This photograph is from the series Omo: Expressions of a People, taken during an excursion through Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and recognized by scientists as the cradle of humankind, this dust-blown area is home to a diverse mix of indigenous cultures, including Suri, Hamar and Nyangatom. The people of the region share a semi-nomadic way of life that has, thanks to their independent spirit and geographic isolation, changed relatively little over the centuries. Coming-of-age initiations, marriage rites, cattle herding—society in the Omo is still organized around these essential practices. In this image, young Suri men are preparing to draw a cow’s blood to drink. Young men are taught that cow’s blood is a source of strength, so in this tradition, they disrobe, subdue the animal, and then use an arrow to skillfully draw blood in a way that does not kill it.