OUR TRIBE

   Orissa is one of the last frontiers in India, where wildlife still abound in the mountainous jungle region of the interior. Living in this jungle region are many different tribes, in various degrees of primitive conditions. There are more tribal people in this area than anywhere else in India. The tribe we work with most live in mud huts, with thatch roofs, living off of the land. The women are fascinating to see as they wear a bright cloth wrap, have distinct tattooed faces, and smaller markings on their arms or legs. They have highly decorated rings lining their ears, and often were gold jewelry in their nose and around their wrists and necks. The men are powerfully built, and often only wear a simple cloth around their waist. These are hard working people who cultivate the land or harvest the forest. Their houses rarely have any furniture, beyond a bench made of bamboo or strips of bark. They usually sleep on mats on the floor and cook around an indoor fire. To me, they are beautiful people, with a noble bearing, with honest open faces.