Stories that matter.

The Tribes of the Omo Valley

I was drawn to the Omo Valley in southwestern Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley by its extraordinary tribes and rapidly disappearing cultures. This region—one of the last vast tribal territories on Earth—remains so isolated that National Geographic has dubbed it “Africa’s Last Frontier.” Widely regarded as the cradle of humanity, the Omo Valley is still governed by ancient customs, rituals, and cycles of revenge. The documenatry captures the story of the Omo River Valley—an awe-inspiring part of Africa where our earliest ancestors once roamed. The land is wild and singular, as are the people who inhabit it. The valley is home to a diversity of tribes, each with distinct customs, colors, and ways of life, yet all share a deep reliance on the river. Their ceremonies, humble dwellings, and livestock practices reflect a profound harmony with nature. That fragile balance has been severely disrupted by the construction of the Gibe III Dam—an emblem of development that benefits Ethiopian elites and international investors at the expense of local communities. The dam generates electricity for export to Kenya, while the river’s water is siphoned off to irrigate vast sugar and cotton plantations. Once forested lands are now cleared and converted into sprawling monocultures, owned and operated by foreign entities—threatening both the environment and the survival of these ancient ways of life.