Under Papua New Guinea's constitution, tribes like the Maisin are legal owners of their traditional lands.
CNN: Rainforest tribe takes battle with developers to court
Within the forest's canopy, the Maisin clear patches for their crops and hunt wild animals for meat.
The Maisin say they never signed away their land and that the lease is invalid, with inadequate signatures.
But if the Maisin win this case, more tribes might follow their example and take other struggles to court.
The Maisin convinced the Papua New Guinea courts to stop the project until there is a final decision on the case.
The Maisin won the latest round in court, but the final outcome of their lawsuit could be months away -- and they have almost exhausted the money they raised to pay their legal costs.
The Maisin are not categorically against economic development.
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