Cocopah fishermen struggle to defend their right to fish in their historic territory. Against them, environmental laws -including the creation of a Biosphere Reserve- have restricted their right to exploit resources in their territory since 1993. Cocopah women play an important role in organizing and leading the cocopah movement that reclaim the recognition of their rights, including their right fish as an activity for survival for contemporary Cocopah families. Here I describe the Cocopah fishing practice, the restrictions imposed to it, and a general overview about the collaborative research that has generated the information that is presented in the following pages.
Cocopah; collaborative filmmaking; collaborative research; fishing