honorable mention
Valentin DENYSET france
title
Tsaatan life
Recently, in 2022, I lived for a month in a tepee with Mongolian nomads called Tsaatan, who are reindeer herders. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had, and I have a boundless gratitude for this incredibly warm and hospitable people, whose culture is so rich and unknown.
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entry description
Tsaatan are nomadic reindeer herders living in northwestern Mongolia in the Khövsgöl region. Following shamanistic and Buddhist principles, there are only about three hundred who preserve this ancestral and exciting way of life, which is now under threat. The new generation is more and more attracted by the city and its comfort. On the other hand, the Mongolian government has banned hunting in the taiga in order to protect nature, and thus provides financial support to the herders, which is sometimes insufficient and obliges them to sacrifice one of their reindeers. Climate change is also affecting the region, as temperatures are increasing, forcing the nomadic people to move more frequently.about the photographer
I am a French photographer who travels the world looking for adventures and rich encounters. As an engineer living in Paris, nothing predicted me to like roaming in the wilderness. I've undertaken some great expeditions, such as in the 2018 summer when I travelled from the extreme north of Sweden to Norway, 30 days alone, on foot, and in autonomy, or in 2019 where I spent a winter alone in a wooden hut, 400 kilometres above the Arctic Circle.Recently, in 2022, I lived for a month in a tepee with Mongolian nomads called Tsaatan, who are reindeer herders. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had, and I have a boundless gratitude for this incredibly warm and hospitable people, whose culture is so rich and unknown.
back to gallery