Paraecologists at work in Intag, Ecuador

A preview film screening and in-conversation event at the University of Sussex will spotlight the dark side of the energy transition, focusing on its impacts on Indigenous land struggles and environmental degradation in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

The short documentary When Waterfalls Die is directed by Brandi Morin, an award-winning Cree/Iroquois/French filmmaker and journalist from Treaty 6 territory in Alberta, Canada.

The film touches on research led by SSRP Fellow Professor Mika Peck and will be screened in Woodland Room 2, Student Centre, at 4pm on Wednesday 25 June. The screening will be followed at 4.30 pm by a conversation with Indigenous Earth Defenders Brandi Morin and Shuar paraecologist Numii Antun Yan from Ecuador.

The film explores the tension between the ‘rights of nature’ legislation embedded in Ecuador’s constitution and a government prioritising large-scale resource extraction in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions – driven by the energy transition.

It follows members of the Shuar Arutam Maikuants tribe as they fight to defend their ancestral lands in the face of industrial mining. ‘When Waterfalls Die’ serves as an elegy to their deep bond with the environment.

The event will raise awareness of social and environmental injustice in Ecuador and the vital work undertaken by ‘paraecologists’ – trained members of local communities who collect vital ecological data in support of ‘rights of nature’ cases.

The paraecologists are trained by and part of the Ecoforensic CIC organisation, set up by Professor Peck with funding from SSRP.

In discussion after the screening are the director Briandi Morin and Shuar paraecologist Numii Antun Yanku.

Please register for the event here.

You can also visit the Student Centre until the end of the month to see an exhibition showcasing Ecoforensic’s work, and learn more about the urgent crisis facing Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. 

Professor Peck’s SSRP-supported research has revolved around strengthening environmental protection in Ecuador through the ‘rights of nature’ framework.

The Ecuadorian constitution legally recognises nature as having inherent rights; legislation that came about from tireless campaigning by Indigenous and rural Ecuadorian communities. Yet, Indigenous territories with high levels of biodiversity continue to be earmarked for environmentally destructive mining projects. 

You can find out more about Professor Mika Peck’s projects with SSRP here.