The Earth Elders, World Over Here, Tiger Nest Films, and Mudland are thrilled to announce Earth Elders, a feature documentary exploring the mission of The Earth Elders (Grand Council of the Eagle and Condor) in protecting Earth’s biodiversity and biocultural heritage. Earth Elders is among the eight selected projects for the Movies that Matter Take on Film & Impact Lab and will be pitching for impact at the Hague this spring.

This year marked an important milestone for the Earth Elders as we participated in a series of global gatherings shaping the future of systems, economies, and consciousness.

In January, The Earth Elders’ Convenor, Mindahi Bastida, travelled to Benin to meet Prince Apollinaire. The Prince is a respected traditional leader and bridge-builder who has dedicated more than two decades to advancing ecological regeneration, ancestral governance, and community resilience across West Africa.

This event marks a significant step forward in the recognition of Indigenous medicine alongside modern allopathic approaches. Today, a new space is emerging for the diverse and sophisticated healing systems of Indigenous Peoples worldwide. These systems are not only about treatment, but about restoring balance between people, communities, and the natural world.

Masaaki brings decades of experience as a respected elder and bridge-builder from Japan, working across cultures, faith traditions, and international institutions.

COP30 in the Amazon was more than a global summit—it was a moment of reckoning. For the first time, the world gathered not only to speak about the Amazon, but within it, surrounded by the forests, rivers, and ancestral territories that hold the breath of our planet. This gathering showed us what is at stake with a clarity that can no longer be ignored.

COP30 in Belém, Brazil, offered many lessons—some hopeful, others sobering. For Indigenous peoples, it reaffirmed a truth we have long carried: recognition, respect, and responsibility must be more than aspirations. The summit showed that while global leaders increasingly speak of Indigenous wisdom, genuine inclusion remains a work in progress.

Our origin story is rooted in over a decade of weaving relationships, pilgrimages, and ceremonies across more than fifty Indigenous territories. The vision was received when one hundred and fifty traditional guardians from all over the Americas met in Santa Marta with the Kogis, Arhuacos, Kankuamos Kogui and Wiwa of the Sierra Nevada to consult Mother Earth about a way out of our polycrises.

Mindahi shares that love is a universal law in the Otomi Toltec tradition, and reciprocity guides how life is lived. He reflects on this moment of global transition and calls for restoring balance with the Earth through conscious action, regeneration, and ancestral wisdom. His teachings invite us to walk with humility and return to right-relationship with the living world.

Earlier this year, our Convenor Mindahi Bastida traveled to Rome for a series of meetings with the late Pope Francis, deepening dialogue around historic harms experienced by Indigenous peoples and the need for moral leadership. With the election of Pope Leo XIV, these conversations are continuing, reflecting an ongoing commitment to Indigenous ethics, Earth-care, and justice.

The Harmony Summit at Highgrove Gardens, convened in July 2025, marked a historic moment for our organisation and for the wider movement to restore right-relationship with the Earth. Hosted by King Charles and in partnership with The King’s Foundation, the gathering brought together Indigenous custodians, scientists, land stewards, cultural leaders, and regenerative practitioners in a shared spirit of listening, learning, and co-creation.