Baygan's Hands

The hardworking hands of Baygan, a Kazakh animal herder and mother of an eagle hunter. Baygan has lived her whole life in the remote Altai mountains of western Mongolia, visiting the nearest town of Olgii once briefly in her youth. She now lives with arthritis and severe curvature of the spine, yet continues to work outdoors every day in extremely challenging conditions, reflecting the resilience and spirit of the Kazakh families whose livelihoods depends on the animals they keep.

Published in The New York Times online on February 22, 2021.