(Trupal Pandya)Traditionally, headhunting was a right of passage for boys in the tribe and skulls, believed to boost fertility, were preserved for auspicious reasons. The gruesome practice was banned in the 1950s and the spread of Christianity through remote villages also helped curb the tradition.As an outsider traveling to their remote village, Pandya took care in getting to know the insular tribe first, to be welcomed in. "I make an effort to be accepted and assimilate to their way of life," Pandya said in an interview. And so, he slept in their huts, ate the food they prepared, and waited until it was clear they understood his intentions — to preserve a part of their history before it disappeared.Pandya’s collection of images, The Last Living Headhunters, artfully mixes photos of the tribesmen in their environment, in some cases almost disappearing into the shadows, as well as portraits of the elders against a white screen, stripped away from any visual distractions, so that the focus is only on the subject. "I think this style encourages viewers to embrace, confront, and accept the person," Pandya said.Below, a selection from The Last Living Headhunters:
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(Trupal Pandya)**See more of Trupal's work on his website, Instagram, and Facebook**
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