The magazine of the photo-essay
Sept 2016 back issue
by Brian Hodges
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“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
Mongolian pastoral herders make up one of the world's last remaining nomadic cultures. For millennia they have lived
on the steppes, grazing their livestock on the lush grasslands, and moving their camps several times a year in search of
the best pastures.
Slowly, however, the steppe’s landscape is changing, as more and more of its nomadic population move to urban areas
in search of education, employment, and modern conveniences. Indeed, modernity attracts not only those Mongolians
who have moved to the city, but also those who have chosen to continue with their nomadic lifestyle.
Today the nomads who remain on the steppe combine old traditions with new means. They continue their lifestyle as
pastoral herders, but many use motorbikes to herd cattle and horses. To move their homes, trucks have taken the place
of ox carts. Solar panels are becoming an addition to the traditional Mongolian home, the ger. The panels are a way for
them to gain access to electricity without being confined to one place.
With the rise of accessible technology, changes in lifestyle are almost inevitable. But these changes also help
longstanding traditions thrive. Rather than abandoning their lives on the steppes, Mongolia’s nomads are adapting to
modernization in their own way.
