Tribus : les peuples premiers. Tribes : the first people

Since 1973, I travel the world to meet the last tribes still living on the fringe of the Third World. For me, they represent the real First World, the First People. This long journey has taken me to the most remote places on Earth, where these last witnesses of our distant past survive. It is always better to leave them alone. Once they are contacted by outsiders, the world as they know it begins to collapse. At that point, I believe it is important to record their way of life, not only for the memory of mankind but for the people themselves. Most don't have a written language and these films and pictures, a few decades from now, may be the only testimonies of their own past. My films and photographs merely attempt to open a small window on the First World. Most of these tribes live in endangered environments. They are the guardians of some of the planet's last unspoiled and unpolluted territories. Against all odds, these First People have managed to survive across the ages. If it weren't for their resilience, we wouldn't be here today. Unfortunately, at the dawn of the third millennium, most are threatened with extinction. In this book, priority to the images, texts and legends are kept to a minimum. The selected photographs are highlights of the 16 tribes that most moved me. My wish is that this book will encourage the reader to find out more about indigenous people and to support their struggle to survive in a world they find increasingly incomprehensible and insane. The survival of the First People and their environment is tied to our own.