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The Aymara altiplano: living on the Bolivian high plain (1944 film)

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A 1944 documentary by American filmmaker Julien Bryan about the highlands of Bolivia and the descendants of the ancient Andean peoples who live on the “rooftop of the Western world”. The film shows the daily life of the Aymara of the altiplano, around La Paz and Lake Titicaca: high-altitude farming, llama herds, markets and food preparation. A rare filmed testimony of the region in the 1940s. Source: official description from The Travel Film Archive channel.

Territory
South America / Altiplano bolivien, région de La Paz et du lac Titicaca, Bolivie
Skill
Food
Community
Aymara
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

altiplanoAymaraBolivielamapomme de terremarchéTiticacaagriculture d’altitudeLa Paz
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Tahere Tikitiki: the making of a great Māori canoe (1974)

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By command of the Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the men of Tūrangawaewae Marae (Ngāruawāhia) built a “waka taua”, a war canoe. Designed and carved under the supervision of elder and master carver Piri Poutapu, MBE, it took 18 months to complete. This film, the only one of its kind, follows the construction from the felling of the trees to the launching, through the seasons and the life of the marae. Source: official Archives New Zealand notice (YouTube description).

Territory
Oceania / Tūrangawaewae Marae, Ngāruawāhia, Waikato, Nouvelle-Zélande
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Māori (Waikato-Tainui)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
Plus de 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

waka tauapiroguesculptureMāorimaraeTūrangawaewaePiri PoutaputransmissionforêtWaikato
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The transhumance of a shepherd in the Vercors (INA archives, 1971)

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Excerpt from an ORTF documentary broadcast on 22 September 1971 in the programme “Provinciales”, devoted to transhumance. Robert, a shepherd in the Vercors, expresses his attachment to his animals, which he finds more sincere and faithful than people, and describes the simple life he dreams of. A period testimony on Alpine pastoralism; transhumance is now inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list. Source: official INA notice (YouTube description).

Territory
Europe / Massif du Vercors, Alpes françaises, France
Skill
Agriculture
Community
Bergers du Vercors (communauté pastorale alpine)
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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transhumancebergerVercorspastoralismetroupeaualpagemontagnemémoire rurale
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Tehuantepec, Mexico, 1943: daily life of the Isthmus Zapotec

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A travelogue short filmed in 1943 in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Oaxaca, Mexico), in the heart of Zapotec country, narrated by actress Linda Darnell. The film shows the daily life of the community, where the « Tehuana » women hold a central place, notably in the markets and local economy, and are famous for their embroidered costumes and headdresses.

Territory
Central America / Santo Domingo Tehuantepec, isthme de Tehuantepec, État d’Oaxaca, Mexique
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Zapotèques de l’isthme (dont les femmes « Tehuanas »)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

ZapotèquesTehuanaisthme de Tehuantepecmarchécostume brodéOaxacafemmesvie quotidienneMexique indigènefête
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Aran Islands, Ireland, 1929: cattle loaded onto currachs for the Galway steamer

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Footage filmed in 1929 on the Aran Islands, off Galway, showing a striking island skill: cattle are led onto the beach, tied to a currach (traditional tarred-canvas boat) and towed swimming to the steamer bound for Galway. The clip also shows islanders on the Inisheer beach, the steamer crossing, and traditional music and dancing on Inishmore. The original silent black-and-white footage was colorized and sound was added by the restoration channel Glamourdaze.

Territory
Europe / Îles d’Aran (Inisheer et Inishmore), comté de Galway, Irlande
Skill
Economy / commons
Community
Insulaires d’Aran (communauté gaélophone du Gaeltacht irlandais)
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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curraghbétailvapeurGalwayInisheerInishmoreîlepêcheursdanse traditionnelleGaeltacht
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The Caribou Hunters: Cree and Ojibway of Northern Manitoba (1951 film)

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This 1951 archival film, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, follows Cree and Ojibway families of northern Manitoba in their semi-nomadic life shaped by the caribou migrations, their main source of food. The camera accompanies the hunters and their dog teams across forest and tundra, and also shows the trapping of smaller animals of the woods and streams.

Territory
North America / Nord du Manitoba, Canada (région de Brochet / lac Reindeer)
Skill
Food
Community
Cris et Ojibwés / Saulteaux
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

caribouchasseCrisOjibwésattelage de chienstoundraforêt boréalepiégeagemigration animaleManitoba
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To Wake Up the Nakota Language

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"When you don't know your language or your culture, you don't know who you are," says Armand McArthur, 69, one of the last fluent Nakota speakers in the Pheasant Rump Nakota band of southern Saskatchewan. Directed by Louise BigEagle for the National Film Board of Canada, this short documentary follows him as he teaches the language to the children of his community, on Treaty 4 territory. The film shows what transmitting a language really involves: words, but also a relationship to land, to elders and to oneself. Indigenous languages in North America are among the most endangered in the world, and public health research shows their vitality is one of the strongest correlates of youth wellbeing in these communities.

