The Veddah elder

Byron Unmani was an elder in the Veddah community of Vaharai. Displaced several times, they had to adapt to their new environment, and were now fishermen, living off the sea when they once lived off the forest, hence their name, the “Sea Veddahs”. He talks about the loss of his native language and the pressure to assimilate. Photography by Kannan Arunasalam.