PORTRAITS: A SMALL PLACE WHERE WHOLE WORLDS NEED RESCUE NOW

BRENT STIRTON

Award-winning photographer Brent Stirton has taken tens of thousands of incredible photographs over the course of his long career, and the ones that move us the most are those that feature people and places on the edge of existence, in need of rescue.

Indigenous people around the world are at serious risk. Their habitats and ways of life are being diminished, or, in some cases, eliminated due to political, urban, and industrial encroachment. Stirton’s photos capture their beauty before it is all gone.

West Papua & Papua New Guinea (PNG), are home to over 1200 indigenous tribes, each with its own language and culture. It is one of the most heterogeneous nations in the world.

However hostile acts by the Indonesian military have taken much of West Papuan tribal land and turned over 10,000 natives into refugees. The armed liberation struggle has persisted for nearly 30 years.

The Indonesian government has also sold West Papuan tribal lands right out from under the people, selling extraction rights to international mining companies.

While these people have lived in their West Papuan homeland for almost 48,000 years. Their colorful spiritual cultures are strong and vibrant and are an important part of the story of the human race. To lose them would be tragic.

Stirton hopes to raise awareness and appreciation for these beautiful people by sharing his photos widely. It is impossible to see them without becoming inspired.

The New Guinea environment is also in dire need of rescue. At current rates of deforestation, more than half of its forests could be lost by 2021, according to a new satellite study of the region.

A native of South Africa, Stirton has an extensive history in the documentary world. His work has been published by: National Geographic Magazine, GEO, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Vanity Fair, Newsweek,Time, The New York Times Magazine, The UK Sunday Times Magazine, to name a few.

Stirton also has a passion for human rights. He has worked for World Wildlife Fund, CNN, the Ford, Clinton, Gates, & Nike Foundations, as well as for the World Economic Forum & Human Rights Watch. He has been recognized by the United Nations for his work on the environment and in the field of HIV/AIDS.

Stirton is a Canon Ambassador, one of 12 photographers representing Canon photography.

Stirton currently spends most of his time working on long-term investigative projects for National Geographic Magazine. He remains committed to issues relating to wildlife and conservation, global health, diminishing cultures, sustainability, & the environment.

For more info about helping the indigenous people of West Papua, learn more here.

Read more about Beautiful Rescues in Beautiful Rescues Ripple Out To Save The World Now, Sea Lion Rescues Save Us All, Rescue Our Farms & We Rescue Ourselves Now and Rescue & The Art of Healing Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
2. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
3. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
4. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
5. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
6. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
7. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
8. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
9. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
10. Image: by Brent Stirton. Courtesy of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Papua New Guinea.
11. Image: by Brent Stirton. Courtesy of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Papua New Guinea. A Macuata Villager Takes a Dip in the Marine Protected Areas Network.
12. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
13. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: by Brent Stirton. “Papua New Guinea - Culture in Transition.”