Territory
North America / Bande Pheasant Rump Nakota, territoire du Traité no 4, sud de la Saskatchewan, Canada
Skill
Education / transmission
Community
Nakotas (Assiniboines) — bande Pheasant Rump
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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langue nakotatransmissionaînésrevitalisation linguistiqueidentitéSaskatchewanTraité no 4école communautairePremières Nationsmémoire
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The Hunting Equipment of the Ju/'hoansi of the Kalahari (footage from 1951-1953)

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Filmed between 1951 and 1953 by ethnographic film pioneer John Marshall, this footage shows in detail every piece of the Ju/'hoan hunting kit and how each is made and used, from gathering raw materials to preparing poison arrows. An official excerpt from the Marshall collection, one of the largest film records ever devoted to an indigenous people.

Territory
Africa / Région de Nyae Nyae (Tsumkwe), désert du Kalahari, Namibie
Skill
Food
Community
Ju/'hoansi (San, autrefois appelés « !Kung »)
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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chassearcflèches empoisonnéescarquoisKalaharichasseurs-cueilleursSanJu/'hoansipistageartisanat
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Peru: The Quechua People of the Andes (educational film, 1958)

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This 1958 educational film documents Quechua life in the high Peruvian Andes around Cusco: Inca-inherited mountain farming (potatoes, maize, terraces), llama and alpaca herding, wool work, Andean markets and village life. A period record of Andean peasant economy, ten years before the great agrarian reforms.

Territory
South America / Andes péruviennes, région de Cusco, Pérou
Skill
Agriculture
Community
Quechuas (descendants des Incas)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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AndesQuechualamasalpagaspommes de terreterrassesmarché andinlaineCuscoagriculture de montagne
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The Navajo (Diné): Weaving, Silverwork and Hogan Life (1939 film)

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Shot in 1939 for Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, this documentary follows a young Navajo couple through daily life in the American Southwest: sheep herding, corn harvest, wool carding, spinning and rug weaving, silverwork, traditional dance, hogan building and a wedding ceremony. A precious period record of Navajo textile and silversmithing skills.

Territory
North America / Réserve navajo, région des Four Corners (Arizona / Nouveau-Mexique), États-Unis
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Navajos (Diné)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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tissagelainefilagetapis navajoorfèvrerieargenthoganmaïsmoutonsmariage
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Desert Nomads of Southern Morocco: Camps, Caravan and Couscous (archive film, 1949)

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This 1949 documentary, photographed by Richard Leacock, follows a family of pastoral nomads on the Saharan fringes of southern Morocco: milking camels, fetching water, grinding barley, making couscous and stone-baked bread, striking the camel-hair tents and moving the caravan. It also shows Koranic schooling in the tent, an oasis stop, irrigation timed by a water clock, and the date harvest.

Territory
Africa / Sud marocain, marges sahariennes près de l’Atlas, Maroc
Skill
Food
Community
Tribus nomades pastorales du Sud marocain
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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couscouschameauxcaravanepain d’orgetraiteoasisdatteshorloge à eautentenomadisme
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A New Day in Samoa: Chiefly Councils and Village Life (archive film, 1959)

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Shot in 1959 by the New Zealand National Film Unit, this archive film shows a day in the villages of Western Samoa on the eve of independence: morning scenes, the traditional council of matai (chiefs), children at school, women roofing a house, exports of copra, cocoa and bananas, and a ceremonial gathering at Mulinu’u. Western Samoa was the first UN Trust Territory to achieve internal self-government, before independence in 1962.

Territory
Oceania / Samoa occidentales (Apia / Mulinu’u), Samoa
Skill
Governance
Community
Samoans
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

mataiconseil des chefsfa’amataivillageautonomiecoprahtoiturecérémonieMulinu’uindépendance
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Los Urus: Living on the Totora Reeds of Lake Titicaca (Jorge Ruiz, 1951)

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Considered the first ethnographic film shot in Latin America, "Los Urus" documents the daily life of the Uru people of Lake Titicaca: fishing, bird hunting, and the building of totora-reed boats and dwellings. Jorge Ruiz filmed the last speakers of the Uru language, heirs of one of the oldest cultures of the Andes. The Smithsonian honored Ruiz with the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal (2006) for his pioneering visual anthropology.

