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Nate Saint's aircraft was discovered in 1994, buried in the sand along the Curaray River. The frame was reconstructed and is now on display at the headquarters of the Mission Aviation Fellowship in Nampa, Idaho.
Nate Saint's aircraft was discovered in 1994, buried in the sand along the Curaray River. The frame was reconstructed and is now on display at the headquarters of the Mission Aviation Fellowship in Nampa, Idaho. Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian Missionary organization whose primary purpose is to provide Air transportation in support of missionary efforts For other things named "Nampa" see Nampa. Nampa (ˈnæmpə is the largest city in Canyon County, Idaho, United The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America.

Operation Auca was an attempt by five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States to make contact with the Huaorani people of the rainforest of Ecuador. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Huaorani, Waorani, or Waos are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador (in the Oriente region with some marked differences The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. The Huaorani, also known as the Aucas (the Quechua word for "naked savages"), were an isolated tribe known for their violence, against both their own people and outsiders who entered their territory. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. With the intention of being the first Protestants to evangelize the previously unreached Huaorani, the missionaries began making regular flights over Huaorani settlements in September 1955, dropping gifts. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Evangelism is the Christian practice of proselytisation. The intention of most evangelism is to effect Eternal salvation to those who do not follow the " Unreached people group " is a term used most frequently among Evangelical Christians to refer to any ethnic or linguistically distinct culture that does not After several months of exchanging gifts, on January 2, 1956 the missionaries established a camp at "Palm Beach", a sandbar along the Curaray River, a few miles from Huaorani settlements. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, The Curaray River (also called the Ewenguno River or Rio Curaray) is a river in eastern Ecuador and is part of the Amazon River basin Their efforts came to an end on January 8, 1956, when all five—Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian—were attacked and speared by a group of Huaorani warriors. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Philip James Elliot ( October 8, 1927 &ndash January 8, 1956) was an evangelical Christian Missionary to "Nate" Saint ( August 30, 1923 &ndash January 8, 1956) was an evangelical Christian Missionary Edward "Ed" McCully (1927 &ndash 1956 was an evangelical Christian Missionary to Ecuador who along with four other missionaries Peter Sillence Fleming (1928-1956 was an evangelical Christian Missionary to Ecuador who along with four others was Roger Youderian of Armenian descent ( January 21, 1924 &ndash January 8, 1956) was an evangelical Christian This is an article about a particle accelerator For uses of spear, see Spear or Spear (disambiguation. The news of their deaths was broadcast around the world, and Life magazine covered the event with a photo essay.

The deaths of the men galvanized the missionary effort in the United States, sparking an outpouring of funding for evangelization efforts around the world. Their work is still frequently remembered in evangelical publications, and in 2006 was the subject of the film production End of the Spear. This article is about the film For the book of the same name see ''End of the Spear'' (book. Several years after the death of the men, the widow of Jim Elliot, Elisabeth, and the sister of Nate Saint, Rachel, returned to Ecuador as missionaries with the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL International) to live among the Huaorani. Elisabeth Elliot Gren (née Howard; born December 21, 1926) is a Christian Author and speaker Rachel Saint ( January 2, 1914 – November 11, 1994) was an evangelical Christian Missionary from the United States who SIL International (the official name of what was originally the Summer Institute of Linguistics) is a worldwide U This eventually led to the conversion of many, including some of those involved in the killing. While largely eliminating tribal violence, their efforts exposed the tribe to exploitation and increased influence from the outside. This has caused Huaorani culture to begin to disappear, but anthropologists argue over the ultimate effect—some negatively view the missionary work as cultural imperialism, while others contend that the influence has been beneficial for the tribe. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting distinguishing separating or artificially injecting the Culture or language of one nation into another

Contents

Background

Part of a series on
Protestant
missions
to Latin America
Latin America

Background
Christianity
Protestantism
History of Central America
History of South America
The Roman Catholic Church and Colonialism
History of Christian missions

People
Ashbel Green Simonton
James Thompson
Allen Gardiner
Henry Pratt
Cyrus Scofield
Henry Grattan Guinness
William Cameron Townsend
Joy Ridderhof
Auca Martyrs
Rachel Saint
Chet Bitterman

Missionary agencies
South American Missionary Society
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Central American Mission
American Bible Society
TEAM
HCJB
Regions Beyond Missionary Union
Mission Aviation Fellowship

