The Omo Valley is a place of stunning beauty with a deeply held secret. Children, labeled "mingi" or cursed, are thought to be responsible for misfortune and are killed. Photographer John Rowe only learned about these after many visits to the region.
Omo谷地是有着一个深藏秘密的美丽地方。被认为是"mingi"或是"被诅咒的"孩子要为灾祸负责而且被杀。摄影师约翰·罗在多次造访这一地区之后才了解此事。
"The reason why people get sick, the reason why there's drought, the reason why there's famine, is because of 'mingi'.It's because children's teeth first appear on the upper gum instead of the bottom gum."
"人们得病、出现干旱、出现饥荒的原因都是因为'mingi'。是因为孩子们的牙齿先从上牙龈而非下牙龈长出。"
Or because they are born out of wedlock, are disabled, or are twins, they are all killed. "They think what they are doing is right."
又或者因为他们是婚外生子女,或是生来残疾,或是双生子,他们都会被杀害。"他们认为他们所做的是正确的。"
Rowe's documentary, Omo Child: The River and the Bush, tell us the story. Rowe's son Tyler, the director of cinematography, met with denial when they were first asked about the practice.
罗的纪录片,《Omo的孩子:河流和灌木》给我们讲述了这个故事。罗的儿子泰勒拍摄了该部影片,在第一次问他们这一事情时,泰勒得到了否定的答案。
"They all said 'Oh, no, no, no, it doesn't happen here. We've stopped it a long time ago. It only happens off in this far village ... those backward people. It's not us. We don't do that.'"
"他们就说:'不不不,这里没有发生这种事。我们很久以前就没这样做了。这只发生在一些很偏远的村庄,那些落后的人。不是我们,我们不这样做。'"
The Karo tribe has now stopped the practice largely because of the efforts of one of its members, Lale Labuko, who learned at age 15 of two sisters killed before he was born.
Karo部落现在已经不再有这种行为,主要因为他们的一位部落成员,Lale Labuko所做出的努力。他在15岁时得知在他出生之前,他的两个姐姐就被杀了。
"I said, I want to stop these things."
"我说,我想阻止这些事情。"
Lale Labuko's work has been spread by the documentary, which was part of a series at the Skirball Cultural Center featuring winners of the Social Impact Media Awards.
Lale在当地所做的工作被这部纪录片传开。这部纪录片是史克博尔文化中心的一个系列之一,该系列以几个著名的社会影响媒体奖得主为特色。
"We feel so connected to the world now via the internet, yet there are still stories that are unknown to us."
"我们通过网络可以深感与世界的联系,然而仍然有不为我们所知的故事。"
Labuko's work isn't done.
Labuko的工作还未结束。
"There are two other tribes that continue to practice 'mingi,' and kill children. And he is working hard to try to prevent them. In the meantime, he's now rescued 46 children."
"仍有两个部落还在继续这种'mingi'做法,并且杀害孩子们。他努力试着阻止这些做法。同时他现在已经拯救了46个孩子。"
And thanks to Rowe, more people know about it.
也多亏了罗,更多的人知道了这个故事。