The Tsaatan People

Tsaatan, which in the Mongolian language literally means 'those who have reindeers', are a community of reindeer herders living in northern Khuvsgol province of Mongolia. One of the last few nomadic tribes, they live off the animals as their primary source of food, clothing and transportation. In the autumn of 2018 I spent half a month living with one such tribe and documenting their way of life. Children are contributing members of the herd. While Mongolia has free and compulsory education for all children from the age of 6, herder families that move several times in a year in search of better pasture are often forced to delay education and keep their children from going to school in order nor to split their families.