Kyle Wagner is currently working on his master’s degree in the Department of Geography at York University. He is a part of New Directions in Environmental Governance (NDEG), a funded research grant that is directed by Peter Vandergeest. His area of focus is in political ecology, ecotourism, neoliberism and conservation management within national biodiversity conservation areas (NBCAs) of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). His thesis will investigate the changing role of environmental governance over forests, wildlife and villagers in the Lao PDR as a result of a growing enforcement of conservation by nature-based ecotourism ventures seeking poverty alleviation within protected areas. Kyle holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a minor in Global Asia Studies from DePaul University in Chicago, USA. He has over two years of Japanese language training, enrolled in a year of Mandarin language courses, and is conversational in Lao. He has recently worked in the tourism industry in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, where he will return again in the summer of 2016 to conduct his fieldwork for his MA thesis.
Full Exhibition
Photo 1: This is Long Lao Mai, an ethnic Hmong village located up in the mountains of northern Lao PDR. This village is part of a community-based ecotourism initiative, and has frequently been the site of numerous NGO projects. This photo was taken on October 24th, 2014.
Photo 2: In the village of Long Lao Mai, time is divided by rice seasons, rather than by seconds. A Hmong farmer helps clear a plot of land in order to plant rice before the rainy season begins. This photo was taken on November 14th, 2014.
Photo 3: The Lao government officially classifies 49 ethnic groups that are each endowed with distinct languages, customs, traditions, beliefs, and cultures. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group. In this village, embroidery and weaving styles are passed down to each new generation. This photo was taken on November 14th, 2014.
Photo 4: Inside the homes within Long Lao Mai, a Hmong woman watches a traditional stew cooking in a pot over a fire. Hmong cuisine is not widely known in comparison to Lao or Thai, but their main ingredients are usually sourced from food grown within their villages. This photo was taken on November 14th, 2014.
Photo 5: Xon Yia, a Hmong storyteller in Long Lao Mai, sits by the campfire and shares an ancient tale about an orphan boy that has been passed down by families many generations ago. This tale is a reoccurring theme throughout Hmong oral literature, and it stands as a powerful symbol for the Hmong ethnic minority group – who are left without a country to call their own, but survive wherever they go. This photo was taken on October 31st, 2014.
© All photo credits within this exhibition go to the original contributor(s).
Kyle Wagner is currently working on his master’s degree in the Department of Geography at York University. He is a part of New Directions in Environmental Governance (NDEG), a funded research grant that is directed by Peter Vandergeest. His area of focus is in political ecology, ecotourism, neoliberism and conservation management within national biodiversity conservation areas (NBCAs) of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). His thesis will investigate the changing role of environmental governance over forests, wildlife and villagers in the Lao PDR as a result of a growing enforcement of conservation by nature-based ecotourism ventures seeking poverty alleviation within protected areas. Kyle holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a minor in Global Asia Studies from DePaul University in Chicago, USA. He has over two years of Japanese language training, enrolled in a year of Mandarin language courses, and is conversational in Lao. He has recently worked in the tourism industry in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, where he will return again in the summer of 2016 to conduct his fieldwork for his MA thesis.
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