About the Project
Tribes on the Edge , an independent documentary directed and produced by Céline Cousteau, explores the timely topics of land threats, health crises and human rights issues of the indigenous peoples of the Vale do Javari in the Brazilian Amazon—including how this narrative is relevant to our own lives.
Home to six recognized tribes—plus the largest concentration of un-contacted indigenous peoples in the entire Amazon (and some say the world)—the indigenous territory of the Vale do Javari in the Brazilian Amazon spans an area the size of Portugal and has been listed as “irreplaceable” by the IUCN because of its incredible biodiversity.
The human presence of indigenous communities in the Amazon provides a barrier to the destruction of the ecosystem and its flora and fauna. With the current assault on the Brazilian Amazon and its inhabitants because of political and economic interests, there is urgency for this story to be shared.
Social & Environmental Impacts
The Amazon is the largest terrestrial carbon sink on the planet, and the tribes of the Javari are stewards of this incredible 85,000 square kilometers of forest. Each day these 5,000 indigenous warriors fight to protect their home and communities living in voluntary isolation. This fight is relevant to all of us because these individuals and communities also act as crucial barriers to deforestation—strongholds for climate change mitigation and preservation of biodiversity.
It is estimated that the Amazon rainforest provides 20% of our global oxygen. Loss of tropical forests release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, currently accounting for up to 19 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. The indigenous peoples who protect us each day face disproportionately higher risks in our changing world, highlighting the human rights issues connected to climate change. If indigenous communities vanish, we lose the guardians of vital ecosystems and risk losing the ecosystems as well.
More than a film, Tribes on the Edge has grown into a movement driven by a passionate effort to enact tangible impact in the through action, communication and education initiatives. Tribes on the Edge reminds us that our survival depends on our actions—to support and protect the people and the ecosystems they safeguard for the benefit of us all.
