Southeast Asia: Batik, Sarongs, and Market Melodies
In the lush, humid landscapes of Southeast Asia, babywearing traditions are woven into the daily rhythm of life — a dance of practicality, artistry, and tender connection. Across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and beyond, mothers and caregivers have carried their babies for centuries using beautiful handwoven textiles, sarongs, batiks, and slings.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, the selendang — a long rectangular piece of cloth — is a central part of caregiving. Whether dyed in intricate batik patterns or woven in bright local designs, the selendang is used to carry babies on the front, hip, or back. It is versatile and deeply personal, often doubling as a shawl or head covering when not in use. The process of wrapping and tying is usually passed down through generations, with grandmothers and aunties showing new mothers the gentle art of securing a baby safely and comfortably.
In the Philippines, traditional malongs (tubular woven cloths) and alampay (shawls) are similarly used to keep babies close while caregivers move through markets, fields, and festivals. The soft sway and warmth provide comfort and a sense of belonging, anchoring the child in the center of family life.
Among hill tribe communities in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam — such as the Hmong and Karen peoples — intricately embroidered baby carriers reflect clan identity and maternal devotion. The time-consuming embroidery and beading are acts of love, protection, and pride, symbolizing the family's hopes and blessings for the baby. These carriers often feature bright colors, bells, and symbolic motifs believed to ward off harm and attract good fortune.
Colonisation, modernisation, and urban migration have influenced these traditions, introducing strollers and Western-style carriers into cityscapes. Yet in rural areas and among families reclaiming ancestral ways, these cloth-based carriers remain powerful emblems of cultural resilience.
To carry a baby in Southeast Asia is to cradle them in the textures of rainforests and rice paddies, market chatter and temple songs. Each knot and fold speaks of patience, artistry, and an unbroken promise: you are held, you are loved, you are home.
Philippines
This historical photograph from the Philippines shows a woman from the Igorot people of Benguet province in the Cordillera region. She is carrying her child in a traditional woven basket carrier known as a kayabang, worn high on her back and supported by a forehead strap called a tumpline. Originally used for carrying both harvests and children, the kayabang reflects the resourcefulness and strong connection to the land shared by Cordillera communities. Today, while cloth wraps are more common, the basket carrier remains a powerful symbol of cultural identity, resilience, and the importance of keeping children close while working the fields and tending to daily life.
Philippines
This intimate photograph from the Philippines beautifully captures an Igorot mother nursing her baby in a woven blanket wrap, a practice deeply rooted in daily life in the Cordillera highlands. Carrying and feeding are seamlessly integrated, reflecting the community’s emphasis on responsiveness and closeness. The woven cloth, often hand-loomed in traditional patterns, is multifunctional — serving as a carrier, a blanket, and a protective layer against the elements. This image powerfully reminds us that nurturing through breastfeeding and babywearing is both a practical necessity and an expression of love and cultural identity.
Philippines
This image captures a Mangyan mother from Mindoro, Philippines, carrying her baby along a narrow forest path. Using a simple cloth sling tied around her shoulder and waist, she keeps her baby close and secure while moving through dense grass. The traditional woven basket on her back speaks to her daily work and self-sufficiency. This scene highlights how babywearing is woven into everyday life, allowing mothers to remain connected to their children while tending to essential tasks, embodying both practicality and deep affection.
Philippines
This rare historical photograph shows a father from the Philippines, likely from an Indigenous group such as the Ifugao or another Cordillera community, babywearing his child on his back using a woven cloth wrap. While babywearing is most often associated with mothers, many traditional societies involve fathers and other family members in close, nurturing contact. This image beautifully reflects the shared responsibility of caring for children, highlighting the deep bond and practical cooperation within families and communities.
Philippines
In this striking historical image from the Philippines, a mother is wearing her baby on her hip with a traditional woven cloth, while carrying a large basket on her back. Her striped wrap and woven basket reflect the skilled craftsmanship and resourcefulness of Indigenous Filipino communities, especially those from the Cordillera or Ifugao regions. This scene highlights the mother’s incredible strength and adaptability — nurturing her child while managing agricultural or gathering tasks — embodying the deep connection between mother, child, and land.
