Aerial view of a recently abandoned tree house. This was the tallest tree house we found in eight hours of surveying Korowai country by airplane and helicopter, and five weeks of hiking in the forest. From the ground we estimated it to be 50 meters tall. Its owner, Landi Gifanop, built it so tall “to see the planes, the helicopters, and the mountains, but mainly to keep sorcerers from climbing my stairs.” He abandoned it because the wind kept ruining his roof and he feared the whole house would come down. His new house is on the ground.
This picture was taken as part of an expedition for GEO Magazine and National Geographic Magazine to document the way of life of the Korowai tribe. Most of the Korowai in these photos had never had prior contact with anyone outside of their language group, and have no material goods from the outside world. They live in tree houses built above the forest floor to protect themselves from outsiders. The Korowai believe that contact with outsiders will bring an end to their culture. Cannibalism has been part of their traditional system of criminal justice to avenge the death of their clansmen, but the practice is dying out and is outlawed by the Indonesian government. The Korowai believe that most natural deaths are caused by sorcery, and must be avenged by the death (and consumption) of the person responsible.