When Nelson first made contact with the tribes, he left his cameras behind. After staying and talking with the tribe for several days, Nelson would ask about photographing them. The Nenets of Siberia (pictured) hunt and herd reindeer.
In order to communicate, Nelson had to use translators. He says that approaching the tribes with respect made it easy for the locals to trust them. Melanesians (pictured) occupy parts of a number of Pacific islands.
He says that visiting tribes living in extremely cold climates, like these Kazakh men, was “very intense, because they are surviving on the edge of the planet.”
When Nelson took his gloves off to take this photo of three Kazakh men, his hands froze to the camera in the minus-20 degree weather. Nelson was crying in pain and a local woman broke custom, putting his hands under her jacket until he returned feeling. It was an extraordinary example of their kindness.
The natives of the Mustang region of Nepal are traditionally animal herders.
Nelson, who used to be an advertising photographer, says that he wanted to make the tribes look “monumental” and “important.” The men of New Guinea’s Huli people (pictured) wear elaborate headdresses and ceremonial wigs when they go to war.
The Maori people of New Zealand recently received control of large tracts of forested land as redress for breaches by the government from 19th-century treaty.
The Samburu people of Kenya are a gerontocracy, meaning that the elders control the tribe. They have a monopoly on marriages and herds.
Himba people live in Northern Namibia and Angola. They are semi-nomadic and pastoral, known for covering themselves in otjize, a mixture of fat and ochre, which gives their skin a reddish tint.
Maasai people of Kenya are well regarded for their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands.
Source: Harrison. Jacobs- B.I.
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