Philipines
In this powerful portrait from the Philippines, a mother stands strong with her baby securely wrapped on her back in a traditional woven cloth. Her striped garment and confident gaze speak to the resilience and enduring spirit of Indigenous Filipino women, likely from the Cordillera highlands. This style of babywearing allows her to keep her child close and comforted while moving through daily life and working the land. It is a moving testament to the intertwined roles of caregiving and sustaining community life.
Hmong - Vietnam
In this vibrant scene, a mother from the Hmong community in Vietnam carries her sleeping child in a richly embroidered traditional carrier. The intricate needlework and bright colors reflect the artistry and cultural identity of the Hmong people, where each design can signify clan or regional heritage. The wide, supportive panel keeps the baby secure and comfortable as she moves through the bustling market, embodying both practicality and deep cultural pride.
Hmong
This joyful image shows a mother from the Flower Hmong community in northern Vietnam, carrying her baby on her back in a traditional nyia, the Hmong-style baby carrier known for its strength and vibrant embroidery. The baby sits upright and close, wrapped in a bright green blanket for warmth and wearing a colorful hat that adds extra cheer. The mother’s bright plaid headscarf and intricately embroidered clothing showcase the artistry and lively spirit of her people. With her radiant smile, she embodies the connection and freedom that babywearing brings — keeping her child safe and content while fully participating in community life.
Hmong
This vivid image shows a mother from the Flower Hmong community in northern Vietnam, carrying her baby securely on her back in a traditional nyia, a Hmong-style baby carrier. The carrier’s richly decorated panel and strong, wide straps support the baby in an upright, close position — allowing comfort, safety, and a shared connection as she moves through a busy market. Her brilliantly colored clothing, full of intricate stripes and embroidery, showcases the exceptional textile skills and vibrant cultural expression of her people. This scene is a powerful reminder of how babywearing beautifully combines practicality and cultural heritage, keeping little ones close while mothers go about their daily lives.
Hmong
In northern Vietnam and parts of southern China, among Hmong and other highland ethnic groups, babywearing is a radiant expression of culture and belonging. This mother uses a beautifully embroidered carrier called a nyiaj khuam, decorated with intricate motifs that symbolize protection, blessings, and community identity. The bold colors and detailed patterns reflect the region’s rich textile artistry and pride in heritage. Babies carried this way are not only kept close for warmth and comfort but also visually enveloped in stories and symbols from their earliest days. To be carried in these highland communities is to be wrapped in living art — a tapestry of love, tradition, and resilience passed through generations.
In these photos, a mother carries her young child in a modern adaptation of a traditional Asian meh dai (also known as bei dai in China). This style features a panel of beautifully woven fabric, often adorned with intricate embroidery or patterns, and is secured with long, wide straps that wrap around the wearer's body. The carrier supports the child's weight evenly, allowing for both comfort and close connection while the mother goes about her daily activities. This blend of traditional design with contemporary fabrics and colors highlights how cultural practices continue to evolve while preserving their roots.
Akha
Among the Akha people, an Indigenous hill tribe living in the border regions of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and China, babywearing is both practical and deeply cultural. Mothers carry their babies on their backs using richly decorated cloth carriers adorned with traditional embroidery, beads, and silver ornaments. These intricate designs not only express community identity and artistry but also serve to protect the baby with symbolic motifs. The elaborate headdresses worn by Akha women reflect their unique heritage and are often passed down through generations. This practice keeps babies close and safe while allowing mothers to work and engage fully in village life.
In the highland markets of northern Vietnam, mothers from ethnic minority communities like the Hmong and Dao carry their children in intricately embroidered cloth carriers. Here, a mother balances one child on her hip and another on her back, each embrace filled with quiet strength. Among the chatter of traders and the scent of herbs and textiles, she moves gracefully, weaving her children into every rhythm of the day. Each careful knot and wrap is a testament to resilience and love — a promise that no matter how busy the path ahead, every child is held close, seen, and cherished.
Cambodia
In Cambodia, the krama is more than a scarf — it is a lifeline of tradition and care, wrapping generations in its simple checked weave. Here, a mother holds two sleeping babies in her arms, each draped in krama cloths that cradle them close to her warmth and heartbeat. Beneath the dim glow of streetlights, her eyes carry both quiet strength and deep fatigue, a testament to the weight of love and survival she bears daily. In each fold of cloth, we see a fierce tenderness — an unspoken promise that even in hardship, every child is held, every small breath guarded, and every dream carried forward in her embrace.
