The Huaorani

1. The Huaorani Oil, Rainforests and Indigenous Cultures

2. 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 "non-human" (that's you).

6. 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.

12. 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)

14. Video • Read “Creating Huaorani Discourses on Tourism” • Introduce National Debate on Development of Huaorani Land

15. Ecuadorian National Debate • Time: Now • Place: The Oriente (The rainforests of Eastern Ecuador) • Roles: • Ecuadorian President (Dahl) • Huaorani Indians • Maxus Oil Company • “Colonialists”/Workers • Evangelical Missionaries • Ecuadorian Environmentalists

16. Questions for the Debate • 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? • If not, what alternative do you have to develop Ecuador and the Oriente? • Should the government and the missionaries build schools to civilize the Huaorani? Why or why not?

17. 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; • 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?

18. 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

19. Post Debate Discussion Questions • Why would the government of Ecuador even consider opening up such an ecologically sensitive region to oil development? • 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?

20. Are the Huaorani holding up progress? Is it in their best interest to become “civilized”? Explain. • What are your thoughts about the work the missionaries were doing with the Huaorani? • 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?

21. 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? • 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?

22. 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

23. 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.