go extinct in the next 150 years. You can read
that in the news. Paul and I really wanted
people to understand how those animals
are going to die. The lack of sea ice makes it
impossible for polar bears to hunt, so they
starve. We’ve seen lots of dead polar bears,
and we wanted people to understand what a
starving polar bear looked like.
Climate change is a difficult issue to shoot
because it’s like a slow-moving tsunami. It’s
a process of finding moments where people
can reflect on the real consequences of these
changes to our planet.
You were criticised by some people for
not saving the bear or for taking the
picture. Did that criticism hurt?
If you’re going to be a photographer, you grow
a very thick skin. The road to photographing
is littered with rejection, so if a few people
disagree with me, that’s OK.
Forme,whatwasimportantwiththat
photographandseeingthereactionofthe
publictoitwasjusthowmanypeopleare
stillindenialthatclimatechangeisareal
threat.Itgavemeaveryrealsenseofthe
sizeoftheaudiencethatweneedtoreach
andtoconvert.Youhavebeenphotographingthe
KayapotribeintheAmazonformany
years.Whatwasitthatmadeyouwant
totelltheirstory?
TheKayapowasalife-changingopportunity
formetobepartoftheteamthatwentback
tothosevillagesmanytimes.IworkedwithConservationInternational.Iwasinvited
withagroupofscientists,andIwastheonly
photographerthere.
Myintentionwasalwaystogiveaname
andafacetothepeoplewhoarefacing
suchastruggle.It’snotenoughtosaythat
indigenouspeoplesaresuffering.Wewantto
knowwhothesepeopleare.They’remothers.
They’rechildren.They’rescared.
WehaveapresidentinBrazilwhopublicly
saidindigenouspeoplearenodifferentfrom
animals.He’sonamissiontodestroythe
Amazon,toindustrialiseit.He’sathreatnot
justtoindigenouspeoplebuttohumanityas
awhole.Left
Brazilan Amazon
“This photo of the great chiefs of
the Kayapó nation reminds me of
the courage of great indigenous
leaders of First Nations past,”
Cristina explainsTop left
Ta’Kaiya Blaney
“I first met Ta’Kaiya Blaney,
photographed here in her home
waters in the Salish Sea, after
hearing her speak for what she
calls an ‘Earth Revolution’”Above
Young Kayapó girl
This image is one of Cristina’s
favourite shots, “not just because
she is beautiful, but because her
eyes say so much... my camera is
my passport to the world”CRISTINA MITTERMEIER