Latin American Protestants
Luis Palau
Mincaye

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The Huaorani

Main article: Huaorani

The Huaorani around the time of Operation Auca were a small tribe occupying the jungle of Eastern Ecuador between the Napo and Curaray Rivers, an area of approximately 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 mi²). Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. This is the History of Central America is the study of the past, particularly the written record, oral histories, and traditions, passed The History of South America is the study of the past, particularly the written record, oral histories, and traditions, passed down from During the Age of Discovery, the Roman Catholic Church inaugurated a major effort to spread Christianity in the New World and to convert the Native Americans This timeline of Christian missions chronicles the global expansion of Christianity through a sampling of missionary outreach events Ashbel Green Simonton (1833- December 9, 1867) was a North-American Presbyterian minister and missionary the first missionary to settle a Protestant Church in Allen Francis Gardiner (1794–1851 was a British Royal Navy officer and Missionary to Patagonia. Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (August 19 1843 - July 24 1921 was an American theologian, minister and Writer. Irish roots Guinness was born in Kingstown In Taney, Dublin, Ireland. William Cameron Townsend ( July 9, 1896 &ndash April 23, 1982) was a prominent Christian missionary whose ministry began in the early Joy Fanny Ridderhof ( 30 March 1903 in Minnesota - 19 December 1984 in Stanton, California) was an American Rachel Saint ( January 2, 1914 – November 11, 1994) was an evangelical Christian Missionary from the United States who Chet Bitterman (c 1953-1981 was an American linguist and Missionary who was kidnapped and killed by revolutionaries of the 19th of April The South American Missionary Society was founded at Brighton in 1844 as the Patagonian Mission. Wycliffe Bible Translators is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a translation of the Bible in every living language in the world especially for cultures with little The American Bible Society ( ABS) is a group founded in 1816, that publishes distributes and translates the Bible. The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM is an inter- denominational evangelical Christian Missionary organization founded by Fredrik Franson HCJB is the flagship station of one of the most popular and far-reaching international radio ministries in the world - HCJB Global The Regions Beyond Missionary Union was a Protestant Christian Missionary society founded by Henry Grattan Guinness in 1898 Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian Missionary organization whose primary purpose is to provide Air transportation in support of missionary efforts Luis Palau Jr (born November 27 1934) is an international Christian evangelist living in the Portland area in Oregon, Mincaye Enquedi (also Mincayi, Minkayi, or Mincayani; Huao for "Wasp") (born ca The Huaorani, Waorani, or Waos are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador (in the Oriente region with some marked differences The Huaorani, Waorani, or Waos are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador (in the Oriente region with some marked differences Ecuador is a country in western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, for which the country is named The Napo is a Tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the Volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua The Curaray River (also called the Ewenguno River or Rio Curaray) is a river in eastern Ecuador and is part of the Amazon River basin They numbered approximately 600 people, and were split into three groups, all mutually hostile—the Geketaidi, the Baïidi, and the Wepeidi. They lived on the gathering and cultivation of plant foods like manioc and plantains, as well as fishing and hunting with spear and blowgun. The cassava, yuca, manioc, or mandioca ( Manihot esculenta) is a woody Shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family native The plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking in contrast to the soft sweet Banana (which is sometimes called the "Blowpipe" and "blow tube" redirect here For other uses of the terms see Glassblowing A blowgun (also called a blowpipe or Family units consisted of a man and his wife or wives, their unmarried sons, their married daughters and sons-in-law, and their grandchildren. All of them would reside in a longhouse, which was separated by several miles from another longhouse in which close relatives lived. In Archaeology and Anthropology, a long house or longhouse is a type of long narrow single-room building built by peoples in various parts of the world Marriage was always endogamous and typically between cousins, and arranged by the parents of the young people. Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group. Cultures who practice endogamy require marriage between specified social groups classes or ethnicities Inbreeding is breeding between close Relatives whether plant or animal Arranged marriage (also called prearranged marriage) is a Marriage arranged by someone other than the persons getting married curtailing or avoiding the process [1]

Before their first peaceful contact with outsiders (cowodi) in 1958, the Huaorani fiercely defended their territory. Viewing all cowodi as cannibalistic predators, they killed rubber tappers around the turn of the 20th century and Shell Oil Company employees during the 1940s, in addition to any lowland Quechua or other outsiders who encroached on their land. Cannibalism (from Spanish es ''caníbal'' in connection with cannibalism among the Antillean Caribs, also called anthropophagy (from Greek ἄνθρωπος Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known simply as Shell, is a multinational oil company of Dutch and British origins Quechuas is the term used for several ethnic groups in South America that use a Quechua language ( Southern Quechua mainly belonging to several ethnic [2] Furthermore, they were prone to internal violence, often engaging in vengeance killing of other Huaorani. Raids were carried out in extreme anger by groups of men who attacked their victims' longhouse by night and then fled. Attempts to build truces through gifts and exchange of spouses became more frequent as their numbers decreased and the tribes fragmented, but the cycle of violence continued. [3]

