In this beautiful short film by The Source project, we learn about the profound importance that forests have on India’s indigenous people, the Adivasi (first people).

Dokri shares the meaning the forests have to her Kondh community. The Kondh tribe is from Niyamgiri in the state of Odisha in eastern India, an area of densely forested hills, deep gorges, and cascading streams.

The forests mean everything to Dokri and her Kondh community. Everything they need to live comes from the forests. The forest gives them green leaves, mushrooms, plants, and foods to harvest so they can eat. It offers wood to provide shelter.

The Kondh community are gatekeepers to these remote, resource-rich fragile ecosystems. Their lands and lives are under threat from those seeking to exploit these lands.

Globally, around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their survival. Yet, every year 130,000 square kilometers of forest, face destruction.