Echoes of the Earth

Echoes of the Earth: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resilience in Karnataka and Kerala is a documentary screening exploring how Indigenous communities use traditional knowledge, developed through generations of observation and experience, to protect ecosystems and respond to climate change.

Through personal stories and intimate portraits of everyday life, the film highlights practices that support forest conservation, biodiversity protection and the sustainable use of natural resources. It particularly examines how climate change is affecting plants, wildlife and ecosystems among the Soliga community of Karnataka.

The documentary raises questions about how traditional ecological knowledge can contribute to contemporary environmental solutions and what may be overlooked when Indigenous practices are understood only through cultural or religious perspectives.

Post-screening panel discussion: The film will be followed by a conversation on Indigenous women as knowledge holders and contributors to environmental stewardship, examining their role in preserving local knowledge and strengthening climate resilience.

Speakers:

• R. Siddappa Setty — Senior Fellow at ATREE, with expertise in ethnobotany, Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest livelihoods.

• M. Ushashree — Environmental researcher focusing on Indigenous knowledge, gender, conservation and environmental history, including the role of women in Soliga farming practices.

• Seema Purushothaman — Ecological economist whose work spans small farms, forest landscapes, Indigenous rights and livelihoods.

The programme invites audiences to consider Indigenous knowledge as a living resource for sustainable development and climate action. High tea will be served from 6:00 PM onwards.