Urban legend has it that the women on the Chin underwent the painful process of having their faces tattooed with buffalo blood to make them less attractive, and keep them from being a target of neighboring tribes. However, talking to them it is clear that is not how they have ever seen it. They are proud of their faces, and happy to show them off. Many recall bugging their parents decades ago when they were children to have their face decorated the way a modern teen or pre-teen might beg to get her ears pierced.

I’ve had the privilege of photographing many Chin women on several trips to the edge of the Chin State in Myanmar, some of them several times. Each time I come away amazed by the strength and life-learning embodied in their faces. They live what we would consider a hard life farming on river banks and gathering and selling forest products. Most are grandmothers or great-grandmothers, some around 80 years old. All realize they are almost the last of the Chin to have been tattooed. The government outlawed – and missionaries lobbied against – the practice starting in the 60’s. Rumors persist that it is still being done in some of the most inaccessible areas though.

This Chin woman was proud to have her face documented
as one of the last of its kind.
Nikon D600, Nikon 70-200mm f/4 lens @ 122mm,
f/4 @ 1/125s ISO 800

The Chin are poor in material goods and formal education (this woman’s village is relatively lucky to have three dedicated teachers in its school of 100 students, but not much besides blackboards and writing paper for learning aids). They don’t get much from the government, and the desire of many for independence makes visiting them a permit-only process. As a result they don’t have a lot of communication with the outside world. It was fun to be able to show one of the women whose photograph I had taken 5 years ago the image when I saw her on this trip. She was disappointed she didn’t remember me as well as I did her though!