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    As he discusses the hardships endured by a Mentawaian couple that has attempted resettlement in a government village, the feature of Lugi, my Mentawaian guide, is illuminated by light from a gasoline lantern. His skin, however, is devoid of traditional tattoos that have adorned the bodies of his people for generations; such conspicuous body art standouts beyond the realm of the jungle, making assimilation with other Indonesians difficult. Although having being born in the jungle the majority of Lugi’s nine siblings now permanently reside on the Sumatran mainland or in modern villages on Siberut Island. Raised by his grandfather following the death of father, Lugi stays with friends in the largest city in the Mentawai Islands, searching for tourist to bring back to his grandfathers home in the jungle. For Lugi, guiding tourists doesn’t simply provide a source of income to his people; the photographs and stories that tourists take away ensure that the Mentawai people and their culture will not be forgotten. Views[1986] This woman and her husband (left) were only able to bear only one child; a girl. As is customary with the Mentawaians, their daughter lives with her husband, many hours’ walk from her family home. As the couple have grown older and having no children present to assist them with their day-to-day tasks, the temptation to resettle into a government village with fewer physical demands became difficult to resist. But in modern village people will encounter modern problems; food must be purchased using money within the village. As soon as government funding draws to a close, generating a sustainable income becomes a near-impossible task. Thus, they move back. In the jungle money is not required. There is always shelter and food is plentiful. For this couple despite having a “modern” house in a village it is their jungle home that still remains integral to their survival. Views[1900] The Mentawai are highly knowledgeable of the virtues pertaining to all plants that exist in their jungle environment. Here, Kuki coats his arrowheads with a poison extracted from the leaves of a particular shrub. However, a hunt is not planned for today; the Mentawai rarely kill, particularly when there is foodstuffs are available. Nonetheless the survival as a hunter-gather community requires foresight and preparation, and it is best practice to keep bow and arrows at the ready just in case they are needed. Views[2097] Kuki, a Mentawaian medicine-man, prepares to strip the bark from a tree to make a loincloth garment. The tattoos embellishing Kuki’s body represent another tree; the Sago palm. Known to the Mentawai as the “tree of life” the palm provides the Mentawai with their primary source of carbohydrates. The horizontal stripes on Kuki’s legs represent the trunk of the palm whereas the patterns on his arms represent the palms spiky branches. Views[8053] The Mentawai Islands are renowned as being one of the worlds finest surfing locations. Surfing enthusiasts are more than willing to transverse the globe to spend a week or two carving-up the spectacular wave-fronts, but many remain confined to their all-inclusive resort or live-a-board boat. Few become acquainted with the Mentawaian people who inhabit the jungle interior of the islands, continuing to adhere to their ancient traditions and hunter-gatherer lifestyle. These indigenous people and their animalist beliefs and traditions are under threat from (sometimes forceful) government intervention with the intention of relocating the Mentawaians into government-commissioned resettlement villages, designed to wash them of their “pagan” traditions. Views[2215]
     

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