Territory
South America / Lac Titicaca (secteur du río Desaguadero), Bolivie
Skill
Water
Community
Uru (Urus)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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totorapêchelac Titicacabarque de roseauxîle flottantechasse aux oiseauxartisanatAndesUrucinéma ethnographique
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Éric Julien: what the Kogi of the Sierra Nevada have to tell us (Sismique interview, 2024)

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French geographer Éric Julien, saved by the Kogi after a pulmonary oedema at 4,400 m, draws on thirty years alongside this people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: territory understood as a living body, learning through experience, rites of passage, and a way of deciding in which the absence of women disqualifies the decision itself. Important caveat: this is relayed testimony — a Westerner speaking about the Kogi, not the Kogi speaking for themselves.

Territory
South America / Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombie
Skill
Governance
Community
Kogi (Kágaba)
Video nature
Interview
Duration
Plus de 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 5/5 from 1 vote

kogisierra nevada de santa martacolombiemamoterritoiregouvernancedecisionpariteeducationtransmissionrites de passageeaucommunsplantes medicinaleseric julien
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Rabinal Achí: the Maya Achi dance drama of Guatemala (UNESCO film)

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A fifteenth-century Maya dynastic drama, the Rabinal Achí is one of the rare living testimonies of pre-Hispanic theatrical traditions. Performed every year in Rabinal (Baja Verapaz, Guatemala) during the feast of Saint Paul, it recounts in four acts the conflict between two princes, the Rabinal Achí and the K'iche Achí, through masked dances, music and narration in the Achi language. Mask and role bearers pass the tradition from generation to generation, with a ritual dimension linked to the ancestors. The Rabinal Achí was proclaimed a masterpiece (2005) and inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2008). Source: official UNESCO description.

Territory
Central America / Rabinal, Baja Verapaz (Guatemala)
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Maya achi
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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Rabinal AchíMaya achithéâtre dansédanses masquéestradition oraleGuatemalaBaja Verapazpatrimoine immatérieltransmissionpréhispanique
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The Wayuu palabrero: settling disputes through the word (Colombian TV archives)

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The Wayuu normative system is the set of principles, procedures and rites that govern the social and spiritual conduct of the community of La Guajira (Colombia). It operates through the institution of the pütchipü'üi, the "palabrero": a mediator who resolves conflicts between matrilineal clans through the word and compensation, without violence. UNESCO inscribed this system on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Clip from the documentary series "La Guajira del Palabrero" by Doménico Restrepo Gómez, preserved by Señal Memoria, the archives of Colombian public broadcasting (RTVC).

Territory
South America / Péninsule de La Guajira (Colombie)
Skill
Governance
Community
Wayuu
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 5/5 from 1 vote

Wayuupalabreropütchipü'üimédiationjustice coutumièreLa Guajiraclans matrilinéairesparolecompensationUNESCO
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The Toda of the Nilgiri Hills: sacred buffaloes and pastoral life (Doordarshan archives)

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The Toda are a small pastoral community of the isolated Nilgiri plateau (Tamil Nadu, South India), of Dravidian language, whose culture is thought to go back to the 3rd century BC. Their traditional economy is based on water-buffalo herding: dairy products, with cereals, form the core of their diet, and the dairy plays both an economic and a ritual role. This documentary from the “Tribes of India” series (Doordarshan public television archives) shows the typical hamlet dwellings (mund), the care of the herd and daily life. Source: official Prasar Bharati Archives description.

Territory
Asia / Plateau des Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu (Inde du Sud)
Skill
Agriculture
Community
Toda
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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TodaNilgiripastoralismebuffle d'eauproduits laitiersTamil Naduhabitat traditionneltransmissionInde du Sudpeuple dravidien
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The Maasai and the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano: water for the herds (archive, 1967)

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Archive news report filmed in 1967 around the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano — the Maasai « Mountain of God » — after an eruption. Aerial views of the volcano and the northern Tanzanian plains, Maasai herders with their sheep and cattle, grazing lands destroyed by the eruption. Cattle drink from water drums carried by donkey from a source over 150 km away.

Territory
Africa / Ol Doinyo Lengaï, nord de la Tanzanie
Skill
Water
Community
Maasaï
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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MaasaïOl Doinyo LengaïvolcaneaupastoralismebétailsécheresseTanzanietranshumancerésilience
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Lhasa 1936-1940: the Gould mission films of Tibet (BFI collection)

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Extract from the films shot by Sir Basil Gould’s British mission during two stays in Lhasa, in 1936 and 1940 — the year of the enthronement ceremony of the 14th Dalai Lama, then four years old. The BFI describes these reels as one of the most important film collections of pre-1950 Tibet. Daily life, official ceremonies, and a sequence of Tibetan women playing darts.

