Orang Rimba
In partnership with the Kelompok Makekal Bersatu communities.
Impact in Numbers
6
Indigenous members trained in filmmaking
5
Indigenous members trained in geospatial mapping
525K
Hectares of forest within the Orang Rimba territory will be preserved through litigation
Biodiversity Hotspot
Bukit DuaBelas
Hectares
525,000
Ecosystem Variety
Primary Lowland Rainforest, Secondary Forest
Species Richness
Sumatran Striped Rabbit, Hornbills
Background
The first GeoStory Camps took place in the Bukit DuaBelas rainforest, Sumatra, with the Orang Rimba Indigenous community during May-June 2022.
Being one of the Indigenous communities that hold the most comprehensive knowledge about medicinal plants in the world, the Orang Rimba are being forced deeper and deeper into the forest, restricting their ability to subsist off their traditional lands.
Monoculture plantations, predominantly palm oil, are threatening not only their safety and living spaces, but also changing the land and biodiversity within the community’s ancestral forest land.
From Skills to Legal Action
Phase I: Building Skills
As the GeoStory Camps include different interwoven methodologies, it is therefore initiated in different phases. The first phase is structured through a skill-based curriculum covering the basics of filmmaking and geospatial mapping. Currently this stage has been finalized in the Bukit DuaBelas rainforest, with the Orang Rimba Indigenous community.
Phase II: Gathering Evidence
The second phase continues with an advanced workshop, which provides context to the previously learned film and geospatial mapping through evidence-gathering techniques and local human rights and environmental law. This phase is structured through a human rights toolkit, which links filmmaking and mapping to human rights in concrete terms. It provides participants with the key rights through which storylines can be defined to create impactful evidence-based stories that tie directly back to the Indigenous rights and claims that have been violated.
Phase III: Litigation & Preservation
The finished film and mapping content created by the Indigenous participants of the GeoStory Camps will be used as proof of evidence in court cases to protect Indigenous land with the help of local environmental lawyers. Following the lead of the partner Indigenous communities, we help identify the parameters and goals of the legal case to be started. We support in gathering and filling out paperwork, and ensuring all the film and mapping content is powerful and relevant.
This phase not only addresses immediate threats but also ensures long-term preservation. By using this evidence in courtrooms and advocacy efforts, we aim to secure 525,000 hectares of Indigenosu forest within the Orang Rimba Indigenous territory, safeguarding its biodiversity and cultural heritage for future generations.
denotes that phase is underway
denotes that phase is complete
Evidence-Based Storytelling
During the first days, filmmaking students started to learn a variety of media and narrative skills including storyboarding, producing shotlists, and other pre-production activities. Following the first days, students started to learn the important functions of a 4k video camera and supporting equipment.
Participants achieved success beyond the original expected learning outcomes: they produced and edited a short video covering a social topic of their choice using Adobe Premiere. This was achieved by going beyond the initial basic skills lessons of how to use the equipment and conducting interviews. We also facilitated lessons on operating a drone, collecting B-roll footage, and delved into activities focused on ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and other technical skills to create professional film content.
Mapping to Protect Ancestral Land
The cartography students started to learn basic mapping skills, including the use of GPS devices and spatial databases. During the workshop, students learned to store detailed maps of ancestral rainforests into geographic information systems, specifically ArcGIS. This allowed the communities create a basemap to define their territories.
Participants became confident in using ArcGIS, as well as multiple other platforms (Excel, MapSource, and Global Forest Watch). This more advanced process of data collection and map creation went beyond the initial skills of GPS usage; uploading data onto a laptop; and understanding how drone footage links to a mapped location.
In collaboration with our partners, Sokola Institute and the representative organisation of the Orang Rimba, Kelompok Makekal Bersatu, we have established an Indigenous-led multi-stakeholder working group to guide the final phases of the project.
This group is dedicated to developing effective strategies that combine mapping and videography skills to support future litigation and environmental advocacy. Bringing together Indigenous leaders, experts in filmmaking and geospatial mapping, and specialists in environmental and criminal law, the working group fosters a truly collaborative process.
By ensuring all voices are heard, the group creates a participatory approach to introducing film and spatial technologies. The focus is on producing materials that can serve as compelling evidence in court cases while continuously assessing and monitoring the project’s impact. This collective effort strengthens the protection of ancestral lands and helps safeguard the ecosystems that are vital to both Indigenous communities and the planet.
