Kicking a dying man in the ass.

In communication with a Russian photographer who is now in Mexico as well.

She is in the very south near Oaxaca preparing to go into the mountains.
Where Indians live, the indigenous people of Mexico.
She wants to go to a particular tribe that is about to be extinct.
To document them with pictures before they have evaporated completely overtaken by progress.

The question now is whether it is a good idea to go to those poor Indians and photograph them.
In the end, a photographer is a representative of the world that has made their’s disappear.
Now that it is almost over for them, they are requested to accept the presence of a photographer who will document all the private moments of their lives for the world to see.
A world that has crushed them forever.

In the past, this particular Indian tribe has already been extensively photographed by a Swiss photographer.
So it is not that there are no images of them.

But of course, for a contemporary, idealistic, young and ambitious European photographer it is an exciting idea to go to an Indian tribe soon to be extinct high in the mountains of Mexico.
It will feel like being a missionary or preacher.
Like doing something good and positive.

But is it really?

The only person that can answer that question is the Indian himself/herself.
In a situation like this the decision to be documented may only come of those who are going to be photographed.

Of course, the photographer has plenty of reasons to want to do it.
The truth though is that those reasons are seriously flawed.
By the own interests of the photographer.
He or she has personally too much at stake to see and understand honestly, objectively and fully the point of view of those to be photographed.

The policy must be to honestly ask the Indians if they want to be documented at this for them delicate moment in time.
If they absolutely and honestly want it, without the photographer paying or bribing them, the photographer can go ahead.
Otherwise it is like kicking a dying man in his ass.

This procedure is absolutely vital.
Because it always has a good result.

Either the Indians refuse and they are not photographed.
This means that they are respected in their decisions.
A last gesture we can make before they are not there anymore.
Swallowed by a world that never recognised and rewarded them.
But eventually shows some kind of respect.

Or either the Indians accept the invitation.
And then it can result in excellent photography.
Because they decided themselves to participate.
The best opportunity to come close to them and see their hearts open.
Resulting in sincere and true pictures.
Provided the photographer spends considerable time with the Indians and merges and bonds with them.

Personally the opinion is: leave those Indians alone, please.
They have suffered already so much by us.
As much as being on the verge of being extinct.
If these last Indians in the mountains of Southern Mexico got the idea that it was necessary to be photographed now that they are still existing, they would have reached out to some photographer by themselves.
To ask to do the job.

For any ambitious and talented photographer there are plenty of other subjects to document.
Maybe less romantic, but as vital.

For example, not only are Indian tribes in Mexico and South America disappearing, but new tribes are being born also.
Like in Europe.
Due to migration, large numbers of people found a new country to live in.
Many Moroccans live now in Holland, many Turks in Germany, etc
They are there for several generations now and are creating a strong and interesting position in the for them new societies.
Hence, the Dutch and German societies are changing.
By the influence of the people originally from Morocco and Turkey.

For a photographer this is an enormous challenge.
To document this process.
Of birth and growing.
Instead of dying and death.





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