Attractions

Huaorani Territory

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Ethnic Tribal Reserve for threatened Amazon indigenous tribal community.

Official Huaorani Territory lies to the east of Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon (Oriente). Of Ecuador’s indigenous groups, the Huaorani have the least densely populated territory, numbering approximately 2,400 individuals.

Their territory traditionally extended all the way from the Napo River in the North (which you will see from the town of Coca when you depart) to the Curary River in the South. 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 Huaorani maintain a largely traditional lifestyle living directly in and from the rainforest and remained without contact with ‘modern civilisation’ until the 1950s, when oil companies and missionaries began to move into these areas.

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).

Still under threat from outside influences, some Huaorani communities continue to shun contact with outside world and can be hostile to uninvited visitors. Others have been tempted into joining the work of the oil companies and a few are trying to maintain their traditions, culture and homelands by developing small projects to allow visitors to come and spend time with the people here, leaning about their way of life and modern day threats to their livelihoods.

One of these is the small Huaorani Eco Lodge in Quo’Queri, on the banks of the Shiripuno River, which is a truly incredible project owned and operated by the community, where profits go directly to the Huaorani people (click here for more information). For the sake of this threatened indigenous group, visitors should beware of unscrupulous operators who do not work with the local people.