The Waorani of Ecuador’s Amazon live in deep connection with their ancestral forest, where daily life is shaped by rivers, dense vegetation, and generations of knowledge. This bond is increasingly threatened by oil drilling, deforestation, and industrial expansion. Wildlife is retreating, and daily life is shifting as the nearest oil well lies just 22 kilometers away. Despite this, the Waorani continue to resist, defending both their culture and one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. Their struggle reflects not only their survival, but the future of the rainforest itself.
