EVST03077: Indigenous Peoples, Conservation, and Film

This 3-credit summer 2026 course invites you to partner with Indigenous and Local communities as you learn about Indigenous Rights, Sustainable Energy, Film, and Conservation in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. In a unique partnership between universities from the United States (University of Cincinnati) and Brazil and a Kayapó non-governmental organization, you work with the Mebêngôkre-Kayapó and Local communities to identify sustainability challenges and new creative forms of cultural expression and resilience in the face of dramatic change.

This interdisciplinary program will take you to one of the largest intact rainforests in the world and to coastal areas in Brazil where you will immerse yourself in local community life. You will learn from Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, Conservation Biologists, NGO workers, and other stakeholders in the region what obstacles and opportunities lie ahead for sustainable Amazonian and Atlantic futures in a unique partnership with institutions from the US and Brazil. You visit these landscapes to learn about sustainability challenges, travel to forests and gardens to learn about conservation, talk with leaders about environmental governance and rights, and work alongside filmmakers to document local cultural heritage.