Watch Endangered Civilizations

2018
2 Seasons

Endangered Civilizations is a documentary series that explores the cultures and histories of endangered civilizations around the world. Produced by Total Content Digital, the series takes viewers on a journey to some of the most remote and fascinating communities on earth, shining a light on the rich cultural heritage of these communities and the challenges they face as they struggle to preserve their traditions and way of life in the modern world.

Through captivating and immersive storytelling, Endangered Civilizations offers a unique insight into the lives and customs of these often-overlooked communities. Each episode features a different civilization, from the ancient and mysterious Bishnoi people of India to the traditional nomadic tribes of Mongolia.

The series is divided into six episodes, with each episode exploring a different civilization and the threats to their existence. It examines the complexity of the challenges faced by these communities, from the impact of climate change on agriculture and water sources to the pressures of globalization and urbanization.

The first episode of the series takes viewers to the Bishnoi community of northwestern India. This ancient community has lived in harmony with nature for centuries, and their beliefs in the sanctity of all life and the importance of conservation have earned them widespread respect. However, their way of life is threatened by factors such as deforestation, overgrazing, and the poaching of wildlife.

The second episode focuses on the Moken people of Thailand, who have lived on the Andaman Sea for generations. These skilled sea-faring people have developed a unique culture and way of life that is deeply connected to the sea. However, their traditional fishing practices are becoming increasingly unsustainable due to overfishing, tourism, and climate change.

In the third episode, viewers are taken to the Kalash people of Pakistan, who are among the last remaining descendants of the ancient Indo-Aryans. This small community lives in the remote valleys of the Hindu Kush mountains and has maintained their unique cultural traditions, including their polytheistic religion and distinctive dress. However, their community is under threat from war, migration, and pressure from neighboring Muslim communities.

The fourth episode of the series examines the traditional nomadic tribes of Mongolia. These communities are facing a range of challenges, from the impacts of mining and industrialization on the environment to the loss of grazing land due to climate change. Despite these challenges, the nomads of Mongolia continue to uphold their unique way of life and are working to adapt to the changing world around them.

The fifth episode of the series takes viewers to the Ozark Highlands of the United States, where the Ozark people have lived for generations. These people have developed a unique culture that is heavily influenced by their isolation from the rest of society, and their music, folklore, and way of life are all closely connected to the natural world around them. However, the community is facing threats from the loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation.

Finally, in the last episode of the series, viewers are taken to the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania. This community has maintained their traditional way of life for centuries, living in harmony with the natural world and practicing a unique form of pastoralism. However, the community is facing threats from climate change, land degradation, and conflicts over land and resources.

Overall, Endangered Civilizations is a fascinating and thought-provoking series that offers a unique insight into the lives and cultures of some of the world's most endangered communities. The series highlights the importance of preserving cultural heritage and provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by communities around the world as they strive to adapt to an ever-changing world. With stunning visuals and engaging storytelling, this series is a must-watch for anyone interested in culture, conservation, and the human experience.

Endangered Civilizations is a series that ran for 2 seasons (27 episodes) between January 31, 2018 and on Total Content Digital

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Seasons

2 1

12. Carribean Voyages

May 23, 2018

The film explores man's relationship with the sea in the Carribean islands; the centuries' old linking factor in this relationship being boats. Beginning with the present day, man's modern and ever-evolving connection with water transport will be examined, followed by a look at the human dimension of boats showing traditional boating methods, cultures and lifestyles that are dying out.

11. An Ocean of Navigators

May 23, 2018

Under the leadership of Uvea a young Oceanian in search of his origins, discover the traditional cultures and also the new types of maritime culture. The idea is to explore the past in order to gain a clearer understanding of the present. Thousands of years ago Uvea's ancestors who came in successive waves from South East Asia, aboard immense double canoes, gradually colonized the Pacific islands.

10. Dancing with the Masks

May 23, 2018

The Bolon people, who live in a world of their own in southwestern Burkina Faso, are cut off from the rest of the country's people. Living in wattle-and-daub huts with terraced roofs, this unusual community continues to perpetuate its ancestral traditions through its culture, architecture, religion, music, chants and dances and impressive "masks". They also practice the art of divination.

9. For Rain to Fall

May 23, 2018

Bagbas are a brotherhood of soothsayers, the chosen of the gods, who enter into trances during ceremonies and predict the future. They are held in high esteem by the people of northern and western Burkina Faso. Bagbas deal with personal affairs as well as community business in events such as initiation ceremonies, deciding on the location of new crops and "rain making".

8. Between Sea and Volcano

May 23, 2018

Many observers wonder how the balinese have managed to survive for the last 500 years in a region where local history is too filled with invasions, colonosation, ethnic conflict, political crises and economic misfortune. Because of a miracle? No way: the balinese have managed to create a society and a way of life which have enabled everyone here to cope with such a permanent chaos.

7. A Volador in Cuetzalan

May 23, 2018

In the heart of Indian Mexico in Cuetzalan, a custom has been perpetuated for 1,500 years. It is the Dance of the Voladores, a spectacular ritual in which a bond is established between the sun and mankind. Attached to ropes and with their head downwards, four men leap into the air from atop a one-hundred-foot pole. They describe 13 full circles before they regain the ground.

6. Ganoko, The Ogre of the Raramuri

May 23, 2018

The Tarahumaras are a proud and free people who have withdrawn to the small, inaccessible villages of Mexico's Sierra Madre. In the "Barranca del Cobre", the Ogre of the legend relates the daily life of these remote villages, the excessive deforestation, the contempt for the half-castes and the whites, and the omnipresence of the Catholic religion that incorporates pagan rites.

5. Child of a Broad Earth

May 23, 2018

Tunga is a provincial girl in town to study journalism. She has to return home because her father has had an accident. We discover life in Mongolia countryside. There is nothing much there except for immense, wide-open spaces where a tiny family yurt looks remote in the middle of this huge nowhere. But this life is too peaceful for Tunga, despite its security.

4. Between Fire and Frying Pan

May 23, 2018

Khasnan is a civil servant in the city of Khovd, a major town in western Mongolia. He is in charge of keeping track of rabies in the district. The disease is spreading dangerously mostly because of three main animal groups : dogs, marmots and eagles. The trouble for Khasnan is that he is very fond of eagles. He has already trained six of them for hunting. We follow them for a day or two.

3. Between Eagle and Crescent

May 23, 2018

Astride the Polish-Bielorussian border, wooden mosques overhang two small Tatar villages. Built by muslim Tatars who settled in the region at the end of the 17th century, their origins are older and come from Poland invasion by Genghis Khan's hordes in 1241. Even if the contemporary Tatars have been assimilated into the Polish population they still try to preserve some of their traditions.

2. I wish I were a Shaman

May 23, 2018

Mr Zhu is a Qiang, one of the oldest minorities in China. A few years back the young Zhu had decided to leave the hills of northern Sichuan to get a better education. A few years later, Zhu was appointed as the Director of Tourism in his own canton. He still has the will to understand and preserve the traditions of his people.

1. Red, Yellow and Black

May 23, 2018

Old Katohara is one of the last surviving "Tousseuh", a title that used to be given by ancient Mandchu emperors to the governor of a province. Katohara remembers his past and the past of his people, the Yis. The Yis are a minority of Caucasian origin: farmers and cattle breeders nowadays, the Yis live in the remote area of the Lian-chan mountains of Sichuan in the southwest of China.

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Where to Watch Endangered Civilizations

Endangered Civilizations is available for streaming on the Total Content Digital website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Endangered Civilizations on demand at Amazon.