An Unprecedented Win for Indigenous People of Ecuador

Earlier this year marked a monumental event for Ecuador. It was the first time in history that one of the indigenous tribes, the Waorani Tribe, won a legal fight against oil companies to stop oil companies from destroying their homes and the natural ecosystem by drilling into their land for the abundant oil within the earth. As I have learned recently while traveling through the country, there have been laws protecting the tribal land; however, the government’s greed and desire to relieve themselves of international debt has allowed for oil companies to violate and drill into the land. This fight was for the indigenous people’s past and future as the protection of these lands will allow for the continuation of the many tribes that inhabit the Amazon rainforest. This victory has drawn attention to the thousands of acres neighboring the Waorani tribe as they were all faced with the same issue of oil auctions. The oil auctions were the process of auctioning off indigenous land to oil companies for drilling. While the oil is helpful to the Ecuadorian economy, many of the country’s own residents believe it to be dishonest and help to fight against it. To attain victory, the Waorani tribe started and utilized a global digital campaign to warn the government that their land is not for sale. This campaign gained the support of over 340,000 people from all around the world as well as the public support of many celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo. It was an amazing experience to be able to learn from residents in Ecuador about their personal opinions on the topic of oil drilling.