Among the hill tribe communities of Southeast Asia, mothers carry their children in beautifully woven wraps adorned with bright threads and beads. Here, a mother stands by the water’s edge, her baby peeking out with a delighted wave, sharing in the warmth of the sun and the laughter of the day. Each knot and fold of fabric carries not only the child’s weight but the stories of ancestors, songs of rivers, and the pulse of daily village life. In this tender, playful embrace, the child learns that they are held, seen, and celebrated in every step their mother takes.
Among the Flower Hmong of northern Vietnam, babywearing is a celebration of both function and artistry. Wrapped in vibrant, meticulously embroidered cloths, babies rest against their mother’s back, cradled by patterns that tell stories of ancestors and identity. Each stitch carries meaning — protection from spirits, blessings for health, and pride in belonging. As mothers move through bustling mountain markets or winding paths, their children share every rhythm, every glance, every shared laugh with neighbors. These carriers are living tapestries, woven not only to support a child but to hold entire worlds of community, heritage, and love.
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Hmong
In the vibrant markets of northern Vietnam, the Flower Hmong women move like living tapestries. Wrapped in intricately embroidered cloths shimmering with beads and tassels, babies rest securely on their mothers’ backs, enveloped in a world of color and warmth. These carriers are not only practical but profoundly meaningful: they speak of lineage, maternal love, and the protective threads that bind families and ancestors. As mothers chat, trade goods, or share meals, their children learn the pulse of communal life, the cadence of laughter, and the gentle sway of their mothers' steps — all while nestled in the artistry and devotion of hand-stitched care.
Hmong
Among the mountain mists and vivid fields of northern Vietnam, Flower Hmong mothers carry their babies in breathtakingly beautiful embroidered carriers. Each stitch tells a story — of family, of community, of spirit — while wrapping the baby in warmth and belonging. The bright headscarves and shimmering tassels reflect both practicality and pride, turning everyday moments into quiet celebrations of heritage. These carriers are not merely tools but living heirlooms, speaking softly of love that is carried forward with each step, each sway, each shared breath.
Red Dao - Vietnam
Among the Red Dao (or Yao) people of northern Vietnam, babywearing is far more than a practical solution — it is a visible expression of cultural identity, continuity, and love. Women often carry their babies in vibrantly woven cloth wraps tied securely across the body, allowing them to keep working in the fields or moving through busy markets while their children rest safely against them. The intricate red headdresses adorned with tassels and embroidery symbolize community ties and pride, passed down through generations. This close physical connection helps babies learn the rhythms of daily life, absorb songs and stories, and stay deeply connected to their mothers’ warmth and heartbeat — a living tradition that ties each child to their people and land from the very beginning.
Borneo
Among the Kenyah and Kayan peoples of Borneo (especially in Sarawak and Kalimantan), babywearing is not just a practical solution — it’s an art form and a deeply woven expression of culture. Their carriers, often called ba’ or baby baskets, are beautifully crafted from rattan or wood frames and richly adorned with intricate beadwork, cowrie shells, animal claws, and other meaningful decorations.
These stunning embellishments aren’t simply for show; they hold powerful protective meanings, designed to guard the baby from harm and connect them to their community and ancestors. The upright position in these baskets keeps little ones close and safe as caregivers go about their daily tasks, whether tending to the fields, weaving, or moving through the village.
Each piece is a living story — a testament to the resourcefulness, creativity, and deep spiritual connection that underpins babywearing traditions across the region.
Indonesia
In many Southeast Asian cultures, cloth slings (sometimes called selendang in Indonesia and Malaysia) are a deeply familiar sight — practical, beautiful, and deeply woven into daily life. Here, we see a modern father confidently using this traditional method, gently holding his baby close in a batik-patterned sling. This image beautifully illustrates how babywearing traditions are being carried forward into contemporary family life, not just as a mother’s tool but as a shared, nurturing practice that strengthens connection and community.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, the batik cloth is far more than a textile — it’s a living art form and a symbol of heritage and family ties. Here, we see a father wearing his child in a beautifully patterned batik sling, exemplifying the way these traditions are woven into everyday life. Whether on temple grounds, in the market, or at home, carrying a child this way offers closeness, security, and a continuation of cultural identity across generations.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, the batik sling is a beloved staple for mothers, combining beauty and function in daily life. The rich patterns of the cloth echo centuries of artistry, while the practical, quick wrap allows a parent to carry a baby close and still move freely through markets, rice fields, or village paths. This connection between mother and child, carried heart to heart, is deeply rooted in Indonesian identity and the warmth of community life.
