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, a Nyangatom mother nurses her child. In the Omo valley, women pride themselves on their high stacks of beautiful necklaces, and celebrate and respect the practice of breastfeeding their children.