The Dukha people are a rapidly-dwindling community of nomadic herders localized to the mountainous region of Khövsgöl, in northern Mongolia. An ancient tribe of Turkish descent, there are today only 44 families left with between 200 and 400 people. One of the major reasons for this is the fast-declining population of reindeer in Mongolia. Reindeers are the Dukha’s main source subsistence, providing not only food in the form of milk and cheese, but also seasonal migrations across flat plains and steep mountainous slopes.
Life for the Dukha is constant battle with the vagaries of nature, in a hostile environment where winter temperatures regularly drop to between -30 to -40 degrees C. Despite their hardships, they are known for their unwavering courage, patience and near-stoical endurance. For over twenty years, photographer and scholar Hamid Sardar-Afkhami has trained his lens, capturing seldom-seen images of the daily lives and cultures of diverse tribes in Central Asia. His unique collection of photographs are published in a book titled ‘Dark Heavens: Shamans and Hunters of Mongolia’ (2016) that documents not only the Dukhas but also the fabled Kazakh eagle hunters and horsemen of the Mongolian steppes. Scroll below for samples of his precious photographs of the Dukha, a people the world has largely forgotten.
