Mountains of Gold: The People of Porgera (1995)

• 65%
• 1995
• Documentary
• John Davis

Description: Mountains of Gold is a unique chronicle of a nomadic, hunter gatherer society undergoing the profound change to a money economy over a ten-year period. This tribe was first discovered by Australian explorers in 1938. Original footage shows the people's amazement at seeing their "white ancestors" in their midst. Until 1984, when gold was discovered on their land, the Ipini's wealth was still being measured by how many wives and pigs they had. When they decided to sell their land to the goldmining company, their way of life would change forever. The mining company began the long and arduous process of bargaining with the Ipini who were surprisingly skilled negotiators.