jeoy l
magda biskup
eric lafforgue
magda biskup
jimmy nelson
eric lafforgue
eric lafforgue
the yakel, seen in their kastom (village) on the vanuatu island of tanna (in the south west pacific ocean), refuse any modern methods of living, choosing instead to keep with their traditional ways; they have no electricity, fetch water from the nearby river, and grow everything they eat. women wear skirts made of coconut fiber and men wear only a namba.
in the katsom, certain men are tasked with the responsibility of keeping the other villagers in good spirits, taking on the title of “happy man” (first photo). dance is an important part of yakel culture, with the nasara, or dancing grounds, a prominent place for the community to congregate.
according to the 2006 happy planet index, which analyzes data on reported happiness, life expectancy and ecological footprint, vanuatu is the happiest, most ecologically efficient nation in the world. no surprise than that vanuatu literally translates as “from me to you.”
photos by (click pic) magda biskup, eric lafforgue, joey l. and jimmy nelson
a few days after posting this, vanuatu was hit with a devastating category five cyclone that is believed to have completely wiped out the island of tanna featured here. “this is likely to be one of the worst disasters ever seen in the pacific,” said oxfam.
if you’re so inclined, you can donate to unicef emergency relief, world vision, the red cross and red crescent pacific disaster fund or oxfam’s emergency relief