CBC The Nature of Things - The Adventurers (2008) Part 1 The Last Nomads

There are cultures all over the world that are on the brink of disappearing. The intriguing four-part series The Adventurers is about maverick explorers searching for vanishing populations, lost cultures and hidden cities - proving that there are people and places out there that the rest of us are barely aware of. Andrew Gregg, director, writer and producer of all four episodes of The Adventurers, explains the genesis of the series “Cultures all over the world are on the brink of disappearing,” Gregg says. “We started out wanting to profile Ian Mackenzie and his work with the Penan of Borneo and then we were drawn to other scientists who have been working to resurrect the stories of lost peoples. It was an amazing experience and I think that shows up in the films. They are filled with exotic adventure and incredible discoveries.” The series was shot in Borneo, Polynesia, Egypt and Mexico, following scientists as they make new discoveries in the field.

Part 1 The Last Nomads

Linguist Ian Mackenzie has tracked the last true nomadic hunting and gathering people on earth - the Penan of Borneo. Their way of life is quickly disappearing as aggressive logging interests swallow up their forest habitat. Mackenzie has spent years compiling the very first dictionary of the unique Penan language - a language that has words for every forest plant and creature, a language that is a window into an entirely different way of seeing the world. It is also a language on the edge of disappearing. A beautiful, but heart-breaking look at a very singular people on the brink of obliteration.

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