Montagnard Boy

Central Highlands, Vietnam
I shot this photo in 2006 during my journey from Dalat to Nha Trang. This boy was with a group of kids tending to water buffaloes along a river bank near the unpaved road. This area is just at the edge of the mountains as the road heads towards the sea. This hamlet is one of the outer lying Montagnard villages. Montagnards are the indigenous people of Vietnam. Most are found living deep inland in mountains that border Cambodia, Laos, and China. There are hundreds of different tribes each with their own unique language and culture. They live in long huts which are stilted and Montagnard women can be seen walking on roads and trails wearing a large basket like backpack. During the Vietnam War these people fought alongside U.S. Special Forces and were known for their fearlessness in combat and deep knowledge of the local terrain.