What was the longest you've ever lived with a tribe at one time?

What was the longest you've ever lived with a tribe at one time?
When I wrote the book that was published by St. Martin's Press, I lived with a tribe straight for a year. I lost like 40 pounds. I hunted, I gathered--I was really deeply in the culture. I speak Swahili, but they speak a sort of click language, but they all speak some Swahili. I was able to do that because I had already spent a couple of years working on an island there. I had run safaris for a couple of years, so I had a lot of experience. So basically, in my twenties, I was interested in living with tribes and I would buy art just to support my passion of writing about all this. I really liked it but I was broke [laughs]. I wasn't a hunter gatherer. I'm from New York City! So then I just started becoming a dealer, and I just love the art. I was one of the last people to still go over there every year. See when you go, there's not a whole lot of traditional art left there because the insects eat it away, missionaries have destroyed it, so it's hard. But I still always would look and try to find something, but now most of the pieces I buy are from international auctions and collectors. [Photo via]
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