Palm Wine Collectors

This series of eight environmental portraits was photographed in 2015 on my travels to the Kunene region. A young Himba man named Wakarerera Tjondu, whom I had met earlier in 2014, led me through the palm groves and proudly introduced me to the palm tapping process for the first time. The series portrays the men who select, prepare and maintain Makalani Palms during the sap tapping process. The Himba from this area have utilized this plant family for generations, passing down the knowledge and technique needed to carry out the process of obtaining the liquid sustenance. Although the Makalani Palm is a protected tree in Namibia and the tapping of Palms a banned practice, the Himba men firmly believe that it is they’re right to continue. They argue against western law, instead following ancient cultural traditions that respect these Palms in their utilization and in turn promote they’re conservation