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22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
A Mentawai Tribal's Portrait

The photo shows a Mentawai tribesman standing inside his Uma (the Mentawai long house) before he heads out into the forest. Behind him is a portion of the roof decked with skulls and bones of different hunted animals. I took this shot to get a close-up of his adornments and the tattoo on the torso and arms. He is around 70 years old and still navigates the forest with great ease.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2024
Photo Location: Mentawai islands, Indonesia
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Copyright: © Pramod Kanakath