The masked Indian face of a young Pai-Pai Native American Indian boy is photographed sitting inside a shelter on his family ranch in the indigenous tribal community ejido of Santa Catarina, B.C., Mexico.

The young Native California boy donned his cowboy-style hat and pulled his bandana up in a bandit style to hide his face for this portrait -- this is what makes this particular image so interesting -- he seemed within his alter ego with his red handkerchief bandanna mask on concealing his identity.

The tall rectangular catchlights in his eyes are the doorway to his bedroom -- the location where these two photos were taken minutes apart. All natural lighting came through the open door -- no flash or reflector fill.

His younger brother also liked being photographed wearing a similar mask.

What significance does the mask hold in this portrait?

The young ranch boy lives in a dangerous remote desert mountain backcountry where police, soldiers, bandits, smugglers, drug traffickers and ranchers actively conceal their identities from each other....

This young boy's mug was shot 20 years ago (2006) I wonder which man he became:

Predator or Protector?

In 2006 when these portraits were taken -- he had the innocence and character of a hard-working boy working on a remote mountain ranch with no running water, no indoor bathroom facility, no wired electricity, no Internet, no TV, and limited exposure to city life:

NATIVE BOY Indigenous Tribal Ranch Hand

A young Native Paipai American Indian aboriginal boy poses for a photo on his family's rural mountain tribal ejido ranch located in Santa Catarina, Baja California Norte, Mexico, 2006.

You can take this from the photographer:

The young boy is a hardworking ranch hand who has little free time to play between his chores and helping run his Indian family rancho in the indigenous tribal ejido.

Photos, Writing and Web Page Design Contributed by webmaster, GARY BALLARD