In 'Altai,' Photographer Claire Thomas Chronicles a Time-Honored Way of Life in Mongolia

In the Bayan-Ölgii province of western Mongolia, Kazakh Mongolians are the largest ethnic group. The sparsely populated nation abuts the Altai Mountains, some of which belong to Russia and China and across which sits Kazakhstan. Over the past several decades, migration between Kazakhstan and Mongolia has increased due to changing political climates, trade, and tourism.

For Welsh photojournalist Claire Thomas, this northern region’s unique nomadic culture proved to be a veritable wellspring of astonishing encounters as she observed its 21st-century adaptations.

Forthcoming from Hemeria, Altai: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia is a trove of intimate photographs chronicling Thomas’ immersion in this part of the world. She captures indelible features of the Kazakhs’ nomadic lifeway, experiencing everyday life in yurt-like homes called gers and participating in pastoral practices amid a vast grassland steppe, framed by rugged peaks.

“Horses, once ridden by Mongolian warriors across frontiers and battlefields in the time of Genghis Khan, are now anchors of nomadic life: bred for durability, agility, and a capacity to withstand the most freezing of temperatures as they transport households between seasonal pastures and help herd livestock,” says a statement.

Horses are also an inextricable element in the Kazakhs’ renowned method of hunting with golden eagles. The enormous avians and their caretakers forge a deep bond, continuing a centuries-old practice that’s deeply embedded with spiritual significance in order to catch foxes, hares, and other mammals for food and fur. In Altai, Thomas celebrates this time-honored custom, drawing our attention to an increasingly rare way of life that is inseparable from the land, where balance, compassion, and community are all-abiding.

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