Territory
Asia / Lhassa, Tibet
Skill
Governance
Community
Tibétains
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

Lhassadalaï-lamaintronisationgouvernement tibétaincérémoniebouddhisme tibétainmission diplomatiquePotalaannées 1930Tibet
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Ulaanbaatar and life in the ger: Mongolia in 1968 (British Pathé archives)

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Archival rushes filmed in 1968 in Ulaanbaatar. Ger districts with fenced yards, Buddhist temples, a folk dance at the National Theatre, and the interior of a ger where a woman in traditional dress cooks on the central stove. A rare record of the ger as a living habitat in the heart of the capital.

Territory
Asia / Oulan-Bator, Mongolie
Skill
Architecture / dwelling
Community
Mongols (Khalkha)
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

geryourtehabitat nomadeOulan-BatorMongolsdanse folkloriquebouddhismepoêle centralsteppeannées 1960
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Chukchi reindeer herders of Chukotka (1957)

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A 1957 Soviet newsreel sequence, preserved by British Pathé, showing Chukchi reindeer herders in a remote coastal area of Chukotka, in the Russian Far East. It shows the rocky, ice-strewn coast, a large reindeer herd, and two herders inspecting and treating the animals. Reindeer herding has been central to Chukchi life for centuries: food, clothing and transport.

Territory
Arctic / Côte de la Tchoukotka, Extrême-Orient russe
Skill
Agriculture
Community
Tchouktches
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

TchouktchesTchoukotkaSibérieélevage de rennestroupeauArcticURSSarchives 1957actualités soviétiquestranshumance
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Canoes and island villages of Madang: the New Guinea coast in the 1930s

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An early-1930s home movie documenting a visit to a small island off Madang, on the north-east coast of New Guinea. It shows the islanders, their villages and above all their boats: canoes and traditional sailing craft that linked the islands. Around 3:35, unidentified traditional sailboats appear, possibly Massim canoes. A rare record of Melanesian maritime life before World War II.

Territory
Oceania / Île au large de Madang, Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée
Skill
Economy / commons
Community
Peuples côtiers et insulaires de la province de Madang
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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MadangPapouasie-Nouvelle-GuinéeMélanésiepiroguesnavigationvoile traditionnellevillages insulaireséchanges côtiersarchives 1930film amateur
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The Banaue rice terraces: Ifugao country in the 1950s

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Archive footage from the 1950s showing the Banaue rice terraces in the central Cordillera of Luzon, Philippines. Carved into the mountainsides some two thousand years ago by the Ifugao people and irrigated by channels fed from highland forests, they are often called the eighth wonder of the world. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995.

Territory
Asia / Banaue, province d'Ifugao, Luçon, Philippines
Skill
Water
Community
Ifugao
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

IfugaoBanauerizières en terrassesirrigationLuçonPhilippinesCordillèrepatrimoine mondialagriculture de montagnearchives 1950
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A Yagua village on the banks of the Amazon (Smithsonian archives, ca. 1974)

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Silent archival clip (ca. 1974) from the Smithsonian's Human Studies Film Archives showing a Yagua village along the Amazon River near Iquitos, Peru: riverside dwellings and daily life.

Territory
South America / Rive de l'Amazone, région d'Iquitos, Loreto, Pérou
Skill
Architecture / dwelling
Community
Yagua
Video nature
Excerpt
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

YaguaAmazonieAmazonePérouIquitosvillagehabitat fluvialpalmesSmithsonian
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The People at Dipper: living from lake and forest among the Dene (NFB, 1966)

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A 1966 NFB documentary on the Chipewyan (Dene) community of Dipper Lake, northern Saskatchewan: fishing, hunting and a strong sense of community where new ways coexist with traditional life.

Territory
North America / Dipper Lake, rivière Churchill, nord de la Saskatchewan, Canada
Skill
Food
Community
Dénés (Chipewyan / Dënesųłı̨né)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

DénésChipewyanSaskatchewanpêchechasseforêt boréalelaccommunautésubsistanceONF
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Jokkmokk winter market: the Sami yearly gathering (archive footage, 1950)

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Newsreel footage from February 1950 of the Jokkmokk winter market in Swedish Lapland, an annual Sami gathering held since 1605: reindeer sleds, trade, crafts and community life above the Arctic Circle.

Territory
Europe / Jokkmokk, Laponie suédoise (Norrbotten), Suède
Skill
Economy / commons
Community
Sami
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

SamiJokkmokkmarché d'hiverrennestraîneauLaponieSuèdeartisanatéchangescercle polaire
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The Andean Cosmovision of the Kallawaya: Itinerant Healers of Bolivia (UNESCO)

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This UNESCO film presents the Andean cosmovision of the Kallawaya, itinerant healers from the Bautista Saavedra region north of La Paz, Bolivia, whose roots go back to pre-Inca times. Their medicine rests on deep knowledge of Andean plant, animal and mineral pharmacopoeia and on ritual knowledge intimately linked to religious beliefs, passed down through generations. Inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008 (proclaimed a Masterpiece in 2003). (Sources: UNESCO, ich.unesco.org.)