Hmong
In this heartwarming image, an elder from a highland community in northern Vietnam or southern China carries a joyful baby in a traditional nyia (also called a Hmong-style baby carrier). Among Hmong and other mountain groups, the nyia features a beautifully embroidered and often hand-appliquéd fabric panel, showcasing the artistry and cultural identity of the family. The high, snug position keeps the baby safe and close, while allowing them to watch and engage with the world around them. This photo beautifully captures the joy, skill, and intergenerational care that traditional babywearing represents — reminding us that carrying children is an act of love shared across ages and cultures.
Yao - Vietnam
This striking portrait shows a mother from the Yao (Mien) ethnic group in northern Vietnam, wearing her traditional high red headdress and carrying her baby on her back. The baby’s ornate hat, decorated with coins and embroidery, is both protective and symbolic, reflecting family status and cultural identity. The simple but secure cloth carrier ties the baby close, keeping them safe while allowing the mother to continue her daily life. This image celebrates the deep connection and pride woven into the art of babywearing across generations.
Flower Hmong - Vietnam
This striking image shows a mother from the Flower Hmong community in northern Vietnam, carrying her child in a traditional nyia — a Hmong-style baby carrier known for its beautifully embroidered panels and strong, supportive straps. Her bright, layered clothing and colorful headscarf reflect the vibrant spirit and rich textile traditions of her people. The baby, nestled securely on her back and wearing a decorative hat, stays close and comforted while observing the busy world around them. Each stitch and motif in the nyia and the baby’s hat carries cultural meaning and family pride, making babywearing here not just practical, but a deeply woven expression of love and heritage.
Hmong
This beautiful image captures a young mother from the Hmong community in northern Vietnam or Laos, carrying her baby in a traditional nyia, the Hmong-style baby carrier. Her indigo-dyed, hand-embroidered clothing and striking silver jewelry highlight her rich cultural heritage and exceptional textile artistry. The baby, tucked high and close against her back, is wrapped securely and wears a knitted hat for warmth. The bright, layered fabrics and intricate designs of the nyia do more than support and protect — they tell stories of family, community, and identity. Through this image, we see babywearing as both a practical daily practice and a deeply meaningful expression of love and cultural pride."
Red Dao - Vietnam
This striking image shows a mother from the Red Dao community in northern Vietnam, carrying her baby in a traditional nyia — a cloth carrier secured with strong, supportive straps. Here, the baby is leaning backward, turning to look outward toward the camera. While this moment captures the child’s curiosity, it is important to note that this position is not considered optimal or safe. Babies are best carried upright, close, and fully supported to protect their spine and airway. The baby’s beautiful, embroidered hat — adorned with beads and charms — reflects the cultural richness and protective traditions of the community. This image offers a valuable opportunity to celebrate traditional textiles and practices, while also educating on safe babywearing positions that support both comfort and development."
Hmong
This tender image shows a mother from the Flower Hmong community in northern Vietnam balancing her daily workload with deep love and connection. Carrying a large bundle of firewood on her back, she also keeps her baby close in a traditional nyia, the Hmong-style baby carrier known for its secure support and beautiful textile work. The baby rests peacefully, warmly dressed in a striped knit hat, while the mother leans in for a gentle kiss — a moment that speaks to the universal bond between parent and child. Even amidst demanding tasks, babywearing allows mothers to nurture, protect, and stay close, embodying strength, resilience, and tenderness all at once."
Hmong
This powerful image captures a mother from a Southeast Asian highland community — likely Hmong — planting rice seedlings while carrying her child securely on her back in a traditional nyia, the Hmong-style baby carrier. The richly embroidered cloth supports the child high and close, allowing them to stay safe and connected while their mother works tirelessly in the waterlogged field. Her vibrant traditional textiles, from her skirt to the carrier, reflect the artistry and cultural pride passed down through generations. This scene beautifully illustrates the deep bond of babywearing: the blending of nurture and labor, love and resilience, all woven together in the rhythms of daily life."
