Whether for aesthetic reasons or because of a cultural burden, blue eyes have been a source of astonishment and even a trait of beauty, so much so that this eye color has been the subject of various analyses and studies. Although most of the world’s population has brown eyes – in fact, initially everyone did – science has found that those who share blue eyes have a common ancestor. And this Indonesian tribe is no different.
Those who carry this gene have a 50% probability of inheriting it from their descendants, which means that in a place like the island of Buton where the population reaches 447 thousand inhabitants and where the rate of consanguinity – that is, The more people share a common ancestor – the greater the presence of Waardenburg syndrome. This condition, beyond any scientific interest, has caught the attention of photographers like Korchnoi Pasaribu – who describes himself as a geologist – who, during his time in this region, noticed this unusual eye coloration on the island of Buton. However, according to Pasaribu, it was not until 2020 that he decided to return and photograph them.
Among the various photographs are some that beyond the visual impact of these people and their eye color, Pasaribu also included different elements to give a message related to ecology and environmental conservation. So it is possible to see photographs of these residents holding plants, and wearing breathing masks, among others.
Photos: ©Korchnoi Pasaribu. Taken from Instagram – @geo.rock888
This story was originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