Territory
South America / Province Bautista Saavedra (Charazani, Curva), nord de La Paz, Bolivie
Skill
Health
Community
Kallawaya
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

Kallawayamédecine traditionnelleplantes médicinalesguérisseursAndesBoliviepharmacopéerituelUNESCOtransmission
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The Wagenia Fishermen of the Congo River (Smithsonian archives, ca. 1975)

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This short archival clip (ca. 1975), preserved by the Smithsonian's Human Studies Film Archives, shows Wagenia fishing on the Congo River near Kisangani: huge wooden scaffolds anchored in the rocks of the rapids, with large conical baskets that trap fish in the current. This collective fishery, described by travellers as early as the 19th century, is passed down through generations within the clans. From “Congo River Adventure,” made for the travelogue series “Three Passports to Adventure” (the Linker family). (Source: Smithsonian HSFA.)

Territory
Africa / Chutes Wagenia (chutes Boyoma), fleuve Congo, près de Kisangani, République démocratique du Congo
Skill
Food
Community
Wagenia (Wagenya / Bagenia), pêcheurs du fleuve Congo
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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Wageniapêchefleuve CongoKisanganinassesrapideséchafaudagesarchives 1975Smithsonian
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The Living Stone: Inuit Carving and the Legend of the Sea Spirit (NFB, 1958)

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This Oscar-nominated NFB documentary (1958) shows the inspiration behind Inuit sculpture: releasing the image the artist sees imprisoned in the rough stone. Filmed among the Inuit of Kinngait (Cape Dorset), it centres on an old legend about carving a sea spirit to bring food to a hungry camp, weaving together daily survival — hunting, igloo building, camp life — art and respect for natural laws. Directed by John Feeney. (Sources: NFB.)

Territory
Arctic / Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut, Canada (lieu de tournage d'après la notice ONF ; point indicatif)
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Inuits de Kinngait (Cape Dorset)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
Plus de 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

InuitssculpturepierreKinngaitArcticlégendeesprit de la merchasseiglooarchives 1958
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The Bandiagara Escarpment: Dogon Dwellings from the Sky (INA collection, 2007)

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These images from the INA collection (aerial rushes shot on 1 November 2007 for the film “Home”) fly over the Bandiagara Escarpment in Dogon country (Mali), a UNESCO World Heritage site. The cliff is dotted with caves where the Tellem, the Dogon's predecessors, built granaries, tombs and places of worship; today the Dogon use these structures as burial sites and build their villages, houses and millet granaries at the foot of the cliff. An exceptional document on a unique vertical habitat. (Source: INA.)

Territory
Africa / Falaise de Bandiagara, pays dogon, région de Mopti, Mali (plaine du Séno-Gondo)
Skill
Architecture / dwelling
Community
Dogon (et Tellem, leurs prédécesseurs dans les grottes de la falaise)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

DogonTellemBandiagaraMalihabitatgreniersfalaisevillagesUNESCOvues aériennes
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Māori Village of Whakarewarewa: Living with Geysers (archival film, 1945)

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This 1945 archival film, produced by New Zealand's National Film Unit and preserved by Archives New Zealand, shows how the Māori of Whakarewarewa village (Rotorua) use the geysers and boiling springs of their geothermal land: cooking food in hot pools and steam vents, washing and bathing in natural basins. The second part follows a song and dance group in traditional dress, introduced by the famous Guide Rangi (Rangitīaria Dennan). A filmed testimony of a unique adaptation to a volcanic environment. (Source: Archives New Zealand.)

Territory
Oceania / Village de Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, Île du Nord, Nouvelle-Zélande
Skill
Water
Community
Māori (iwi Te Arawa, hapū Tūhourangi / Ngāti Wāhiao)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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MāoriWhakarewarewaRotoruageyserssources chaudesgéothermiecuissonchants et dansesarchives1945
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The Herero of Ngamiland: Cattle, Milk and Clan Life (Smithsonian archives, 1953)

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This excerpt from an ethnographic film shot in 1953 by anthropologist Gordon D. Gibson shows the daily life of the Herero (Ovaherero) of Ngamiland, Botswana: house building, herding, watering and milking cattle, making butter and buttermilk, wood carving, butchering and pounding flour. It also documents the role of clan priests, including the daily milk-tasting ritual, homage to ancestors, funerals, children's games, adornments, and songs and dances. (Source: Smithsonian HSFA.)

