I have a soft spot in my heart for Borneo and her people. I choose not to share many of such things with our clients, I believe they are personal and not for public consumption or the lens of cameras.
The hero for the Borneo tribes is a man by the name of Bruno Manser, a Swiss national who gave up his life for the cause. Manser is dearly loved by the tribes, including the head hunter tribes. He is so dearly loved that his name and association with him until today gains the respect of people, his name is like a passport to pass. Manser went missing upon his last return to Borneo in 2000, and never seen again after.
Having had family members who have left comfortable lives to go an assist as doctors with the tribes in Borneo, I know first hand the struggle of the people. Like many other places and the documentary captures it well, when members of the tribal people decide to turn over to the system for 'nice gifts' it makes it near impossible for those who are loyal to the land to win. The governments do not have a list of owners, they accept any elder as a rightful owner, and if they can get enough propaganda , votes and campaigning behind their elder papers can be signed and thousands of hectares signed over.
It is for this reason, those of the locals who are beginning their own sustainable initiatives should be supported, they are the children of the land, its rightful owners and those who know it best.