Transcendence

The people of the Ilemi triangle are comprised of a number of tribal groups who live in harmony with their environments in the Omo valley of Ethiopia, Central and Eastern Equatorial in South Sudan, Northern Kenya and Uganda. Whilst these tribes live remotely and are resilient to change, change is nonetheless a reality of living on the edge of existence. These people transcend a world where practices have changed little in centuries and a world which continues to transgress into their lands and which has potentially huge impacts and is out of their control. Climate change, expanding road and communication networks, tourism and government influence, including the development of large dams impacting on river flood regimes. Additionally there is the impact of ‘westernisation’, the spread of the ubiquitous Chinese made football shirts, agribusiness and the spread of religion from missionaries. Despite this collision of cultures the tribal groups are resistant but changes to nomadic ways of life or transhumance are inevitable. These images reflect their dependence on pastoralism and their traditions but in the last two decades there have been more droughts and shorter recurrence intervals between flood events. Taking these photographs has, I believe, become an imperative as the rate of change accelerates. We no longer see what we saw yesterday and we may not see tomorrow what we see today. Our world is so diverse. Faces are a reflection of cultures which have evolved to adapt to particular biomes. These people are being acculturated as pressure on habitats and remote spaces increases. The photographer, in capturing these cultures, is documenting what may be a part of history in the near future. The photographs here are from two ethnic groups, the Mundari cattle herders of South Sudan and the Kara of the Omo valley. The photos, whilst atmospheric, indicate the increasing lack of water security as river regimes change and longer droughts become commonplace. These people have a small ecological footprint and the industrial west is a major catalyst of unwelcome change.