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Here is a simple premise for a unique project. Hand out easy to use
point and shoot cameras and one roll of film each, once a month, for
a year to more than 250 people and tell them to go shoot whatever
they want. The Nature Conservancy as part of its Photovoice project
did just that with people of ethnic minorities from 60 villages in
northern Yunnan Province. Called “Voices From South of the Clouds,”
the American Museum of Natural History in New York City mounted an
exhibition of 45 of the photographs and put them in the Akeley
Gallery for viewing. The exhibition will run until July 23, 2006.
The Nature Conservancy’s aim was to record the diversity of the many
cultures in Yunnan Province through photos of the people and their
environment, a way of life that may be ending through no fault of
their own. Some of these people are already on the verge of
disappearing and their ancient ways, particularly regarding
religion, could become extinct.
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Cormorant Fishing
 "Grandpa
He Yaokun and his grandson are with their cormorant in the boat.
Some years ago, almost every family had their own cormorant for
fishing. A thin rope is tied around the cormorant's neck, thus
when it catches fish, only the small ones can be swallowed, while
the big ones are taken by the fishermen. Since the government
banned all fishing during the spawning season a few years ago,
some people still continue to catch fish during the banned season,
which has greatly reduced the fish population. The catch has
become smaller and most villagers cannot afford to feed a
cormorant any more. The grandpa in the picture is worried that
there are fewer and fewer fish in the lake, and sadness shows on
his face."
He Yunying: 30-year-old Naxi woman, Gele Village |
The Eastman Kodak Company donated the simple cameras and the film
the people used. They had classes in how the cameras worked and what
they could do with them. Then the budding photographers, men, women,
old and young, went out to record what they saw as important to
their lives. And they did just that. They created a remarkable
record of life as they live it. Life as they see it. As Photovoice
explains, they then told the story of each picture, including
“everyday life and work, religious rituals, and family activities,
with a focus on their interaction with the surrounding environment.”
All to “help guide the Conservancy’s conservation efforts in
northwest Yunnan.” The photos are extraordinary in their approach,
and their ultimate simplicity. The colors are surprisingly vibrant
for cameras that sell in China for only seven dollars.
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Sacred Waterfall
"This is a picture of pilgrims-a group of teachers from Xidan
Primary School-at the Sacred Waterfall. It is said to have been
blessed by countless Buddhas. A pilgrimage to this site would not
only cure a mute or someone with a speech impediment, but would
also relieve a pilgrim of his or her sins. They will then be safe
for the rest of their lives. The waterfall also has the power to
foretell a pilgrim's fortune. According to local people, if a
pious but unfortunate person goes near the waterfall to pray, the
waterfall will stop flowing, or the flow will turn into trickles.
But when a fortunate pilgrim goes near it, he or she will get
drenched all over. So, whenever a pilgrim approaches the
waterfall, he or she must first offer incense, so the gods will
respond with an auspicious downpour all over one's body."
Gatailamu: 29-year-old Tibetan woman, Yubeng Village
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However, there is an added dimension, almost serendipitous, in its
result. I lived in the Far East. I worked and lived in Hong Kong and
in Taiwan. I traveled to, and worked in China. Though I spent months
in China, I never saw enough of the country. We know of the massive
industrial and economic changes in China as it becomes an unexpected
world power with its form of government-sponsored capitalism. This
exhibit shows there is another China still alive, yet struggling to
survive the onslaught of modernism that is engulfing that massive
country.
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 "God
of the Mountain" Ceremony
"Usually this ceremony takes place on January 10th of the lunar
year and it is done at a specific spot facing Kawagebo Mountain
where there is a big pine tree. It is the Tibetan custom that only
men participate in ceremonies where there is praying and burning
incense. We pray facing the god of the mountain and use incense to
pay respect to Kawegebo. We also pray for good weather and enough
rain in the upcoming year so that we will have a good harvest. We
learned this ritual from the old people and we teach it to our
children. People say that there used to be a sky book that
contained rules about where to burn incense and where to pray to
the mountain god. No one has seen the sky book but everyone
believes it exists. Through the years, there have been no changes
to this tradition. While it looks like there is music being played
in the picture, in fact there is no music, just chanting by the
lamas."
Ahnan: 52-year-old Tibetan man, Yubeng Village |
Seeing the exhibit and then viewing these photos, and reading the
captions, it is easy to appreciate the variety of ethnic minorities
represented here. Keep in mind, that some of these people have their
own language and do not even speak Chinese. Ancient religious rites,
once the spiritual essences of many people in Yunnan, are a shadow
of what they once were. In their simplicity and splendor, these
images are a view of life that we may never see again. That surely
is worth the price of admission. The exhibition is a remarkable,
unique effort of the Nature Conservancy, the American Museum of
Natural History and the grant from the Eastman Kodak Company. Go now
to visit the museum, savor the beauty of the photos, and enjoy the
stories they tell while there is still time before what China is now
destroys what China once was. Take advantage of this exhibition, and
to whet your appetite, here is a representative selection of the
pictures as a courtesy from the Nature Conservancy.
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 Herding
Sheep
"I am herding the sheep high on the mountain. When looking down, I
am very impressed by the beautiful ocean-like clouds."
Kang Wenming: 25-year-old Yi man, Xuehua Village |
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At NBC News for 35 years, Ron Steinman was bureau chief
in Saigon, Hong Kong and London, was a senior producer on Today and wrote
and produced for Sunday Today. At ABC News Productions, he produced
and wrote documentaries for A&E, TLC, Discovery, Lifetime and the
History Channel. He has a Peabody, a National Headliner award, a
National Press Club award, a International Documentary Festival Gold
Camera Award, two American Women in Radio & Television awards and
has been nominated for five Emmy's. He is a partner in
Douglas/Steinman Productions, whose latest documentary, "Luboml: My
Heart Remembers," aired on PBS' WLIW/21 and the History Channel in
Israel, April 29, 2003. He is the author of, "The Soldiers 'Story",
"Women in Vietnam," and most recently, "Inside Television's First
War: A Saigon Journal," University of Missouri Press, 2002. |
