These fascinating photos show the last living female members of an Indian tribe who were forced to have their noses plugged and faces tattooed to ruin their looks and stop other tribes from kidnapping them.
The Apatanis, or the Tanis as they call themselves, trace their origin as being a migratory tribe in the Apatani Plateau in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, India.
Known for their agricultural skills and a tradition not to keep written records, the group's oral accounts have been converted into folk tales over the years, and passed on from one generation to the other.
According to Apatani folklore, their women were known in the region for their beauty and so the tribe was often invaded by neighbouring groups who would kidnap them, never to return.
In a desperate attempt to protect them, the tribe's elders allegedly ordered that all women, young and old, should have their faces tattooed and their noses plugged to ruin their looks.
While the threat of kidnapping disappeared over the centuries, the tradition of nose piercings and face tattoos remained.
It became a rite of passage for a young girl once she had her first period and, in the Apatani's view, therefore entered womanhood.
The remote location had enabled the tribe to continue their tradition and practice their religion, known as Donyi-Polo, where they pray to the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo), in peace for centuries.
The Indian government reportedly banned the tradition of nose plugging in the 1970s, and while it does not appear to have been a strict enforcement, it helped killed the practice.
Other contributing factors were the obvious lack of threat of kidnapping from rival tribes, and a younger generation wanting to leave the settlements to look for work in nearby communities and towns, where the disfiguring plugs could hamper opportunities.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
