Spirit of the Huaorani – Photographs by Pete Oxford

“In the end, we will conserve that which we love. We will love that which we understand. And we will understand that which we are taught.”

These words, spoken by Baba Dioum, a Huaorani Indian from Ecuador, reveals his community’s deeply held holistic view of the world. The Huaorani (pronounced wow-raan-ee and means ‘people’ ) live deep in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, but an ever expanding world driven by short term gain has threatened their very existence. Ecuador is a large oil exporter and the Huaorani’s ancestral land holds vast quantities of oil, but they have no rights to the riches beneath their territory.

Photographer Pete Oxford has lived with and documented this intriguing community. He discovers the secrets to their sustainable living, while learning about their unusual diet and cultural rituals. This community of people, rarely glimpsed by outsiders, is presented here in a fascinating and beautifully photographed portfolio which culminated in the recent publication of his book, Spirit of the Huaorani.