Territory
Africa / Ngamiland (région du Nord-Ouest, autour de Maun et du delta de l'Okavango), Botswana (repère indicatif : Maun)
Skill
Food
Community
Herero (Ovaherero), peuple bantou pasteur
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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HereroBotswanaNgamilandélevagelaitbeurreprêtres de clanancêtresarchives1953
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The Guna of the San Blas Islands: Island Villages, Sail and Molas (Smithsonian archives, 1958)

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This short 1958 archival clip, preserved at the Smithsonian's Human Studies Film Archives, shows Guna (Kuna) life in the San Blas archipelago (Guna Yala, Panama): villages on coral islands, a traditional sailing canoe, a freshwater well, and the molas — the appliqué textiles emblematic of Guna women's dress — and adornments. A filmed glimpse of Guna island living and material culture nearly 70 years ago. (Source: Smithsonian HSFA.)

Territory
Central America / Archipel de San Blas, comarque de Guna Yala, Panama (repère indicatif)
Skill
Architecture / dwelling
Community
Guna (Kuna), peuple autochtone de Guna Yala
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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GunaKunaSan BlasGuna YalaPanamaîlepirogue à voilemolasarchives1958
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“Grass”: The Great Migration of Iran's Bakhtiari (archival film, 1925)

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“Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life” (1925) is one of the very first ethnographic documentaries in film history. It follows a Bakhtiari group, a nomadic Lur people of Persia (present-day Iran), on their seasonal migration: tens of thousands of people and their immense herds cross the Karun River on rafts of inflated skins, then climb barefoot over the snowy passes of Zard Kuh to reach summer pastures. Filmed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack with journalist Marguerite Harrison. (Sources: Periscope Film; Library of Congress.)

Territory
Asia / Monts Zagros (massif du Zard Kuh) et rivière Karun, Iran (ex-Perse) ; repère indicatif du parcours de migration
Skill
Agriculture
Community
Bakhtiari (peuple nomade lur d'Iran)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
Plus de 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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BakhtiariIranPersetranshumancenomadestroupeauxZagrosrivière Karunarchives1925
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César's Bark Canoe: An Atikamekw Craft (NFB, 1971)

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This NFB documentary shot in 1971 shows, without commentary, César Newashish, 67, of the Atikamekw community of Manawan (Haute-Mauricie, Quebec), building a birchbark canoe the ancestral way: choosing the birch, lifting the bark, sewing it with spruce roots, shaping cedar ribs and gunwales, then gumming the seams. Only materials from the forest are used, from start to finish. A reference document on a vanishing craft, filmed gesture by gesture. (Source: NFB.)

Territory
North America / Réserve atikamekw de Manawan, Haute-Mauricie, Québec, Canada
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Atikamekw (nation Atikamekw Nehirowisiw)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
Plus de 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

Atikamekwcanot d'écorcebouleauartisanatManawanQuébecsavoir-fairetransmissionarchives1971
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Polynésie Française : le trésor des navigateurs

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Il y a 5000 ans, le Pacifique fut le lieu d'échanges et d'explorations de populations venues du sud est asiatique. Grâce à leurs pirogues munies de balanciers et de voiles pouvant remonter au "près du vent", ces hommes ont pu mener une exploration systématique des îles du Pacifique.

Territory
Oceania / polynésie
Skill
Education / transmission
Community
Maori
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
Plus de 30 min
Rights
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA proposé
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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piroguesvoilesnavirearbrenabigationconstruction
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Historia Patagonica de Luz y Piedra

0 view(s)5/5 from 1 vote

Documentaire tourné intégralement dans la province de Neuquén (Patagonie argentine), reconnu d'intérêt culturel par la Province. Il relie l'art rupestre millénaire — la grotte Epullán Grande, occupée depuis environ 10 000 ans, et le site de Colomichicó, 860 blocs gravés sur 16 hectares, sans équivalent en Amérique du Sud — aux constellations et aux récits des peuples Günün a Küna et Mapuche. Ces peintures sont de véritables archives : « ce sont nos livres », la mémoire collective inscrite dans la roche, qui se lit en miroir du ciel étoilé. Un appel à reconnaître ces cultures millénaires comme partie de l'Histoire — et à retrouver la mémoire en retournant regarder les étoiles.

Territory
South America / Argentine / patagonie
Skill
Education / transmission
Community
Günün a Küna et Mapuche
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA proposé
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 5/5 from 1 vote

art rupestreconstellationsethnoastronomieGünün a KünaMapuchePatagonieNeuquénmémoire collectivetransmission oralearchéologiearte rupestreconstelacionesetnoastronomíamapuchePatagoniamemoria colectivatransmisión oralarqueología
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Among the Lacandon of Chiapas: cotton, balché and tortillas (archive TV, 1960)

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A 1960 TV episode following explorer Don Rathlin during two weeks with the Lacandon, a Maya people of the Chiapas rainforest near the Usumacinta river: cotton growing and weaving, preparation of balché (a traditional fermented drink), tortilla making, river snails eaten as a delicacy, and traditional chants. Period 'adventure' framing to be put in context.

