The Huaorani
Oil, Rainforests and Indigenous Cultures
Huaorani Bio
 The Huaorani have long inhabited the headwaters
of the Amazon, living as nomadic hunters and
gatherers with no outside contact until the end of
the 1950s, and at least one clan continues to shun all
contact with the outside world. According to their
folklore, they migrated to this area a long time ago
to escape from cannibals. The Huaorani speak a
language unrelated to any other; their name means
"the people", while everyone else is cowore, or "nonhuman" (that's you).
Contact
 In 1955, Christian missionaries launched “Operation Auca”
with the goal of making contact with the Huaorani. In 1956,
five of these missionaries were killed by Huaroani warriors.
The sister of one of the missionaries, Nate Saint, eventually
made contact and managed to convert a number of natives.
 At this time their territory extended from the Napo River in
the north to the Curaray River in the south.
 After the missionaries, the oil companies came looking for
new reserves as the global demand for fossil fuels increased.
The Huaorani live on top of one of Ecuador's largest oil
deposits and since its discovery have been forced to deal with
the presence of oil companies and other outsiders on the land
they have called home for at least a thousand years.
Today
 Numbering approximately 2,400 individuals, the
Huaorani maintain a largely traditional lifestyle living
directly in and from the rainforest. Nowadays, their
territory - some 680,000 ha/1.7 million acres -- is only
about one third the size of their traditional land, and
they have no oil or mineral rights. The first official
Huaorani protectorate was created in 1983, and the
current much larger Huaorani Ethnic Reserve was
established in 1990, at which time they formed the
Organización de Nacionalidad Huaorani de la Amazonía
Ecuatoriana (ONHAE) to defend their interests, and in
2007 changed the name to Nacionalidad Waorani del
Ecuador (NAWE). (www.huaorani.com)
 Video
 Read “Creating Huaorani Discourses on Tourism”
 Introduce National Debate on Development of
Huaorani Land
Ecuadorian National Debate
 Time: Now
 Place: The Oriente (The rainforests of Eastern Ecuador)
 Roles:
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Ecuadorian President (Dahl)
Huaorani Indians
Maxus Oil Company
“Colonialists”/Workers
Evangelical Missionaries
Ecuadorian Environmentalists
Questions for the Debate
1. Should the Maxus Oil Co. be allowed to explore
for oil, build roads, oil wells and pipelines on
Huaorani land in the Oriente? Why or why not?
2. If not, what alternative do you have to develop
Ecuador and the Oriente?
3. Should the government and the missionaries build
schools to civilize the Huaorani? Why or why not?
Pre-Debate Tasks
 Read over our role with your group. Identify how your
group feels about the rainforest development.
 Write an interior monologue from the perspective of the
group that you are representing. Each person should
write their own, share with their group, then choose one
(or parts of more than one) to share with the class.
 Consider;
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Who are you?
What do you fear?
What do you hope for?
What experiences made you who you are?
What is the world like that you live in?
During The Debate
 President’s Address (Dahl)
 Questions and Comments on the President’s Statement
 Group discussion – arrive at tentative answers to the
questions on development
 Negotiations – groups will have time to negotiate with
other groups and build alliances
 Presentations of each group’s stand on the development
of the Oriente and debate
Post Debate Discussion
Questions
1. Why would the government of Ecuador even
consider opening up such an ecologically sensitive
region to oil development?
2. There are only about 2,400 indigenous people
living in the Oriente. In her statement, the
President said that it was selfish for them to deny
access to oil to the rest of the country and the
development it could bring. Do you agree?
3. Are the Huaorani holding up progress? Is it in
their best interest to become “civilized”? Explain.
4. What are your thoughts about the work the
missionaries were doing with the Huaorani?
5. Since the Maxus Oil Co. was just trying to make a
profit from selling the oil we use everyday, could it
be argued that Maxus isn’t the problem, but the
consumer is?
6. Many argue that without the capital that oil
companies like Maxus bring into developing
countries like Ecuador, they would never develop.
What alternatives to development can you think
of?
7. What kinds of changes need to happen in North
America and other “developed” countries so that
the Huaorani and people like them can live more
secure lives?
Writing Task
 After the debate, you must complete a written
component. It must include:
 Your Interior Monologue
 A Reflection that discusses;
 Your group’s answers to the questions for national debate
 Your personal opinion on the questions and
recommendations for what you think should be done about
the issue
 Speculation about what will happen to the Huaorani in the
future
 Other observations and reflections on the debate or follow up
discussion
References
 Biography information from www.huaorani.com
 Photos from www.uncontacted.com
 Role play from Bigelow, B. and B. Peterson. (2002).
Rethinking Globalization. Rethinking Schools Press:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. p. 268 - 279.