Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/769056
oPPoSITE: Nestled in the mountainous highlands of madang, the kALAm village in Simbai is reachable only by small- engine plane. otherwise, it would take days of hiking through the bush, up and down steep, mud-slick hills. madang is one of Papua New Guinea's most secluded places, where people still live a subsistence lifestyle in traditional villages scattered through a wilderness untouched by Westernization. This has kept the culture of the kalam strong and rich, and from being assimilated into the modern world. kalam men live by hunting, but help clear the land on which the women gather plants and grow crops. They practice cyclical agriculture, moving to a new location after the soil has been exhausted to allow reforestation and recovery. The bodies of the kalam are adorned with bilas, body ornaments made of large shells, hornbill-beak necklaces, wildflowers, arm bands, and the fur of the cuscus, a tree-dwelling marsupial. The lard from wild pigs is rubbed onto the skin to create a glistening sheen. The crowns of their headdresses are decorated with feathers from the cockatoo, parrot, lorikeet, and bird of paradise. once a year a week-long festival that is normally hosted in late September features the nose-piercing initiation of young boys, ages 10 to 17. They enter a hausboi, or men's house, to learn about initiation rites from village elders and to get their noses pierced. Small, round shells and bird of paradise feathers are hooked onto or inserted into a hole in the nose. n S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S • 127 before THey PAss AWAy The annals of classic sporting literature teems with harrowing accounts of head-hunting natives wielding poison-tipped arrows and spears, who delight in collecting heads to roast and shrink over open fires. These spine-tingling tales of witch doctors and savages haunted the dreams of the most adventurous and bravest of sportsmen and explorers, adding to the allure of Darkest Africa and other unexplored regions of the world. There was fear in the unknown, and the cultures and civilizations of these faraway places were often grossly misunderstood and accompanied by rumors of sorcery and torture. A century later, while the jungle beat of the bongo drums might still raise the hair on the back of your neck, the tribes of today are more or less gentle and peace-seeking, and not in any way akin to the savages who existed in the past. Although many of their rituals and traditions still retain hints of mystery, theirs are societies of expert craftsmen, skillful hunters, and, above all, survivors who are surprisingly generous and hospitable. But, sadly, their worlds are in decline due to globalization, the expansion of civilization, and the harvesting of their wild flora and fauna. Photographer jimmy Nelson's mission is to have his work serve as a catalyst for more discussion about the globalizing forces that are jeopardizing the existence of these rare cultures. Nelson was born in Sevenoaks, a parish in western kent, Uk. At age 16 he was prescribed improper medication and lost all of his hair overnight. In the jesuit boarding school he attended, his baldness was mistaken as a sign for right-wing affiliation, and he became socially isolated as a result. Nelson then started his quest for a place where he could fit in as an 18 year old. His first choice was Tibet, where, according to his own research, everyone was bald. That first trip set off a series of wanderings that continues to this day. on his own search for self, Nelson discovered the world's vast variety of peoples, each with its own culture, appearance, and language. He decided to pay homage to them by photographing the people he met on his travels. His work is characterized by its dramatic and celebratory style. In 2006 the jimmy Nelson foundation was created to present a platform that fosters appreciation for cultural diversity and connects people from all around the world in a celebration of polychromatic cultural identity. In addition, his book, before they pass away, has gained worldwide acclaim, spawning major exhibitions of his stunning portraits and breathtaking imagery of these vanishing peoples, documenting indigenous cultures and leaving a visual heritage that will stand the test of time. for more on jimmy Nelson, the jimmy Nelson foundation, or jimmy's book, before they pass away, visit www.jimmynelson.com. The images presented here were taken from the book before they pass away © by jimmy Nelson, published by teNeues, $2,800, also available as a Standard Edition, Small format Edition & collector's Edition XXl, www.teneues.com. Photo © jimmy Nelson Pictures BV, www.jimmynelson.com, www.facebook. com/jimmy.nelson.official.