The Lahu Hill Tribe

The indigenous people of the Lahu tribe span across the nations of Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam and China. Traditionally known as a hunter-warrior society, the Lahu people are now finding themselves in a battle to hold onto their culture in this radically changing time of modernization.

After trekking through the jungle, crossing rivers, and climbing up the mountain side on a rough dirt road for several hours I finally arrived in a small village belonging to this indigenous hill tribe. Even though I was exhausted and the sun was setting behind the hills (the village has no electricity or running water) I knew that my time in this village would be short; so I grabbed my camera and set off to explore the area and get to know some of the locals.

These are a few portraits that I was able to capture during my time with the Lahu tribe.

A man treks his daughter up the mountain side.

A man walking through the village.

A girl collecting flowers.

An elderly woman separating grain for dinner.

Girl with a teddy bear.

Man sitting on his deck.

A woman enjoying a cigarette.

Sunrise in a Lahu village.