Myanmar
This Karen woman from Myanmar beautifully demonstrates the traditional babywearing practices of her community. Using a handwoven cloth tied over one shoulder and under the opposite arm, she carries her child securely on her back while keeping her hands free to work. The Karen are known for their vibrant woven textiles, often featuring intricate patterns and symbolic designs that reflect deep cultural heritage and skilled craftsmanship. Among Karen families, there isn’t a separate word for this carrier — it is simply a trusted cloth, the same kind used as a shawl or garment, adapted with care and practicality to keep babies close. This image beautifully captures the simplicity, warmth, and enduring connection woven into everyday life.
Hmong
This young Flower Hmong woman, from northern Vietnam, carries her baby snugly on her back using a bright, handwoven cloth. Among Hmong communities, these carriers are often beautifully decorated with bold embroidery, appliqué, and vibrant colors that reflect deep cultural pride and identity. Layers of warm blankets and hats keep the baby protected in the mountain chill. The carrier itself is simply called a cloth or baby cloth within the community, as babywearing is a natural extension of everyday textile traditions. These vivid textiles aren't just practical—they celebrate heritage, craft, and the strong bonds between mother and child.
In this striking portrait from Southeast Asia, a young girl confidently carries her sibling using a handwoven cloth sling, known in some regions as a selendang. This simple yet deeply meaningful practice highlights the communal approach to caregiving, where older children often help nurture and protect the youngest. The bright stripes and soft drape of the cloth reflect local textile traditions and the warmth of shared responsibility. To be carried like this is to feel held not just by one person, but by the extended embrace of family and community — a living thread of connection passed from heart to heart.
In this tender moment, a young girl carries her sibling close, wrapped in a simple checked cloth that holds them together as one. This scene, likely from Southeast Asia, speaks to the deep sense of responsibility and communal care that children often share in traditional societies. Even at a young age, older siblings learn to nurture and protect, embodying the continuity of love and support that flows through families. To be carried like this is to feel the steady heartbeat of a sister, to be embraced by warmth and trust, and to grow up learning that caring for each other is both a duty and a joy woven into daily life.
Vietnam
A Hmong mother in Vietnam carries her child in a stunningly embroidered carrier, showcasing the incredible textile artistry of her community. The vibrant stripes and rich patterns reflect generations of knowledge passed down through the hands of mothers and grandmothers. Each stitch holds cultural significance and protection, turning the carrier into more than fabric — it is a living story wrapped around the child. As she moves through misty highland markets or mountain paths, the child shares in the warmth, color, and heartbeat of family and land, learning belonging from the very first days.
Laos
A young girl in Laos smiles warmly as she carries a smaller child in a simple striped cloth sling, wrapped skillfully around her shoulder and torso. In many Southeast Asian communities, older siblings take on caregiving roles from an early age, learning to nurture and protect through hands-on experience. The woven cloth, often locally made, provides a secure, adaptable way to keep little ones close while moving freely. This scene beautifully captures the shared responsibility, trust, and gentle bonds woven through family life — a tender reminder that caregiving is a collective, heart-centered practice.
Thailand
This woman belongs to one of the many hill tribes of northern Thailand, possibly from the Karen or Lahu community. Her bright red wrap and matching headscarf reflect the vibrant textile traditions of these highland peoples, known for their skilled weaving and colorful, patterned garments. The baby is carried snugly on her back in a large cloth wrap, a method that allows the caregiver to work in fields or travel through mountainous terrain while keeping the child safe and comforted. Among these communities, babywearing is not just a necessity — it embodies the close bonds and continuity of knowledge passed from one generation to the next.
Hmong
Among the Hmong and other Indigenous hill tribes of Southeast Asia, older siblings often share the responsibility of caregiving, learning patience and strength from a young age. Using intricately embroidered baby carriers called nyias or mej, children carry their siblings close, wrapped in vibrant patterns that reflect community identity and protective symbolism. This closeness nurtures strong bonds and teaches the importance of kinship and cooperation. To be carried this way is to grow up cradled in sibling warmth, woven into a living tradition of care and connection.
In the misty mountain villages of Southeast Asia, mothers carry their children in beautifully woven or hand-sewn carriers that blend practicality and artistry. Here, a mother wraps her child in layers of cloth and blanket for warmth and security as she navigates narrow stone paths and tends to daily work. These carriers, often made from repurposed fabrics or handwoven textiles, embody resilience and love. To be carried this way is to be shielded from the cold mountain air, cradled in the rhythms of everyday life, and held close to the heartbeat of family and community.