The missionaries

Jim Elliot first heard of the Huaorani in 1950 from a former missionary to Ecuador, and soon concluded that God was calling him to Ecuador to evangelize the Huaorani. He began corresponding with his friend Pete Fleming about his desire to minister in Ecuador, and in 1952 the two men set sail for Guayaquil as missionaries with the Plymouth Brethren. Guayaquil (waʝaˈkil officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest and the most populous City in Ecuador, as well as that nation's main port The Plymouth Brethren is a Conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland [4][5] For six months they lived in Quito with the goal of learning Spanish. Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the Capital of Ecuador in northwestern South America. They then moved to Shandia, a Quechua mission station deep in the Ecuadorian jungle. Shandia (pronounced SHAN-dya) is a town located in the rainforest of eastern Ecuador. A religious Mission or Mission station is a location for Missionary work There they worked under the supervision of a Mission Aviation Fellowship missionary, Wilfred Tidmarsh, and began exposing themselves to the culture and studying the Quechua language. Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian Missionary organization whose primary purpose is to provide Air transportation in support of missionary efforts Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. [6][5]

Another team member was Ed McCully, a man Jim Elliot had met and befriended while both attended Wheaton College. Wheaton College is a private Evangelical Protestant, Coeducational Liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a Suburb Following graduation, he married Marilou Hobolth and enrolled in a one-year basic medical treatment program at the School of Missionary Medicine in Los Angeles. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West On December 10, 1952, McCully moved to Quito with his family as a Plymouth Brethren missionary, planning to soon join Elliot and Fleming in Shandia. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1953, however, the station in Shandia was wiped out by a flood, delaying their move until September of that year. [7][5]

The team's pilot, Nate Saint, had served in the military during World War II, receiving flight training as a member of the Army Air Corps. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC was the predecessor of the U [8] After being discharged in 1946, he too studied at Wheaton College, but quit after a year and joined the Mission Aviation Fellowship in 1948. He and his wife Marj traveled to Ecuador by the end of the year, and they settled at MAF headquarters in Shell Mera. Shell Mera (also Shell, La Shell, or Shell-Mera) is a town located in the eastern foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes about 94 miles Shortly after his arrival, Saint began transporting supplies and equipment to missionaries spread throughout the jungle. This work ultimately led to his meeting the other four missionaries, who he joined in Operation Auca. [9]

Also on the team was Roger Youderian, a 32-year-old missionary who had been working in Ecuador since 1953. Under the mission board Gospel Missionary Union, he and his wife Barbara and daughter Beth settled in Macuma, a mission station in the southern jungle of Ecuador. There, he and his wife ministered to the Shuar people, learning their language and transcribing it. Shuar, in the Shuar language, means " People." The people who speak the Shuar language live in Tropical rainforest between the upper mountains [10] After working with them for about a year, Youderian and his family began ministering to a tribe related to the Shuar, the Achuar people. He worked with Nate Saint to provide important medical supplies; but after a period of attempting to build relationships with them, he failed to see any positive effect and, growing depressed, considered returning to the United States. However, during this time Saint approached him about joining their team to meet the Huaorani, and he assented. [11]

Initial contact

Map denoting key locations in Operation Auca
Map denoting key locations in Operation Auca

The first stage of Operation Auca began in September 1955. Saint, McCully, Elliot, and fellow missionary Johnny Keenan decided to initiate contact with the Huaorani and began periodically searching for them by air. By the end of the month, they had identified several clearings in the jungle. Meanwhile, Elliot learned several phrases in the language of the Huaorani from Dayuma, a young Huaorani woman who had left her society and become friends with Rachel Saint, a missionary and the sister of Nate Saint. Rachel Saint ( January 2, 1914 – November 11, 1994) was an evangelical Christian Missionary from the United States who The missionaries hoped that by regularly giving gifts to the Huaorani and attempting to communicate with them in their language, they would be able to win them over as friends. [12]

