NT-2024-AR - Flipbook - Page 23
The six films
released in 2024 were:
OUR WORK
INDAI APAI DARAH
Wayfinders Circle
“Mother, Father, Blood” features a young girl
growing up in the Indigenous-held forests of central
Borneo. The film explores ancient traditions and the
story of her People's historic fight to protect their
lands in the face of rampant deforestation.
INIA IKIAMPRI
Highlights
The Wayfinders Circle members held a
global gathering in Mongolia, hosted by
the World Union of Indigenous Spiritual
Practitioners (WUISP). Through spiritual
and deep cultural connections and
ceremony imbued with spirituality, members
strengthened their recognition of the Circle
as communal, vocal protectors of their
lands and lifeways, embracing the Circle
as a powerful platform to communicate
the importance of Indigenous Peoples’
guardianship to the broader world.
Members discussed future steps for the
Circle, including enhancing documentation
practices, promoting knowledge exchange,
and strengthening their collective capacity.
Members came away feeling moved, taking a
renewed and deepened commitment to the
Wayfinders Circle back to their communities.
At the U.N. Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York
City, the Wayfinders Circle and the World
Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners
(WUISP) hosted an intergenerational
event celebrating the vital transmission
of knowledge from elders to future
generations. Titled “Origins,” the event
featured visual arts, dance, music, poetry,
and more from Indigenous Peoples around
the globe, highlighting the powerful
message that cultural continuity depends
on Indigenous youth engagement in
carrying forward their traditions.
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Six films from the Wayfinders Circle series
were completed in 2024 and appeared
in 42 film festivals across 11 countries.
Community screenings were held as part
of the film rollout process. Following these
screenings, five of the films premiered
publicly, and four screened at Oscarqualifying festivals. During Climate Week in
New York City, Indai Apai Darah (“Mother,
Father, Blood”), Ngarrindurdeng Kured
(“We Going Home Now”), and Niitstitapi
(“The Real People”) premiered to a sold-out
crowd at the American Museum of Natural
History, followed by a lively discussion and
reception with live music. This marked a
significant and successful step in fostering
understanding and collaboration between
Indigenous Peoples and cultural institutions.
Indai Apai Darah (“Mother, Father, Blood”)
was nominated for the prestigious
environmental Jackson Wild Award. At the
2024 Cuenca International Film Festival,
the Achuar delegation presented their
Wayfinders Circle film Inia Ikiampri (“Our
Jungle”). This was the first time that a large
Indigenous delegation attended the festival
and had the opportunity to present its
own film.
“Our Jungle” is an intimate “Day in the Life” of the
Achuar people. It follows members of the Kapawi
community in Achuar Territory in the Pastaza
Province of Ecuador, portraying how different
generations go about their lives in the heart of the
Amazon forest. The film explores themes of Achuar
land, language, and culture at the intersection of
tradition and modernity.
NGARRINDURDENG KURED
“We Going Home Now” tells the story of the
return and restoration on Aboriginal land, as
Dean Yibarbuk, his family, and community work to
protect their territory of Rock Country, Australia,
from devastating wildfires and other threats to their
traditional way of life.
NIITSTITAPI
“The Real People” journeys across North America
and the vast ancestral territory of The Blackfoot
Confederacy, an ancient alliance of Indigenous
Peoples across the Great Plains bound together
by land, language, and culture.
TE PITO O TE HENUA
“The Navel of the World” explores the cultural
identity and close connection to the land and water
shared by the Rapa Nui People through a visceral,
behind the scenes exploration of the island’s most
important cultural festival – Tapāti Rapa Nui.
You can learn more about the
Wayfinders Circle on their updated
website, www.WayfindersCircle.org,
which launched in 2024, and on
Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
at @wayfinderscircle.
TUHAYAMANI’CHI PAL WANIQA
“The Water Flows Always” shares how water
and culture bring together a Cahuilla, Cupeño
father and daughter as they fight to protect their
Indigenous homelands in Southern California.
Nia Tero
Annual Report 2024
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