Author: Liza F. Carter

Publisher:

Published: 2013-01-01

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 9780989018708

Moving with the Seasons: Portrait of a Mongolian Family, is a visual and written portrait of life in a nomadic Mongolian family. Filled with photographs and personal perspectives on daily life, this book is an outgrowth of my relationship with the family who became my collaborators in writing this book. The family?s willingness to share with the rest of the world the annual cycle of nomadic life on the Mongolian steppe makes for an unusually intimate portrait of a modern nomadic people. Much of the information found in my text and photographs comes directly from time spent with this family, and is not available in print elsewhere. My goal was to capture the life and spirit of the Mongolian nomads and to present their lives with honor and integrity. Everything from the household logistics of living in a tent, to the excitement of horse racing, to the family?s thoughts on religion, politics and death are described in the book. Presented within the context of the often surprising blend of traditional and modern elements of nomadic life, the text and photos document the centrality of animals to the herding community, their enduring traditions of hospitality and yearly celebrations, and the changing patterns of religious practice and academic schooling. The family, while retaining the essential ancient ways of living that have survived since the time of Genghis Kahn in 1200 AD, are already incorporating aspects of the modern world. Moving with the Seasons documents a traditional culture that still survives in a modern world even as it is under tremendous pressure to change from global forces.