These cheerful women from the Awá tribe in eastern Amazonia, Brazil, are happily giving their pet turtle a morning bath.
The Awá tribe is one of “the most endangered indigenous” groups in the world. Their isolated existence is threatened by activities such as illegal deforestation, gold mining, and drug trafficking. The Awá people's main food source is “armadillo”, and they coexist with the creatures of the forest. Most Awá families adopt wild animals as pets. Interestingly, Awá women breastfeed these adopted wild animals until they grow up, fostering a harmonious relationship with nature. This way of life, even among the world's indigenous tribes, is extremely rare.
Photographer Charlie Hamilton James captured this moment in 2017 as part of a National Geographic project. He says, “I tend not to photograph ceremonies. I want to capture everyday life, because people can relate to the ordinary. I want readers to look at it and say, Oh! Look! They're washing dishes, just like I wash clothes”.
The photographer hopes to showcase the photograph, rather than impose conventional views or narratives on the Awá tribe. This is simply a part of the Awá women's daily routine, and for the photographer, this moment is both endearing and warm. Even though the survival of the Awá tribe is precarious in the eyes of the world, the expressions of the Awá women, the child in their arms, and the pet turtle in the photo remind us that, even in different corners of the world, we can still find warmth and joy in their smiles, as well as a sense of happiness in “living in the moment”.
