Eagle attempts to take flight whilst still being held by the master. Western Mongolia, 2015.

Kazakhs comprise the largest minority group and one with the greatest cultural and linguistic distinction from the Mongolian majority. Many barriers to access and learning are not unique to Kazakh children but are common for all Mongolian children. These barriers result from systemic weaknesses in education delivery caused by the poor condition or lack of facilities, lack of clear and rights focused legislative and policy basis, lack of learning materials, poor quality teaching and learning environments, the high formal and informal costs associated with schooling, poverty and low standard of living of families. A widening disparity between rural and urban education is also evident. These barriers are compounded for ethnic minority Kazakh children who are highly represented in the out of school groups and who additionally face the significant challenge of language. Kazakh boy with his pet. Ölgii, Western Mongolia, 2015.

In Kazakh, there are two general terms for people who capture, train, and hunt with various birds of prey: "qusbegi" and "sayatshy". Qusbegi comes from the words "qus", meaning "bird", and "bek", meaning "lord", the title thus literally translating as "lord of birds." Kazakh eagle hunter aprentice, Western Mongolia, 2015