One of the main goals of the CASKE2000 expedition was to meet native people. To share their stories, learn about their culture and lifestyle, and to mirror them in living from the land. We wanted to document this experience to showcase the beauty and diversity of indigenous culture and also to spread awareness about the important of cultural preservation. 

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Those indigenous cultures who have managed to preserve their traditional heritage also remain the guardians of our glorious environment. Their respect and understanding of Mother Nature is impeccable; they pick the plants that will become the medicines of tomorrow, they don’t try and bend the natural world to their will but instead learn to live in harmony with their surroundings. These lessons have been forgotten (especially in the west) many centuries ago, but even more so over the last few decades. 

 

Over the length of the CASKE2000, our expedition evolved into something so much bigger than a simple endurance challenge. It was this adventure that inspired Jean-Philippe to start the Native Planet non-profit organization, an NGO that was committed to helping give a voice to native people and encouraging self-empowerment projects within these communities. 

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The Native Planet website will be modernized and updated next year, but you can still peruse the content there to find our about our purpose and to learn about the indigenous groups we worked with around the world. 

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During our expedition we documented the lifestyle and culture of the Mayans, Kekchi, Garifuna, Miskitos, Pech, Embera, Wounan, Kuna, and Nogbe people. Take a look at the images in our photo gallery to see the faces of the many amazing individuals we met.  

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We also documented in depth, the lifestyle and culture of the Mentawai people of Siberut, Indonesia. They were the initial inspiration behind this expedition, and one of the major focus groups for the humanitarian projects that followed at the end of our CASKE2000 expedition.

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Jean-Philippe's photos of Indigenous people have been featured in National Geographic and also published by the United Nations, and many major publications around the world.

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We'll feature his full Mentawai documentary with award-winning photography soon. We invite you to join our mailing list (link below) to be informed. 

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