Territory
Central America / Forêt Lacandone, Chiapas / bassin du río Usumacinta, Mexique (point indicatif : Nahá)
Skill
Food
Community
Lacandons (Hach Winik), descendants des Mayas
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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LacandonsMayasChiapasalimentationtortillasbalchécotontissagearchives1960
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Aborigines of Arnhem Land: daily life and transmission (archive film, ca. 1950)

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An archive documentary shot around 1950 in Arnhem Land (northern Australia), following the daily life of an Aboriginal community with a focus on children: play by the water, learning by imitating elders, and a boy painting a hunter symbol. Period commentary to be put in its colonial context.

Territory
Oceania / Terre d'Arnhem, Territoire du Nord, Australie (lieu exact non précisé)
Skill
Education / transmission
Community
Aborigènes d'Australie de la terre d'Arnhem (peuples Yolŋu)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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Aborigènesterre d'ArnhemAustralieenfancetransmissionjeupeinturechassearchives1950
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The Ainu of Japan: dance, ceremony and tattoos (archive film, 1913)

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One of the earliest surviving films about the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaidō, preserved by the BFI National Archive (1913). It shows traditional dances, a drinking ceremony and the moustache-like tattoo worn by married women on the upper lip. A rare filmed testimony, with a period gaze to be put in context.

Territory
Asia / Hokkaidō, Japon (lieu de tournage exact non précisé)
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Aïnous
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

AïnousJaponHokkaidōdansetatouagecérémoniearchives1913BFIpeuple autochtone
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Tuareg of the Sahara: rites of passage, wedding and salt caravan (archive footage, 1948)

0 view(s)3/5 from 1 vote

This 1948 archive film shows scenes of Tuareg life in the Sahara: a young man's passage to adulthood, wedding festivities, and a camel caravan carrying salt across the desert. The salt caravan illustrates the Tuareg caravan economy, a trading system that linked the oases with Sahelian markets. A rare filmed document of the Tuareg nomadic way of life in the mid-20th century, distributed by The Travel Film Archive. The perspective is that of a period travel film, to be viewed in its colonial context.

Territory
Africa / Afrique / Sahara central (repère indicatif : région de Tamanrasset, Algérie ; lieu exact non précisé)
Skill
Economy / commons
Community
Touaregs (Kel Tamasheq)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 3/5 from 1 vote

TouaregsSaharacaravaneseldromadairenomadismemariagerite de passagearchives1948
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Reindeer herders in Lapland: rounding up the Sámi herd (archive footage, 1972)

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This British Pathé archive reel (1972) follows Sámi herders in Lapland setting out on skis, with their dogs, to round up their reindeer herd. It shows hundreds of reindeer running across the snowy tundra, the herd being driven into an enclosure, and the work around the animals. The footage also shows an elderly couple crafting objects from reindeer materials, illustrating the craftsmanship tied to herding. A filmed testimony of the Sámi herders' way of life in the early 1970s.

Territory
Europe / Europe / Laponie (nord de la Fennoscandie ; lieu exact non précisé par Pathé)
Skill
Agriculture
Community
Samis
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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SamisrennesLaponieélevagetranshumanceskienclosartisanatarchives1972
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You Are on Indian Land: the Mohawks of Akwesasne defend their rights (NFB, 1969)

0 view(s)4/5 from 1 vote

This archival documentary from the National Film Board of Canada shows the 1969 protest by the Mohawks of Akwesasne, who blockaded the international bridge between Canada and the United States near Cornwall, Ontario. They were protesting customs duties imposed on their goods, invoking the right of free passage guaranteed by the Jay Treaty (1794). Directed by Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell, a Mohawk filmmaker, the film documents from the inside the confrontation with police and the community's collective organizing. It is one of the first Indigenous activist films, produced by the NFB's "Indian Film Crew".

Territory
North America / Amérique du Nord / Akwesasne, pont international de Cornwall (Ontario / Québec / État de New York)
Skill
Governance
Community
Mohawks (Kanien’kehá:ka) d’Akwesasne
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
Plus de 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 4/5 from 1 vote

MohawkAkwesasnegouvernancetraité de Jayblocusfrontièredroits autochtonesONF1969résistance
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How did Polynesian wayfinders navigate the Pacific Ocean?

