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They are local or native photographers. Their eye is engaged and feminist.

 

They do not look at themselves but are the eyes of these exemplary women who all over the world propose original alternatives to build a more just and sustainable world.

 

They are part of a process of reappropriation of the image by these peoples themselves. Through these photographs, the power, the beauty but also the wisdom of these women are drawn.

 

This project also participates in deconstructing our Western view of indigenous cultures, which is often reductive and backward-looking, and opens a page of photographic history where the other, the one we don't know, becomes an actor in his own history and thus in ours.

 

The images produced as part of the Voices of Native Women project are collected in a photo library available to public institutions and academics.

 

The work of each photographer is presented here by geographical area and by theme. For any research and use of the images, do not hesitate to contact the platform team: enterreindigene@gmail.com

First Nations of Quebec, Polynesian, Massaï and Samburu of Kenya, Kanak, or Peul of Chad, these women fight against all the injustices they suffer. Their actions are a model of resistance and emancipation. They show us the way to a more egalitarian society that respects women's rights.

Native American from the United States, Kichwa from Ecuador, Dayak from Indonesia, these indigenous women have found themselves on the front line in the fight against extractivism. They propose alternatives to create a more sustainable world. This is the awakening of a new form of feminine activism.

Same from Norway, Bumthang from Bhutan, Amazigh from Morocco or Aïnou from Japan, these women show us that art is at the same time creation, wisdom and mode of contestation. In societies with an oral tradition, they call for resistance and remind us that there is another way of being and thinking about the world.

Amerindian women from Guyana, Khanty from Siberia or Shipiba from Peru, these women are at the heart of the transmission of knowledge, culture and language. They propose original alternatives and their singularity participates in the construction of a plural world. Through their commitments, they remind us that education is a right.

These heroines, survivors of the Rwandan genocide, give us a lesson in hope and life by sharing their testimony and their struggle to regain their dignity. This dive into the heart of the human matrix also sends us back to our own humanity. Both a duty to remember and a hymn to life, it contributes to the construction of a peaceful society and a world that respects women's rights.

Quebec

 

Patrick Bard made the portrait of Fanny Wilde, the first Algonquin lawyer and Edith Cloutier, the director of the Val d'Or Friendship Center.

 

Photojournalist, writer-traveler. El Norte, his photographic essay on the U.S.-Mexican border has earned him international recognition. For nearly 30 years, he has been working on the indigenous peoples of the Americas. He has published some twenty books of photographs and is the author of nearly ten novels.

Ecuador

 

Misha Vallejo made the portrait of Patricia Gualinga, an ecofeminist resistor in Ecuador

 

His work falls somewhere between documentary and fine art photography. In 2014, he received his Master's degree in photojournalism from the London College of Communication at the University of the Arts in London and then completed his training in St Petersburg. Misha Vallejo is one of the best representatives of the current movement of Latin American photography between art and documentary. He has exhibited his work all over the world.

Norway

 

Marie-Louise Somby made the portrait of Maret Anne Sara, a same artist, daughter of reindeer herders in Norway

 

Originally from Kautokeino, raised in the Tundra, on the land of her ancestors, she received a traditional education from her parents and her shaman grandfather passed on his knowledge. At a very young age, she began to photograph her environment and her people. Today, her images bear witness to the power of these landscapes and these women who say no to the extermination of their people.

French Guyana

 

Patrick Bard made the portrait of Ti’iwan Couchili, an artist of the First Arts

 

Photojournalist, writer-traveler. El Norte, his photographic essay on the U.S.-Mexican border has earned him international recognition. For nearly 30 years, he has been working on the indigenous peoples of the Americas. He has published some twenty books of photographs and is the author of nearly ten novels.

Rwanda

 

Chris Schwagga made the portrait of Godelieve Mukasarasi: a heroine in the land of a thousand hills

 

Originally from Burundi, raised in the DRC, he now lives in Rwanda. His inspiration comes from his travels and music. He makes portraits on location as well as in his studio. He has just published a monograph on the artists of Rwanda and participates in the project Je suis Rwandaise of the association En terre indigène.

Polynesia

 

Danee Hazama made the portrait of Minarï Chantal Galenon, the president of the Council of Women of Polynesia.

 

A graduate of California State University in Los Angeles, his work on the indigenous populations of Taiwan and their relationship to the Polynesians was the subject of a major exhibition in Tahiti entitled Our Ancestors from ... Taiwan. Very invested in the safeguarding of the oceans and cultures, his passion for the indigenous people leads him to the four corners of the world.

Indonesia

 

Evren Lintong made the portrait of Eva Bande, the rebel against oil palms

 

A well-known musician in Indonesia, he developed a passion for photography during his tours. His encounter with indigenous peoples changed his life. Today, he is a renowned photographer in Jakarta and accompanies the realization of documentaries on indigenous peoples. He has the project to photograph the daily life of these people who represent nearly 25% of the population in Indonesia.

