Hoboken photographer John Delaney traveled to the far reaches of Mongolia in the winter of 1998 to document a dying Kazakh tradition. His new exhibition, “Golden Eagle Hunters of Mongolia,” documents the lives of the indigenous Kazakh people who hunt game using wild Golden Eagles.
“It was like the Wild West at the turn of the century.” – John Delaney
________
“It was like the Wild West at the turn of the century,” Delaney said. “Everyone was so spread out and dependent on each other. The men were really proud to show me what they do.”
For three weeks, Delaney and his interpreter traveled from home to home, each family customarily slaughtering a goat for the occasion.
“We’d have tea and chat,” he said. “I stayed with the families and drank a lot of Russian Vodka. I always dreamed of doing something like this as a kid – a little wild adventure. You don’t know what’s coming around the corner or what’s going to happen next. And the incredible landscape was so welcoming, and so foreign.”
But like many other indigenous traditions, the practice is slowly dying. After a more recent trip, Delaney said, “it’s shocking what 10 years of Westernization can do.”
The steppes
Delaney first got the idea that eventually compelled him to fly halfway around the world, while watching a documentary. He briefly witnessed the lives of the Mongolian hunters, and after a futile search to find more information about the people, decided to make an expedition to the steppes himself.
“I thought the [hunters] was such a heroic image,” Delaney said. “I tried to investigate the Kazakhs and couldn’t find any images that other photographers had taken, so I packed my bags and jumped on a plane.”
Delaney and his interpreter traveled the steppes with only a Land Rover, a Russian jeep, and his equipment.
“It was extremely enlightening in Mongolia,” Delaney said. “Every time I came into a home it was an occasion. The men would slaughter a goat. But after three weeks, I was really tired of eating mutton.”
Back in America
After returning home and with encouragement from his wife, Delaney finally comprised the collection and entered it into the International Photography Awards (IPA).
“The IPA is described by photographers as the Academy Awards,” Delaney said. “It was at Lincoln Center and it was a black tie event; it was crazy. There was an auditorium filled with the Who’s Who of photography – I felt like I was at the Oscars.”
Delaney said that he was not expecting to win, but was glad that he “remembered to thank my parents and my wife.”
Now, Delaney is working on a short book that showcases his work.
“I’m getting a lot of calls [from the press],” Delaney said. “I really want to get my work out there, and now I have a great opportunity to expand my work and show in new venues.”
For his next project Delaney hopes to again work with groups of people that are not well understood by a Western audience.
“There are other nomadic groups like the Reindeer people of Siberia,” Delaney said, “who literally live in teepees and ride reindeer.” But with a new family, Delaney might decide to stay local.
“Just the other day, I saw a group of young Muslim women in full headdress going out on Friday night,” Delaney said. “It was really a wonderful sight.”
For more information on Delaney and his work, visit: www.johndelaney.net.