THE NEED
Linguists estimate that every two weeks, a unique language disappears with its last surviving speaker. To counter this loss of human heritage, VCP captured the profound resilience and beauty of cultures navigating a rapidly changing world.
OUR MISSION
The Vanishing Cultures Project partnered with indigenous groups to safeguard cultural values and practices, collaborating to document lifestyles and traditions, compile a digital archive, educate the public about global diversity, and fund indigenous cultural initiatives.
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THe Loba
Upper Mustang
High in the Himalayas, the Loba people are navigating the end of centuries of isolation as new roads connect their ancient kingdom to the modern world. VCP documented this transition through the book Mustang: Lives and Landscapes, featuring a foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama and reporting for The Atlantic. Beyond the lens, the project directly supported the community by using book proceeds to fund a local school dedicated to preserving traditional Amchi medical knowledge.
Steppe Nomads
Mongolia
Mongolia’s nomads maintain one of the world's last mobile societies, a lifestyle currently threatened by rapid urbanization and severe climate shifts. In partnership with the Arts Council of Mongolia, VCP documented these seasonal rhythms for the book Mongolia’s Nomads: Life on the Steppe. This work serves as a permanent archive of nomadic traditions as families increasingly migrate toward settled life in the capital.
The Xikrin
Brazilian amazon
The Kayapó-Xikrin are indigenous guardians of the Amazon navigating deforestation and social disruption caused by the Belo Monte Dam. VCP collaborated with the tribe to archive their ceremonies and daily life on their own terms, amplifying their story through international media reporting and the publication of The Xikrin: People of the Big Water. These archives support their ongoing legacy of protecting their ancestral territory and ecological heritage for future generations.