Inside the life of the Mentawai Tribe famous for their semi-nomadic way of life

THESE stunning images document the everyday lives of the men, women and children of the Mentawai tribe

Scroll down for the full story

Hunting for food: A member of the Mentawai tribe uses handmade hunting gear to catch fish

The Mentawai people, a native population in Indonesia, are famous for their decorative tattoos and for living a semi-nomadic life on the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra.

Body artwork: The remote primitive tribespeople are renowned for their distinctive tattoos

Shot by professional photographer Mohammed Saleh Bin Dollah, the series captures a glimpse of life on the island as the Mentawai men smoke and hunt for food and the children play in the river.

Professional snapper, Mohammed, was fortunate enough to spend some time with the Mentawai Warriors during the month of July 2014

The 42-year-old photographer from Kelantan, Malaysia, visited the tribe to document their way of life.

Not only does hunting provide food, it is also an important part of communion men have with the spirits of the animals

He said: “They all live completely in land and secluded from the modern world.

Home, sweet home: The Mentawai build their hut-like homes, known as Umas, using bamboo, wood and grass, and decorate them with the skulls of the various animals they have hunted

"The woman walk around with no clothes on and their lives depend entirely on natural resources. I wanted to go to the island to showcase the everyday lives of the tribe.”

Playtime: Young children play together by the river on the Mentawai Island

The tribe consists of around 64,000 people, living in homes which are known as Umas and built using bamboo, wood and grass, and are furnished with the skulls of hunted prey.

Mentawai women do not stay at home, they are known to be as active and productive as men are

The Mentawaian’s social life is centred around their groups and a communal long house. The clans vary in size between 30 to 80 members.

Fishing is one of the activities which some women wear banana leaves, these leaves offer the best protection from the sun

It is claimed that the tribe members believe that all living objects including plants are supposed to have spirits.

Fishing is the the main job of the women, their river catch include fish, shrimp, crabs and occasionally turtles

The only specialist in the community is the medicine man that is responsible for communication with the spirits and the souls - in case of misfortune or illness, he is called in to restore harmony within the group.

Smoking: Many of the Mentawai people smoke for the majority of their lives

Professional snapper Mohammed was fortunate enough to spend some time with the Mentawai Warriors during the month of July 2014.

A network of logs and bamboo sections set in the mud link houses and villages

“I was very lucky to receive the opportunity to take these photos when I was helping out a friend who actually one lived with the Mentawai people for a period of time,” he said.