The recent rise of low cost, remote-controlled video drones has done a lot more that make it easier for filmmakers to take really cool aerial landscape footage. In one corner of Indonesia it is helping indigenous people protect their ancestral homelands and way of life, as shown in the above short documentary, “Dayaks and Drones.”
The doc gives a fascinating look into how the Dayaks are using drone technology to create some of the first high resolution maps that clearly define exactly where the borders of their lands and forests are located, which is of critical importance to help them defend their lands against the encroachment of palm oil companies and other unscrupulous businesses onto their land.
In an in-depth article about the issue on Slate titled “Drones to the Rescue,” Faine Greenwood describes why the drone map is so essential:
Both the video and the Slate article tell inspiring stories that give us a lot of hope about the future of Indonesia’s indigenous people and the power of technology. Both are definitely worth your time.
