EVST03077: Indigenous Peoples, Conservation, and Film
Instructors: Laura Zanotti
Requires a study tour to Brazil: May 12–June 1
Join us in summer 2026 in Brazil for a once-in-a-lifetime experience where you will learn directly from local communities about what obstacles and opportunities lie ahead for sustainable Amazonian futures.
This 3-credit summer 2026 course invites you to partner with Indigenous and local communities in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon as you learn about Indigenous rights, sustainable energy, film, and conservation. In a unique partnership between the University of Cincinnati, Brazilian universities, and a Kayapó non-governmental organization, you will work with the Mebêngôkre-Kayapó and other communities to identify sustainability challenges, as well as new 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 communities. You will learn from Indigenous peoples, other local communities, conservation biologists, NGO workers, and other regional stakeholders about what obstacles and opportunities lie ahead for sustainable Amazonian and Atlantic futures. You will 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.