Hmong
In many Indigenous hill communities of Southeast Asia, such as among the Hmong and other ethnic groups in northern Vietnam, Laos, and surrounding regions, babywearing is essential for daily life. Caregivers use simple, strong cloth wraps to secure children on their backs while they tend fields, carry water, or harvest rice. These carriers keep children close and safe while allowing mothers to work with skill and agility on steep, terraced landscapes. The woven textiles used often carry cultural patterns and stories, reflecting the deep connection between land, work, and family.
Vietnam
In the mountains of northern Vietnam, Flower Hmong women are known for their vibrant, beautifully layered traditional clothing, which they continue to wear with pride. Babywearing is an essential part of daily life here, allowing mothers to keep their babies close while working—whether farming, weaving, or preparing food. The babies are often carried on the back in colorful embroidered carriers that match their mothers’ intricate outfits. These textiles, rich in bright floral and geometric patterns, are passed down through generations and reflect the Hmong people’s deep connection to their culture and community.
Vietnam
A mother in northern Vietnam cradles her sleeping child close against her back, held securely by a richly embroidered traditional carrier. The vivid layers of fabric — alive with bright pinks, oranges, blues, and intricate stitched patterns — reflect the craftsmanship and cultural pride of many ethnic minority groups, such as the Hmong. While the mother goes about her daily activities, her baby rests in complete trust and comfort, soothed by the gentle sway and warmth of her body. This timeless practice beautifully illustrates how babywearing is woven into daily life, embodying both practical care and deep connection.
Vietnam
Two young children peek out from beautifully embroidered carriers on their mothers' backs, shaded by a colorful umbrella in a bustling market setting in Vietnam. The intricate textiles, bright colors, and geometric patterns reflect the artistry of ethnic minority groups such as the Hmong or Dao people, who are known for their vibrant traditional dress and detailed handwork. These carriers not only secure the children safely but also celebrate cultural identity and community connection. While their mothers focus on daily tasks and conversations, the little ones observe the world from their high, secure vantage points — a perfect blend of comfort, tradition, and family closeness.
Vietnam
A young mother from the northern highlands of Vietnam carries her baby in a simple, brightly striped cloth, expertly wrapped to secure her child close against her back. The woven fabric, often crafted locally, reflects the region’s rich weaving traditions and love of bold, harmonious colours. The baby looks out with curiosity and calm, while the mother’s strong, steady gaze hints at her resilience and connection to her land and community. This practical, beautiful way of carrying children allows her to keep working and moving freely while maintaining constant closeness — a powerful expression of care woven into everyday life.
Myanmar
In this radiant and deeply human portrait, a woman from the Kayan (also known as Padaung) people of Myanmar stands smiling, her baby peeking shyly from a cloth wrap on her back. The woman’s joyful expression and gentle posture convey warmth and pride, embodying the strong bond between mother and child.
She is adorned with the distinctive brass neck coils that the Kayan women are famous for — rings gradually added from girlhood, which give the appearance of an elongated neck, a traditional symbol of beauty and cultural identity. Her wrists and forearms are also decorated with multiple metal bangles, and she wears a layered headscarf with colorful tassels, completing her striking traditional attire.
The baby is held securely in a simple cloth wrap tied across her chest and shoulders, allowing the child to stay close while she moves and works freely. In many Southeast Asian communities, this style of babywearing is deeply practical, keeping little ones safe, comforted, and fully included in daily life.
This image beautifully captures not only the practical act of carrying but also the cultural richness and grace of Kayan tradition. It stands as a testament to the universal instinct to nurture and hold our children close, while also celebrating the vibrant identity and resilience of this remarkable community.
A note of gratitude and respect
We respectfully acknowledge and honor the individuals and communities depicted in historical images throughout this series. Many of these photographs were taken in times and contexts where informed consent as we understand it today was not sought or given, and some may have been created through coercion or exploitation.
We share these images with the deepest gratitude, not to romanticize or objectify, but to recognize and celebrate the strength, resilience, and wisdom of these cultural practices. We hold these ancestors and knowledge holders in our hearts and aim to represent their traditions with integrity, humility, and care.
We commit to continuing to learn, listen, and uplift the voices of contemporary community members and descendants, and we welcome guidance on the respectful sharing of these images.
