21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
The Mentawai Woman in the Kitchen

I stayed with the Mentawai tribe in western Indonesia for a week to learn about their culture and lifestyle. The Mentawai are a few of the last remaining animists in the country who live isolated in the jungles. Here is a woman preparing Sago (from the tree of the same name) for her family's lunch. As the afternoon sunlight oozed through gaps in the window, it mingled with the smoke from the kitchen. The flowers on her head are lit bright by the light.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Indonesia
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Copyright: © Pramod Kanakath