that surrounds them. Many plants are edible or medicinal, some are magical and some provide sweet-scented perfumes. Others are deadly poisons but, conveniently enough, their antidotes usually grow close by..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • The sikeireis know the secrets of every plant in the rainforest that surrounds them. Many plants are edible or medicinal, some are magical and some provide sweet-scented perfumes. Others are deadly poisons but, conveniently enough, their antidotes usually grow close by..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Siberut has one of the densest and steamiest jungles in the world; mud swamps and deep riverbed crossings are everywhere. A network of logs and bamboo sections set in the mud links houses and villages. Athletic and graceful, even the eldest Mentawai don?t look down at the fly along these slippery logs, which inevitably send outsiders plowing into the thigh-deep mud that surrounds them..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support..
  • The sikeireis know the secrets of every plant in the rainforest that surrounds them. Many plants are edible or medicinal, some are magical and some provide sweet-scented perfumes. Others are deadly poisons but, conveniently enough, their antidotes usually grow close by..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • The sikeireis know the secrets of every plant in the rainforest that surrounds them. Many plants are edible or medicinal, some are magical and some provide sweet-scented perfumes. Others are deadly poisons but, conveniently enough, their antidotes usually grow close by..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Not only does hunting provide necessary protein for the family, it is also an important part of a sacred communion men have with the spirits of the animals of the forest..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • The sikeireis know the secrets of every plant in the rainforest that surrounds them. Many plants are edible or medicinal, some are magical and some provide sweet-scented perfumes. Others are deadly poisons but, conveniently enough, their antidotes usually grow close by..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • The sikeireis know the secrets of every plant in the rainforest that surrounds them. Many plants are edible or medicinal, some are magical and some provide sweet-scented perfumes. Others are deadly poisons but, conveniently enough, their antidotes usually grow close by..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • As soon as they can walk, young girls follow their mothers around and begin helping with their chores. Today is fishing for shrimp and small fish in the flooded taro fields, a great opportunity to exchange the latest village news ? a pastime the women, young and old, love..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Fishing is the domain of the women. Their river catch of shrimps, crabs, clams, fish, eels and occasionally turtles provide a significant amount of the clanís daily protein. They also fish in their taro fields, which are off-limits to men. .Fishing is one of the rare activities for which some women still wear banana leaves. In many villages, cotton clothing is quickly replacing such traditional gear, but on hot days in the taro fields or rivers, these leaves still offer the best protection from the sun..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Siberut has one of the densest and steamiest jungles in the world; mud swamps and deep riverbed crossings are everywhere. A network of logs and bamboo sections set in the mud links houses and villages. Athletic and graceful, even the eldest Mentawai don?t look down at the fly along these slippery logs, which inevitably send outsiders plowing into the thigh-deep mud that surrounds them..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support..
  • After cooking, every piece of organ, meat and fat is sorted onto large wooden platters and then divided equally, according to the number of people in each lalep, the organized family subgroups within the clan. ..Food sharing is always egalitarian, even newborn babies receive an equal share. Parents won?t touch the infant?s food on that day. It will be stored inside bamboo tubes. Later, family members enjoying the food will acknowledge they are eating the baby?s share..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • As soon as they can walk, young girls follow their mothers around and begin helping with their chores. Today is fishing for shrimp and small fish in the flooded taro fields, a great opportunity to exchange the latest village news ? a pastime the women, young and old, love..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
  • Fishing is the domain of the women. Their river catch of shrimps, crabs, clams, fish, eels and occasionally turtles provide a significant amount of the clan?s daily protein. They also fish in their taro fields, which are off-limits to men. .Fishing is one of the rare activities for which some women still wear banana leaves. In many villages, cotton clothing is quickly replacing such traditional gear, but on hot days in the taro fields or rivers, these leaves still offer the best protection from the sun..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.