Bhutan

 

Ugyen Wangchuck made a portrait of Kunzang Choden, a Himalayan feminist voice in Bhutan

 

Originally from the village of Thambji, Ugyen is a graduate of the Dodedrak Buddhist Institute and Tango Biddhist College. A long time mountain guide, he is now one of the first official photographers of Bhutan. His knowledge of the country and its inhabitants has led to the publication of several books. He is currently preparing a book on the Himalayas.

Siberia

 

Marina Longortova made a portrait of Marina Kabakova, an ambassador of Khanty culture

 

Born into a Khanty family from the north of Siberia, very involved in the defense of the rights of peoples, her mother, a film-maker and journalist, passed on to her the values of her fishermen and gatherer ancestors. Marina, after studying philology, became a photojournalist for the local press. Today she also devotes herself to painting and ethnography. Her series "Khanty women" pays tribute to their know-how.

New Caledonia

 

Delphine Mayeur made the portrait of Fara Caillard, an angry Kanak woman and Isabelle Tyuienon, the voice of tribal women.

 

Photojournalist in the press, she then turned to art photography and became a portraitist. She claims an instinctive and authentic sensitivity to retranscribe the spontaneous emotions and tell the story in a subtle, raw and natural way, without any style effect composed of these women of New Caledonia.

UNITED STATES

 

Tailyr Irvine made the portrait of Kandi Mosset, a Sioux warrior against extractivism in the United States

 

Originally from the Flathead Reservation in Montana, she trained in journalism before turning to photography. Her work focuses on challenging stereotypical narratives and her photographs offer a representation of the lives and issues of diverse indigenous communities. She is regularly published in the international press.

Myanmar

 

Mayco Naing made the portrait of Tin Tin Win, a feminist writer under surveillance

 

She exhibits both abroad and in her country where she has opened a studio gallery. Her favorite theme: women and conservative values. Her portrait series Identity of Fear is an X-ray of the Myanmar generation born at the time of the 1988 revolution. It also raises the question of this new freedom of expression today repressed. Since the putsch in Myanmar in 2021, she has moved to Europe.

Peru

 

Tui Anandi made the portrait of Lidia Gonzalez : pioneer in bilingual education

 

Immersed in the indigenous world since his early childhood by his mother in Brazil, he has dedicated himself for more than five years to Xapiri: an art gallery and a cultural project in favor of the indigenous communities of the Amazon. In contact with local cultures, he documents the people and their traditions.

Morocco

 

Yoriyas Yassine Alaoui made the portrait of Fatima Tabaamrant, the Amazigh voice in Morocco

 

At the age of 16, he became a breakdancer and won international competitions. During his travels, he discovered photography in 2013 following a fall. Today he is one of the most renowned photographers in Morocco. His images reflect his passion for chess and his love for dance. Published in the international press, in 2019 he received the IMA prize for contemporary creation.

Japan

 

Masayuki Obikawa made the portrait of Tokuda Shoko, the heiress of the Ainu culture in Japan

 

The image among these people is intimate and in particular certain rituals. This is why Masayuki Obikawa, originally from Ainu, is one of the photographers recognized by the community. Today he is invited to document the ancestral culture of these people in parallel with his work as a photographer in cultural circles.

Polynesia

 

Danee Hazama made the portrait of Sara Vacki, the ambassador of an ancestral knowledge in Polynesia

 

A graduate of California State University in Los Angeles, his work on the indigenous populations of Taiwan and their relationship to the Polynesians was the subject of a major exhibition in Tahiti entitled Our Ancestors from ... Taiwan. Very invested in the safeguarding of the oceans and cultures, his passion for the indigenous people leads him to the four corners of the world.

Kenya

 

Steeve Kagia made the portrait of Nice Nalentei Leng'ete, a Maasai warrior.

 

A graphic designer, filmmaker and photographer at Media Hub, this Nairobi native has used photography as a ticket to get up close and personal with youth around the world. He has accompanied the making of films about the stories of marginalized groups, including The Cut, which has won several international awards.

Chad

 

Salma Khalil made the portrait of Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, a fighter for the rights of Fulani women in Chad

 

Photographer, graphic artist and designer, Salma Khalil is at the origin of the project Portrait of Chadian women. In 2017, her work was exhibited in Abidjan, as part of the Jeux de la Francophonie. Her photographs capture the condition of women in her country. Salma Khalil is also a civil society actress and the founder of the Positive association.

Kevin Midigo made the portrait of Jane Meriwas, the indomitable Samburu

 

Born in the Great Lakes, Kevin Midigo is a news and sports photographer based in Nairobi. His style incorporates colorful and energetic images. His style incorporates colorful and energetic images. He takes a contemporary look at society and in particular at the place of women. He is regularly published in the international press.

"To you the eye..."

 

The Native Women voices Photo Library

THE VOICE

 

OF EMANCIPATION

THE VOICE

 

OF NATURE

THE VOICE

 

OF THE ARTS

THE VOICE

 

OF EDUCATION

THE VOICE

 

OF RESILIENCE

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This project is supported by La Fondation CHANEL

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