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This TED-Ed animation explains how, for thousands of years, Polynesian navigators made voyages of several thousand kilometres across the Pacific — an ocean covering more than 160 million km² — without any modern instruments. It describes how they read the Sun, the Moon, the stars, swells and currents to hold a course. It also evokes the communal building of canoes, bringing together navigators, builders and priests. Finally, it details advanced techniques such as using the Southern Cross to estimate south and observing clouds to spot land.

Territory
Oceania / Océan Pacifique, départ évoqué depuis Hawaï
Skill
Education / transmission
Community
Polynésiens (navigateurs du Pacifique, dont Hawaïens)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

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navigationPolynésiePacifiqueétoilespiroguehouletransmissionHawaïCroix du Sudnuages
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The Balinese subak: managing water as a commons for a thousand years

0 view(s)3/5 from 1 vote

This documentary presents the subak, Bali's thousand-year-old cooperative system for managing water and irrigating rice fields. It shows how this democratic, sustainable mechanism enables local communities to manage the ecology of terraced rice fields across entire watersheds, making the Balinese among the most productive rice farmers in Indonesia. The film highlights that the system runs without fossil fuels or heavy machinery, and recalls its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2012. Finally, it warns of current threats: new farming practices and growing tourism pressure.

Territory
Asia / Bali, Indonésie (rizières en terrasses, dont le site de Jatiluwih)
Skill
Water
Community
Balinais
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
15 a 30 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 3/5 from 1 vote

subakirrigationrizBalieaucommunsterrassesUNESCOcoopérationtemple
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How to Build an Igloo: the snow architecture of the Inuit

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This classic National Film Board of Canada short (1949) shows how to build an igloo using only snow and a knife. Two Inuit men in Canada's Far North choose the site, cut and lay the snow blocks, then shape the entrance: the shelter is completed in an hour and a half. The narration explains how the warmth inside and the wind outside cement the blocks together. As the short winter day draws to a close, the two builders lay out their caribou skins inside, assured of a comfortable night in the heart of the Arctic cold.

Territory
Arctic / Grand Nord canadien (actuel Nunavut), Canada
Skill
Architecture / dwelling
Community
Inuit
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

iglooneigeInuitArctichabitatconstructionsavoir-fairehiverabriNunavut
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Selk'nam: the last warriors at the end of the world (documentary)

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A 14-minute documentary devoted to the Selk'nam (Ona) of Tierra del Fuego, covering their culture as a whole: origin and etymology of the name, territory and social organization in clans (haruwen), dwellings, beliefs and initiation rites including the Hain ceremony, clothing, hunter-gatherer diet and tools. The final chapters address the late 19th-century genocide in Tierra del Fuego, the arrival of missionaries and Julio Popper's expedition. In Spanish (Mente de Siglos channel, 2023).

Territory
South America / Terre de Feu, Patagonie (Chili / Argentine)
Skill
Spirituality / cosmology
Community
Selk'nam (Ona)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
5 a 15 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

Selk'namOnaTerre de FeuPatagoniecultureritesHainchasseurs-cueilleurscosmologiepeuples autochtones
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The forgotten genocide of the Selk'nam (Tierra del Fuego) — HALC in brief

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A short educational video recounting the genocide of the Selk'nam (also known as the Ona), a nomadic people of Tierra del Fuego, decimated by settler ranchers and gold prospectors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A documented reminder of a little-known chapter of Patagonian history, essential for memory and transmission. Sources cited: Histoire & Civilisations no. 87, Libération.

Territory
South America / Terre de Feu, Patagonie (Argentine / Chili)
Skill
Justice / repair
Community
Selk'nam (Ona)
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Usage restreint
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

No rating yet

Selk'namOnaTerre de FeuPatagoniegénocidecolonisationpeuples autochtonesmémoirehistoire
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Las cuevas de las manos

0 view(s)5/5 from 1 vote

A rock-art site attributed, according to local sources, to the Tehuelche people, in Argentine Patagonia.

Territory
South America / Argentine / patagonie
Skill
Arts / cultural expressions
Community
Tehuelches
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA propose
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 5/5 from 1 vote

peinturerupestrepatagonieargentinedocumentairemainssanggrotte
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The Mapuche, Chiuquillihuin near Junín de los Andes, Argentina

0 view(s)5/5 from 1 vote

A five-minute immersion in a Mapuche village, an Indigenous people of South America. Their school, their crafts, their hierarchy.

Territory
South America / Argentine / Junin de los Andes/Chiuquillihuin
Skill
Education / transmission
Community
Mapuches
Video nature
Documentary
Duration
0 a 5 min
Rights
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA propose
Direct source
No
Relayed information
No

Average : 5/5 from 1 vote

tissusbijouxecoleeducationhierarchiefemmesoncolonkodrapeaujunin de los andescentre culturelculture