Gallery
Dani tribe is the most isolated tribe in Indonesia. The tribes men poses for a portrait in full traditional wear with Koteka, decorative attire including boar tusks in his nose and a flamboyant headdress. Their mostly naked bodies glistening with pig fat used for warmth and styling hair. The Dani, the largest ethnic group in Wamena-Papua, Irian Jaya, lived in circular thatched huts (Honai) and bathed in the river. Dani men wore only penis gourds (koteka). Their tools were the stone axe, bow and arrow, and spear.
Torres said he has encountered the group of Mashco-Piro multiple times in recent months and has sought to learn more about the tribe: the health of family members, where they’re living, how many there are, how far into the jungle they wander. The meetings occur along the riverbanks, when the researchers happen upon the Indians. The tribesmen are naked and make a point of showing they are unarmed. The researchers use indigenous interpreters from nearby settlements who speak Yine, a language understood by the Mashco-Piro. “They tell us: ‘Don’t be afraid. We’re not going to hurt you,’” said Torres, describing a typical exchange. “But they must keep their arrows hidden nearby. They never go anywhere without their bows and arrows.”
