Traditional Huaorani Culture and Acculturation

Abstract

Traditional Huaorani Culture and Acculturation The Huaorani culture has undergone many changes since full contact with the Western culture was made in 1958. It is therefore extremely difficult to evaluate the characteristics of the ethnic group’s traditions prior to these changes, especially taking into account the hundreds or even thousands of years for the traditions to form. Modern research enables the assessment of the remains of these practices. However, as the whole culture has changed so rapidly, everything needs to be accounted for with caution and a bit of doubt (even if the information comes from the elderly of a given society, who still remember the times and ways of life prior to contact with the Western culture). Oral cultures adapt their unwritten stories to modern times and it is impossible to distinguish which elements are remnants of old traditions and which are subconsciously added in recent times. All data used in the following descriptions were triangulated, although as it will be pointed out later, reports concerning some elements of culture vary from one another. This is most probably due to the fact that most researchers focus their studies on only one of the Huaorani groups. It is a reasonable approach, since to form a rapport with the members of the group, one needs to gain their trust and live and work with the community.