Because of the difficulty and risk of meeting the Huaorani on the ground, the missionaries chose to drop gifts to the Huaorani by fixed-wing aircraft. Their drop technique, developed by Nate Saint, involved flying around the drop location in tight circles while lowering the gift from the plane on a rope. This kept the bundle in roughly the same position as it approached the ground. On October 6, 1955, Saint made the first drop, releasing a small kettle containing buttons and rock salt. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) In Clothing and Fashion design, a button is a small plastic or metal disc- or knob-shaped typically round object usually attached to an article of Clothing Halite is the Mineral form of Sodium chloride, Na[[chlorine Cl]] commonly known as rock salt. The gift-giving continued during the following weeks, with the missionaries dropping machetes, ribbons, clothing, pots, and various trinkets. The machete (məˈʃɛti is a large cleaver -like cutting tool [13]

After several visits to the Auca village, which the missionaries called "Terminal City", they observed that the Huaorani seemed excited to receive their gifts. Encouraged, they began using a loudspeaker to shout simple Huaorani phrases as they circled. After several more drops, in November the Huaorani began tying gifts for the missionaries to the line after removing the gifts the missionaries gave them. The men took this as a gesture of friendliness and developed plans for meeting the Huaorani on the ground. Saint soon identified a 200-yard (180 m) sandbar along the Curaray River about 4. The Curaray River (also called the Ewenguno River or Rio Curaray) is a river in eastern Ecuador and is part of the Amazon River basin 5 miles (7 km) from Terminal City that could serve as a runway and camp site, and dubbed it "Palm Beach". [14]

Palm Beach

The Curaray River
The Curaray River

At this point, Pete Fleming had still not decided to participate in the operation, and Roger Youderian was still working in the jungle farther south. The Curaray River (also called the Ewenguno River or Rio Curaray) is a river in eastern Ecuador and is part of the Amazon River basin On December 23, the Flemings, Saints, Elliots and McCullys together hatched a plan to land at Palm Beach and build a camp on January 3, 1956. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They agreed to take weapons, but decided that they would only be used to fire into the air to scare the Huaorani if they attacked. They built a sort of tree house that could be assembled upon arrival, and collected gifts, first aid equipment, and language notes. Tree houses, treehouses, or tree forts, are buildings constructed among the Branches around or next to the trunk of one or more mature First aid is the provision of initial care for an Illness or Injury. [15]

By January 2, Youderian had arrived and Fleming had confirmed his involvement, so the five met in Arajuno to prepare to leave the following day. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Arajuno (pronounced ar-a-HOO-no) is a jungle community in the Ecuadorian rainforest After minor mechanical trouble with the plane, Saint and McCully took off at 8:02 a. m. on January 3 and successfully landed on the sandy beach along the Curaray River. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The Curaray River (also called the Ewenguno River or Rio Curaray) is a river in eastern Ecuador and is part of the Amazon River basin Saint then flew Elliot and Youderian to the camp, and then made several more flights, carrying equipment. After the last delivery, he flew over a Huaorani settlement and, using a loudspeaker, told the Huaorani to visit the missionaries' camp. He then returned to Arajuno, and the next day, he and Fleming flew out to Palm Beach. Arajuno (pronounced ar-a-HOO-no) is a jungle community in the Ecuadorian rainforest [16]

First visit

On January 6, after the Americans had spent several days of waiting and shouting basic Huaorani phrases into the jungle, the first Huaorani visitors arrived. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King A young man and two women emerged on the opposite river bank around 11:15 a. m. , and soon joined the missionaries at their encampment. [17] The younger of the two women had come against the wishes of her family, and the man, named Nankiwi, who was romantically interested in her, followed. This list contains members of the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador who are known for their connection with events surrounding Operation Auca The older woman (about thirty years old) acted as a self-appointed chaperone. [18] The men gave them several gifts, including a model plane, and the visitors soon relaxed and began conversing freely, apparently not realizing that the men's language skills were weak. Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary Aircraft, often scaled down versions of full size planes using materials such as balsa Nankiwi, who the missionaries nicknamed "George", showed interest in their aircraft, so Saint took off with him aboard. They first completed a circuit around the camp, but Nankiwi appeared eager for a second trip, so they flew toward Terminal City. Upon reaching a familiar clearing, Nankiwi recognized his neighbors, and leaning out of the plane, wildly waved and shouted to them. Later that afternoon, the younger woman became restless, and though the missionaries offered their visitors sleeping quarters, Nankiwi and the young woman left the beach with little explanation. The older woman apparently had more interest in conversing with the missionaries, and remained there most of the night. [19]

