TIME TO SEE THEIR BEAUTY BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR

Time has moved many living things forward swiftly, changing or obliterating the past. They get caught up in the current, each pulling at each other, pulling at the fabric of the universe, aiming to evolve, to become better in some way, to make life better for new living things.

In rare treasured pockets of the planet, indigenous people live, as they have for centuries millennia, mostly unsullied by progress - mostly uninterested in it. Their focus is on maintaining the life they hold dear -- the life lived close to nature and family -- the life connected to simple wild beauty.

Indigenous people have a different relationship with time than their urban counterparts. They connect with the spirit of time, as it passes, layers, moves, and lingers. They are at peace with time.

But time is pressing in on them and threatening their existence. Climate change and human encroachment are shutting them down. Besides trying to help save them, the most important thing we can do is document their lives so we don’t completely lose them.

JIMMY NELSON

All humans ultimately have common roots. As we began to diverge, geographically, biologically, and culturally, we developed new roots clusters. And as we have advanced through modern history, most of us have lost connections to our early roots.

There are, however, still thousands of indigenous tribes around the world who live close to their roots. British photographer Jimmy Nelson offers us a glimpse of their depth and their unique beauty in his unparalleled ongoing series '"Before They Pass Away."'

In about 3 years, Nelson has documented 35 unique isolated native civilizations, rarely seen by others, who have remained unchanged by modern influences.

So far, Nelson has created magnificent portraits of tribes people from Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, New Zealand, Mongolia, Siberia, Nepal, China, Vanuatu, Argentina, Ecuador, Namibia, India, Chukotka, and Indonesia. And he continues.

While it is remarkable that these native peoples have survived intact, sticking so closely to their traditional roots, their risks and threats grow as the developed world encroaches.

Nelson’s aim is to create a visual document that informs and reminds us and future generations about the beautiful roots of humanity. As the world changes, and some indigenous cultures vanish, this series becomes an even more important ethnographic record of what once was.

Each indigenous tribe has its own extraordinary beauty. Ralph Lauren was so moved and inspired by it, the brand commissioned Nelson to shoot Sanne Vloet wearing tribal adornments in Finnish Lapland for its ad campaign last fall (2105).

You can find over 500 of Nelson’s photos in his newly released massive XXL-size book "Before They Pass Away," published by teNeues.

“In his strenuous travels with an archaic studio camera, Mr. Nelson visited 35 of the world's least known and most imperiled tribal peoples -- from the Huli and Kalam tribes of New Guinea, to the Tsaatan of Mongolia and the Mursi people inhabiting the highlands of the Omo River valley in remote southern Ethiopia.”

--- Guy Trebay, New York Times

Check out Nelson’s fascinating TED Talk. Check out the Jimmy Nelson Foundation for the latest projects and exhibitions. And follow Nelson on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, as he continues to document more tribes. And learn more on his official site.

Read more about Beautiful Time in  10 Watches With Beautiful Surprises, The Beauty of Time Worth Saving: 10 Ideas, and  10 Beautiful Places Running out of time.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." Sarbore, Serengeti, Tanzania.
2. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Huli Tribe. Papua New Guinea
3. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Himba Tribe. Namibia.
4. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Drokpa Tribe. India.
5. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Karo Tribe. Ethiopia.
6. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Rabari Tribe. India.
7. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Goroka Tribe. Papua New Guinea.
8. Image: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren. Sanne Vloet by Jimmy Nelson. Ralph Lauren Fall Campaign.
9. Image: Courtesy of teNeues. “"Before They Pass Away."” Book by Jimmy Nelson.
10. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Ladakhi Tribe. India.
11. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Mursi Tribe. Ethiopia
12. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Maori Tribe. New Zealand.
13. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away."The Dassanech Tribe. Ethiopia.
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: by Jimmy Nelson. Courtesy of teNeues. "Before They Pass Away." The Samburu Tribe. Kenya.