INDONESIA | Monday, 8 July 2013 | Views [2038] | Comments [6] | View Larger Image
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.
