Videos produced with IWGIA's support

This film explores the evolution of the International Movement of Indigenous Peoples after WWII from its beginnings in the early 1960s, steadily gaining ground and global recognition, including the decades-long work of getting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples drafted and finally approved in 2007, and continuing with various achievements until today.

This documentary offers insights into the determined struggle of the Ayllu San Agustín de Puñaca, an Indigenous community of the Oruro region of Bolivia, whose ancestral lands at the shores of the dried-out Lake Poopo face irreversible loss and damage due to climate change and industrial pollution. This lake, once the second largest of Bolivia, has been the provider of life, biodiversity and local ecosystems since ancestral times. Yet due to the anthropogenic climate crisis, glaciers have melted away and no longer offer water to the lake, and mining activities have diversified and polluted remaining water sources. For decades, all living beings in the area have faced the detrimental impacts on waters, soil, air, and health due to constant exposure to heavy metals.

The annual launching of The Indigenous World provides a unique opportunity for IWGIA to organize a panel with Indigenous leaders, UN mechanisms and other key stakeholders to address some of the core trends and developments with regards to Indigenous Peoples rights over the past year. In the context of the main theme of the 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, particularly on the status of the implementation of the UNDRIP, The Indigenous World 2025, with its focus on Indigenous youth, provides important information about how the current state of Indigenous Peoples’ rights will continue to be monitored, respected and strengthened.

"Where the Trees Grow" is about Indigenous Peoples’ fight for their rights to land. The film portrays Indigenous Peoples in Thailand and Malaysia (Sabah), shows how their cultures are dependent on the rich and biodiverse nature, but also how they are threatened by dams and oil palm plantations.

This film dives into the Indigenous women's movement, their achievements and the struggles they face in Kenya and Nepal and was done in collaboration with Samburu Women Trust, Nepal Indigenous Women Federation and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact.

In the Colombian Amazon, dozens of displaced Nükak Baka’, the last contacted group of nomadic hunter-gatherers, are fighting to reclaim their lost territory and break free from the constraints imposed by war, coca cultivation, and deforestation. Some of them journey deep into the jungle where another group of Nükak Baka’ continues to resist the hegemony of the Kawene, the "white" people.

The impacts of oil activities in the northern Amazon of Peru represent one of the most striking examples of oil pollution and damage in the region's Indigenous communities. For 13 years, the Indigenous federations of the PUINAMUDT platform have united to denounce this pollution and advocate for a clean and safe territory. Indigenous environmental monitors from these federations play a strategic role in pursuing unprecedented environmental remediation in the country.

This is the complete video of the interviews conducted in June 2023, at the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference, where IWGIA asked Indigenous youth to share their reflections on the climate crisis.

This film produced by IWGIA's partner Elsie Vaalbooi Development Organization (EVDO) highlights the situation of Indigenous Khomani San women of South Africa. The three protagonists of the film represent three different age groups and they tell about their lives, struggles and their aspirations.

This is the first animated video of a series on the right of Indigenous Peoples to exercise their self-determination.

It is crucial for the Indigenous women movement in Bangladesh to know about their rights, to organise and protest human rights violations and gender-based violence. BIWN (Bangladesh Indigenous Women Network) is playing an important role for Indigenous Women rights in Bangladesh. Together with other Indigenous Peoples and women organisations BIWN is organising trainings, workshops and seminars on women empowerment and prevention of violence. This video was produced by BIWN, IWGIA´s partner under the Comic Relief project.

Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, Mr. Michel Forst explains what his mandate is, talks about the Aarhus Convention, how the mandate address complaints and what are the overall challenges for Indigenous Peoples, human rights and environmental defenders. He spoke to IWGIA on 9 May 2023 at IWGIA´s office in Copenhagen, Denmark.

UN Special Rapporteur Mr. Francisco Calí Tzay explains what his mandate is, what are some of his upcoming projects, and talks about the overall challenges for the mandate and Indigenous Peoples. He spoke to IWGIA on 10 February 2023 at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark after presenting his end of mission statement concerning his official visit to Denmark and Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland).

In the last 20 years, the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities (WGIP) became a continental platform for Indigenous rights. Fighting for the Forgotten explores the work of the WGIP with Indigenous Peoples' rights in the African context alongside the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA).

In the early hours of the 1st of February 2021, as Myanmar (Burma) was preparing for the first session of the newly elected parliament, its armed forces staged a coup and took control of the country. Civilian leadership, including the country's President, Mr. Win Myint and State Counsellor Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, were arrested.

During Alberto Fujimori's government (Peru, 1996-2000) around 300,000 men and women were sterilized as part of a reproductive health programme. Most of these were indigenous peoples and were not given a choice.

This documentary depicts how Indigenous Peoples have been displaced from their land, territories and natural resources in the name of development works undertaken without maintaining Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) with concerned indigenous peoples and without providing compensation. This also depicts not only the plights of displaced family but also the innate relationship between Indigenous peoples and land, forest and natural recourses. by Indigenous Media Foundation

A relief provision to Indigenous Peoples of Simanjiro District following Corona virus outbreak worldwide. Pastoralists and hunter gatherers are likely to face the effects vividly based on their communal livelihood. With support from IWGIA, a brief handling ceremony was held on the 23rd April 2020 at PINGO's Forum premises as the district council collected the support items with their police truck.

IWGIA and Radio Encuentros commemorate the 13th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations General Assembly and States with an animated video made together with the VCD collective (Videos Created with Drawings). This short animated video was produced by IWGIA, Radio Encuentros and VCD, gives an account of the importance of the declaration and the commitments of the States that are still pending since its adoption. Credits: Script: Kathia Carrillo (Radio Encuentros), Lola García-Alix (IWGIA) and Alejandro Parellada (IWGIA) Drawings: Jesed Mateo (VCD) Animation: Cinthya Condori (VCD) Sound: Candy López Voiceover: David Berger

For centuries, the Chimanes, Mojeños, Movimas and Yuracarés peoples have been searching for the “Loma Santa”: a sacred place in the midst of the forest where there is no oppression from outsiders and where they will find happiness. On 15 August 2019, the indigenous peoples of the Bolivian southern Amazon recovered their territory from former logging concessions: 183,000 hectares essential for their survival. Under pressure from a highway, hydrocarbon exploration and the expansion of the agricultural frontier, they are today fighting to defend their territory and achieve recognition of its autonomy.

Indigenous women all over the world have a special role in indigenous communities and especially in relation to the land and the knowledge of their traditions and culture that they transmit to the next generations. This film focusses on the experiences of indigenous women from the Madre de Dios region in Peru, and it is produced by IWGIA and ONAMIAP in 2019.

Threats against indigenous peoples living in Madre de Dios Road expansion into the Madre de Dios region in Peru and the following invasion of illegal loggers, miners and plantations is a significant threat for indigenous peoples living in the area as the deforestation and pollution is destroying their traditional way of living. This film was produced in 2019 with the support of NICFI and it’s the first of three short films focusing on the indigenous peoples in the Madre de Dios region.

Indigenous Arhuaco's communities in Colombia are threatened as they are struggling to keep their ancestral territory. The Arhuaco peoples have organised themselves and are making a last stand to prevent more mining concessions in their territory and create sustainable development. This film was produced in 2018.

Indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon have united and created the Wampis Nation – an autonomous territorial government – in order to defend their livelihood from the increasing pressure from extractive industries.