Overview
An international expedition to document ancestral knowledge in Bolivian territory and connect it with contemporary strategies for climate resilience, building a bridge of respect between communities, science and public policy.
Context
Indigenous communities in Bolivia hold deep knowledge of their territory: water cycles, soils, forests, crops and climate signals that have sustained life for generations. That knowledge, transmitted orally and practiced daily, rarely reaches the spaces where climate policy is designed. The expedition took place in the field, travelling rural roads and communities, in direct dialogue with families, local leaders and keepers of traditional knowledge.
The challenge
The challenge was twofold: to listen without extracting, and to document without simplifying. It meant approaching with humility, recognizing the authority of those who hold this knowledge, and building a relationship of trust that allowed it to be shared on their own terms. At the same time, it required translating that richness into language able to engage international climate research and audiences who rarely hear these voices.
Scope of work
Strategy turned into action.
Fieldwork in rural Bolivian communities, travelling the territory and sharing daily life.
Dialogue with families, local leaders and keepers of traditional knowledge on climate, water, soil and crops.
International collaboration between Lytton First Nation (Canada) and CMIC Bolivia.
Audiovisual and written documentation of ancestral practices linked to territory and resilience.
Development of an accessible and respectful narrative for international audiences.
Building relationships that allowed the exchange between both territories to continue.
Field film
Watch the expedition
An audiovisual record of the fieldwork: roads, communities and the meeting of territories.
Chapter 1
Field record
The territory, the communities and the encounter.
This record gathers roads, homes, shared tables and conversations. The images show that ancestral knowledge is not documented from a distance: it is received through relationship, shared time and trust built with communities.
Project impact
Genuine exchange between territories in Canada and Bolivia
Ancestral knowledge documented with consent and respect
Active international climate partnerships
Start a conversation
Complex challenges deserve experienced counsel.
For governments, First Nations, public institutions and organizations seeking practical, strategic and culturally grounded leadership.