The Truth Behind The Tribe
Not much contact has been made with them, however there was contact in the Mid-1900s. At that time five missionaries tried to contact them, and they tried to change their ways. The Waorani tribe did not appreciate them coming in their home land, telling them their ways were savage, and trying to convert their beliefs. They recoiled and killed the missionaries, because they did not appreciate what the missionaries tried to do. This does not reflect the actions of the Waorani. The Waorani are a peaceful and happy tribe, and they are not violent or very aggressive warriors.
They like visitors as much as the next tribe, but they like to know them before they come visiting. They do not like it when people try to change their ways of life, but other than that they gladly accept visitors. Few people visited, and they did not bring a negative impact to the tribe, so the tribe did not attack, but accepted them and treated them like friends. This reflects the tribe and their ways. They are not savages, and they do not act the way people think they do.
In conclusion, the tribe is far from savage and aggressive. They do accept new people, ideas, and concepts as long as they do not pose a threat to their beliefs and ways of life. They may not know it, but they accept one of the most important ethical rules, and that is, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Even though one might be different from yours, you should still respect it." They do exactly that, and it is just up to you to follow that.
After looking past the rumors of their violent actions, the Waorani tribe have a rich culture! Their main source of entertainment is chanting and dancing. At night, they enjoy singing songs together. During the palm season, people of the tribe travel to different parts of the forest to sing, and dance. They decorate themselves with bright feathers, and paint their bodies with natural dyes. Not only do they have a rich culture; but they also have a religion, pertaining clues as to what they believe will happen to a person after death. The Waorani Tribe believe that after death, the spirit that resides in the brain ascends into the heavens, and they will live someplace similar to heaven. They calm themselves with spiritual mantras, and perform breathing exercises. In fact, in an article by BBC News, a British woman named Karen Morris-Lanz went to visit the Waorani Tribe for a relaxing visit. In the article, she quotes, "I will fight with the Waorani to save their land... my friends need their home." (If you want to read this article, check out our LINKS page.)
In conclusion, the Waorani tribal people are just people that enjoy living a simple, focused, and nature-based life. Yes, we understand that oil is needed urgently... but is the matter so urgent that we should go to such extreme resorts as to taking lives and homes? The oil-drilling doesn't only affect the Waorani Tribe, it also affects many species that are endangered. But the real question is... is there anything we can really do about it?