VISITS TO LAND WAORANI

We live as our ancestors did. Transient agriculture forms part of our culture but we still preserve our nomadism, continue to hunt, fish and gather fruit in the jungle, together with medicinal plants.

Our men are characterized as being very strong warriors, skilled in the use of the lance and blow gun. The women, on the other hand, are skilled craftswomen.

We have various festivals, for example, festival of chicha (indigenous drink), festival of chontadura (fruit of the chonta tree -- a kind of palm), festival of platano (similar to bananas), during which many people from the community and acquaintances from other communities are invited. The festivals can extend a number of days or until the particular products are gone.

Starting in puberty, the grandparents are in charge of perforating the earlobes of young people with a piece of chonta wood, one or two years before their weddings. In this way a young person starts to occupy a new social position in the group and begins to go with his father to learn the secrets of the jungle and how to be a good hunter and a good warrior.

Language

We speak Wao Tededo, a language that linguistic studies have confirmed has no connection with other South American linguistic families. Now we have our first Wao Tededo – Spanish dictionary (Editor Abya Yala, 2008).

Since it’s an oral language, there are different ways to write the words of Wao Tededo. For example, some people write Toņampare whereas other people write Toņampade . Some people use Q to write "Quihuaro" while others people use K (Kiwaro).

Similarly, we used to write Huaorani , but now we write Waorani .

Some important words and phrases are:

Very good: Waa impa Yes: Ao No: Ba Whatīs happening?: Kino kevi What do you want?: Kinante ami What is it?: Kino in Man: Ongiņenga Woman: Onkiñenga

Boy: Winenga Girl: Ongiñenga You: Bito He: Inga She: Tomenga You: Minito We: Monito