SMA PROGRAMS: Biocultural Conservation:
Deep Bioculture: Video Documentation Projects

In 2004, Anthropologist Daniela Ramirez began an independent video documentation of the land conflict in Coloradas de la Virgen and the illegal imprisonment of one of their leaders, Isidro Baldenegro. Isidro was freed later that year due to an international campaign by SMA and a number of Mexican and international organizations, including Environmental Defenders Law Center, Sierra Club, Amnesty International, Rainforest Action Network, and Global Response. Daniela then joined the SMA team and began working on the following projects:

Pino Gordo: The Fight for their Lands: This moving documentary is a 14 minute campaign film that documents the lands struggle of 165 Tarahumara families to gain the rights to their ancestral lands, rights that have been denied by a series of fraud and omissions.  The film is available for a voluntary donation to SMA. Just contact us via Sierra Alliance.

Owiruame: Voices of the Shaman’s of the Tarahumara—Daniela completed the first in a series of planned films in the Tarahumara language intended for local and regional Tarahumara education. Six elder owiraume are feature in the first film. They present a rich oral history, and provide lessons they want to leave behind for their people and future generations. This film is being shown in Tarahumara schools, at local workshops and regional forums sponsored by SMA.

Six interviews have been made with owiruame from Choreachi, a region revered for traditional healers who continue to guide the last Tarahumara pueblo to live in an ancient forest, a community free of missionaries and caciques. These interviews are yet to be transcribed and edited into a program for the community and for them to share with others.

As the owiruame documentation program matures, extended interviews will probe deeper into traditional practices, healing, herbs, conservation, bilingual environmental education and traditional mysticism. These lessons will be used as directed by each owiruame for local or regional use.  The video program is being integrated into other aspects of biocultural conservation and community organization.

In December of 2006, Daniela and the SMA team were joined by filmmaker Lavinia Currier to record the peyote (jicori) harvest and dance in Choreachi.    This footage is intended to be used by the community for their cultural and educational purposes and to share with other communities, as part of the Owiruame documentary series.