In the remote hills of Nagaland, in northeast India, live the last surviving members of the Konyak tribe — once feared as headhunters. Now elderly men in their eighties, they lead quiet, dignified lives as fathers, grandfathers, and respected elders. Yet, the tattoos that cover their faces and chests tell stories of a very different past.
Until the 1960s, the Konyak were among the Naga tribes known for the practice of headhunting — taking the heads of enemies during inter-village conflicts. These acts were not motivated by cruelty but by complex spiritual and social beliefs: a severed head was thought to carry the life force of the enemy, bringing fertility, prosperity, and protection to the village.
Tattoos were marks of honor and identity. Each warrior’s facial patterns recorded his achievements in battle, transforming his body into a living archive of tribal history. The elaborate ornaments made from animal bones, boar tusks, and beads symbolized courage, status, and connection to the natural world.
Today, these men no longer carry spears or dao blades, but their presence still commands respect. They sit in their traditional longhouses, smoking from bamboo pipes and sharing stories of a time when bravery was measured by the number of heads taken. Their grandchildren play nearby, unaware that the hands that now rest gently on their shoulders once held weapons of war.
This series documents a vanishing culture — the last chapter of a warrior tradition that has given way to peace, memory, and the quiet passage of time.
