Trade, Trauma and Tradition: Extractive industries, cultural genocide and Indigenous resistence in the 1900s and today

2026-07-22

This project studies Amazonian indigenous peoples’ search for justice and protection from the devastating impacts of European funded extractive industry activities during the rubber boom in the early 1900s and today. The approach is multidisciplinary (MD) crossing genocide, human rights, anthropology, history, social psychololgy and digital media studies (DH). It will produce a groundbreaking feature length documentary investigating the genocidal regime of the British registered Peruvian Amazon Company; the resurgence of the peoples of the region from less than 300 survivors of the rubber boom; and, their search for reconciliation and prevention of a similar business-related genocide today.The documentary will be informed by innovative research on the role and potential of European and its Member States law and policy to prevent business related genocide in Amazonia. The project empowers indigenous peoples through participatory video and digital storytelling (DST) to tell their history in their own way and words) [DST productions are usually 1-5 minute videos which can be made on mobile phones] It’s a story of genocide, resilience, reconciliation and the role of their own laws and cultural practices in their revival as peoples.In little over 30 years the PACs operations in the Predio Putumayo, a place the size of Belgium, led to the death of over 30,000 indigenous people [some estimates go as high as 100,000 dead]. Less than 300 survived, A hundred years on, from the end of the rubber boom, indigenous peoples in the Amazon are are again facing severe business-related threats to their lives, lands and culture. This time the threats come mainly from oil, mining and the agri-business sector.This project is timely asking what the European Union can do to help prevent business- related ecocide (massive environmental destruction) and cultural genocide (destruction of indigenous peoples’ cultural integrity) today.

Ireland

2026-02-15