PDF Summary:We Will Be Jaguars, by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson

The Waorani people of the Amazon have faced centuries of threats from outsiders—missionaries who tried to change their spiritual beliefs, petroleum companies that contaminate their lands, and governments that sell their territory without consent. In We Will Be Jaguars, Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson explore how the Waorani maintain their cultural identity while adapting to modern challenges.

You'll learn about Waorani spiritual practices and daily life, including their belief that they become jaguar spirits after death. The authors explain how the Waorani are using technology, legal systems, and alliances with other Indigenous groups to protect their lands and way of life—mapping their territory with drones and GPS, fighting back in court, and learning to navigate systems designed to displace them.

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To elaborate, we will consider the meaning of "cowori" and how outsider influence can be harmful.

Defining "Outsiders" (Cowori)

First, Nenquimo and Anderson introduce "cowori," a term in the Waorani language that they use to describe outsiders, especially white individuals.

(Shortform note: In Huaorani Transformations in Twenty-First-Century Ecuador, anthropologist Laura Rival explains that “cowori” is a stance-word, meaning that it’s used to take a stance toward a particular person or group. When Waorani people use the word, they’re not just describing someone as non-Waorani.)

The Harmful Impacts of Outsider Influence

Currently, the authors explain that outsider influence can disrupt traditional beliefs and practices. For instance, missionaries introduced Christianity to the Huaorani, leading to a clash between traditional beliefs and the new religion. The Waorani struggled to reconcile the concept of sin with their understanding of the natural world. The missionaries' teachings about gender roles also conflicted with the Waorani's more egalitarian views. The Waorani questioned these teachings, especially when they experienced tragedies that didn't align with the idea of a benevolent God.

(Shortform note: The religious ideas that clashed with Waorani understandings were shaped by a broader intellectual current in Christian thought. Many missionaries were influenced by the “civilizing mission” perspective, which held that Euro-American moral and social norms were a universal standard by which to judge other peoples’ ways of life.)

Challenges for the Waorani People and the Fight for Survival

To face these challenges, Nenquimo and Anderson explain that the Waorani are forming alliances with other Indigenous groups, including the Cofán, Secoya, and Zápara. These alliances allow them to learn from and support each other, using cowori methods to defend their lands and culture.

(Shortform note: Relying on cowori methods to face these challenges may pose risks for the Waorani and their allies. In Red Skin, White Masks, Glen Sean Coulthard argues that Indigenous peoples’ reliance on cowori institutions and frameworks can entrench them in asymmetrical relationships, where their survival depends on cowori approval.)

To understand these challenges, we will discuss the external threats to Waorani land and wellbeing, and their strategies for self-determination.

External Threats to Waorani Lands and Wellbeing

To begin with, Nenquimo and Anderson highlight that petroleum firms and timber harvesters are intruding on Waorani territory. These companies are contaminating the water supply and giving weapons to the Waorani so they fight their uncontacted relatives. The state is selling Waorani land to oil companies without their consent.

(Shortform note: Researchers often use the concept of “extractivism” to analyze situations like this. In Latin American political ecology, extractivism refers to the large-scale removal of natural resources for export, often with little regard for environmental or social impacts.)

Next, Nenquimo and Anderson reiterate that the authorities are selling Waorani land without their consent. In response, the Waorani are fighting back in court, arguing that they misunderstood what they were signing when they allowed the government to sell their land. They have territorial maps demonstrating their ties to it.

(Shortform note: The Waorani’s legal argument is based on the idea of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), which is a legal doctrine that’s gaining traction in international law. FPIC requires that Indigenous people be fully informed about any projects that will affect their land and that they give their consent before those projects begin.)

Waorani Resistance and Strategies for Self-Determination

Tools and Tactics of Resistance

Continuing on, Nenquimo and Anderson describe how the Ceibo Alliance uses technology and maps to safeguard their land. This coalition of Indigenous groups in the Amazon equips their villages with solar energy and plumbing systems. They also use aerial vehicles, photographic surveillance, and global positioning systems to catch invaders and map their territory, demonstrating its depth and complexity.

(Shortform note: While the Ceibo Alliance’s use of technology to safeguard their land is commendable, it’s important to note that these tools can also be used against them. In Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Tahu Kukutai and John Taylor argue that when governments, researchers, or private companies control data about Indigenous peoples and their territories, it can lead to increased monitoring and intervention.)

In addition, Nenquimo and Anderson explain that the Waorani people learn to employ the legal system to defend their rights. They use technology to map their land and document their understanding of the wilderness, as well as learning about the legal system and how to use it to defend their rights.

(Shortform note: Learning to employ the legal system can be a double-edged sword for the Waorani. For example, Joel Wainwright and Joe Bryan argue that the production of maps for indigenous land claims does not stand outside the history of imperial cartography.)