Hence, at just 24 years old, Eliana has already faced down government agencies, corporate interests, and the daunting task of preserving an oral history that dates back centuries.
As the coordinator for Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli (Akwoa), she is part of a new generation of indigenous leaders who believe that the camera is as powerful a tool as the law.
For Eliana, the path to activism was not a choice but a necessity born out of a crisis.
In 2020, while she was finishing her diploma in accountancy at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus in Jengka, her home of Kampung Petoh in Pahang was threatened by a massive industrial project.
The proposal, framed as...