COCA, Ecuador – El Auca Hotel was founded in 1971 when this fast-growing town was a remote jungle outpost. The landmark hotel is adorned with portraits and sculptures of Ecuador’s famous warriors, the Aucas, which means “savages.” The term is an insult to the Huaorani indigenous people, but it endures in Ecuador, where Spanish priest … Read more
SHUSHUFINDI RIVER, Ecuador – When Nemonte Mipo was 12 or 13 years old, a village elder told her it was time to pierce her ears. “You’ll remember this when I die,” the Huaorani elder told her. Then several women grabbed Mipo and jammed a sharp wooden spine into one ear lobe, then the other. “It … Read more
QUITO, Ecuador – Amazonian nomads who have roamed the Ecuadorian rainforest for centuries are losing their battle against the outside world. Dozens of Tagaeri and Taromenane, clans of the Huaorani indigenous people, have been murdered in territorial clashes and revenge killings since 2003. Indigenous rights activists fear more bloodshed is likely as Ecuador intensifies oil … Read more
