Marked by the Daasanec: Portraits of the Tall People of the Omo Valley (Tribes Books) Hardcover – March 5, 2026

Marked by the DaasanecPortraits of the Tall People of the Omo ValleyIn the remote southwest of Ethiopia, near the borders with Kenya and South Sudan, live the Daasanec, a striking pastoral community known for their exceptional height, resilience, and deep connection to cattle and land. Along the dusty banks of the Omo River and the shores of Lake Turkana, daily life unfolds in rhythms shaped by drought, livestock, family, and tradition.In Marked by the Daasanec, photographer and writer Simona Doyle offers an intimate portrait of this remarkable society through images and personal reflections gathered during her journeys into the Lower Omo Valley.This visual narrative moves beyond the surface of beads, hairstyles, and ceremonial adornments to explore the systems that shape Daasanec life. Cattle determine wealth and marriage. Drought and conflict reshape families. A single lost herd can change a person’s place within the community.Through more than seventy pages of photography and narrative, Doyle documents the everyday realities of Daasanec life: women carrying the visual traditions of layered beads and intricate hairstyles, children growing quickly into responsibility, men whose scarifications speak of courage and identity, and homes built from branches, rope, and corrugated metal to withstand an unforgiving climate.The book is organized into chapters that follow the structure of life within the community: women, children, men, dwellings, and reflections on the changing landscape of the Omo Valley. Each photograph is paired with observations from the field, offering glimpses into moments of humor, pride, hardship, and grace.Doyle approaches the Daasanec not as subjects but as individuals. The portraits reveal laughter between friends, quiet pride in posture, the weight of tradition, and the uncertain future faced by younger generations as modernization and environmental pressures reshape the valley.Marked by the Daasanec is not a travel guide or an academic study. It is a personal record of encounters, built through patience, curiosity, and respect.The result is a photographic journey into one of Africa’s most extraordinary cultural landscapes, where beauty stands side by side with hardship, and where a community continues to stand tall on shifting ground. Read more