Apitani women - Ziro Valley, India

[Manfred M]

One of the main reasons we wanted to visit Arunachel Pradesh, India was to go to the Ziro Valley, where the Apitani tribe lives. Here one can still see some of the older women with nose plugs and tatooed faces. The youngest of these are likely in their 60's, as the practice was discontinued quite some time ago.

Rumour has it, this was done so that the neighbouring tribes would not kidnap their women.






In another decade or two, all of these women will be gone, with pictures like these to remind us of these old tribal practices.

[Mike Buckley]

Such completely different expressions displaying a wide range of emotion.

Do you know why the practice was discontinued? Was it made illegal? Does it relate to health issues, forcing the practice on women without their consent, or some other reason?

[Manfred M]

Such completely different expressions displaying a wide range of emotion.

Do you know why the practice was discontinued? Was it made illegal? Does it relate to health issues, forcing the practice on women without their consent, or some other reason?

We were told that this was done largely through government pressure to discontinue the practice. This is very much the same thing we were told in Ethiopia where the younger Mursi women no longer had disfiguring lip plates.

I expect this tactic would not work in the US or Canada, where people resist doing what the goverment tells them to do.

[Shadowman]

Nice captures.

[rpcrowe]

Great images! I wonder what people will eventually say about our young people who have inserted plugs in their ear lobes; when these people get into their sixties...

[Rebel]

Great portraits Manfred, she looks really sad in the second one.

[bnnrcn]

Very interesting shots Manfred, thanks for sharing