INDONESIA | Monday, 8 July 2013 | Views [2095] | Comments [1] | View Larger Image
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.
