Maasai and "Photo Raiders"

An interesting blog post on http://www.omniverse.blogspot.com/ about how the Maasai view some western photographers. Although part of me wants to sympathize, another part of me is screaming that if Winogrand had extended the asked-for courtesies to indigenous New Yorkers we'd be much the poorer.

I can totally respect the Maasai man. However, it was hard to concentrate with the writer being dramatic after every sentence...

A few points I wasn't so sure about...for example, there were a lot of words about the pictures being commercialized, but then zoo animals with their names was brought up. Animal names given and advertised is a fully commercial act. I can only hope the Maasai people aren't treated like we treat our animals!

Calling them the correct name is always a good step.

Not publishing sacred rituals is also probably for the best...

In short, I sympathize with those peoples, but not with the dramaticists we have over here. We should allow people to speak with their own voices, instead of us interjecting into them.