After seeing Nankiwi in the plane, a small group of Huaorani decided to make the trip to Palm Beach, and left the following morning, January 7. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental On the way, they encountered Nankiwi and the girl, returning unescorted. The girl's brother, Nampa, was furious at this, and to defuse the situation and divert attention from himself, Nankiwi claimed that the foreigners had attacked them on the beach, and in their haste to flee, they had been separated from their chaperone. This list contains members of the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador who are known for their connection with events surrounding Operation Auca Gikita, a senior member of the group whose experience with outsiders had taught him that they could not be trusted, recommended that they kill the foreigners. This list contains members of the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador who are known for their connection with events surrounding Operation Auca The return of the older woman and her account of the friendliness of the missionaries was not enough to dissuade them, and they soon continued toward the beach. [18]

The attack

On January 8 the missionaries waited, expecting a larger group of Huaorani to arrive sometime that afternoon, if only to get plane rides. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Saint made several trips over Huaorani settlements, and on the following morning he noted a group of Huaorani men traveling toward Palm Beach. He excitedly relayed this information to his wife over the radio at 12:30 p. m. , promising to make contact again at 4:30 p. m. [20]

The Huaorani arrived at Palm Beach around 3:00 p. m. , and in order to divide the foreigners before attacking them, they sent three women to the other side of the river. One, Dawa, remained hidden in the jungle, but the other two showed themselves. This list contains members of the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador who are known for their connection with events surrounding Operation Auca Two of the missionaries waded into the water to greet them, but were attacked from behind by Nampa. This list contains members of the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador who are known for their connection with events surrounding Operation Auca Apparently attempting to scare him, the first missionary to be speared drew his pistol and began firing. One of these shots mildly injured Dawa, still hidden, and another grazed the missionary's attacker after he was grabbed from behind by one of the women. [21] Accounts differ on the effect of that bullet. Missionaries interpreted the testimonies of Dawa and Dayuma to mean that Nampa was killed months later while hunting, but others, including missionary anthropologist James Yost, came to believe that his death was a result of the bullet wound. Rachel Saint did not accept this, holding that eyewitnesses supported her position, but researcher Laura Rival, a critic of the expedition, suggests that it is now commonly believed among Huaorani that Nampa died of the wound. [22][23] The other missionary in the river, before being speared, desperately reiterated friendly overtures and asked the Huaorani why they were killing them. Meanwhile, the other Huaorani warriors, led by Gikita, attacked the three missionaries still on the beach, killing all three before they had a chance to report the attack over the radio. They then threw the men's bodies and their belongings in the river, and ripped the fabric from their aircraft. They then returned to their village and, anticipating retribution, burned it to the ground and fled into the jungle. [21]

Searching for the missionaries

Not receiving word from Saint at 4:30 p. m. immediately caused his wife Marj to worry, but she did not tell anyone about the lack of communication until that evening. The next morning, January 9, Johnny Keenan flew to the camp site, and at 9:30 a. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. m. he reported via radio to the wives that the plane was stripped of its fabric and that the men were not there. The Commander in Chief of the Caribbean Command, Lieutenant General William K. A Unified Combatant Command ( UCC) is a United States joint military command composed of forces from two or more services has a broad and continuing mission Harrison, was contacted, and Quito-based radio station HCJB released a news bulletin saying that five men were missing in Huaorani territory. Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the Capital of Ecuador in northwestern South America. HCJB is the flagship station of one of the most popular and far-reaching international radio ministries in the world - HCJB Global Soon, aircraft from the United States Air Rescue Service in Panama were flying over the jungle, and a ground search party consisting of missionaries and military personnel was organized. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. The first two of the bodies were found on January 11, and on Thursday, Ed McCully's body was identified by a group of Quechua. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. They took his watch as evidence of the finding but did not move his body from its location on the bank of the Curaray. It later washed away, and two more bodies were found on January 12. Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople The searchers hoped that one of the unidentified bodies would be McCully, thinking that perhaps one of the men had escaped. However, on January 13, all four of the bodies found were positively identified and McCully's body was not among them, confirming that all five were dead. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks In the midst of a tropical storm, they were buried in a common grave at Palm Beach on January 14 by members of the ground search party. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. [24][25]

Aftermath

Life magazine covered the deaths of the men with a photo essay, including photographs by Cornell Capa and some taken by the five men before their deaths. Cornell Capa ( April 10 1918 - May 23 2008) was a Hungarian - American Photographer, member of Magnum The ensuing worldwide publicity gave several missionary organizations significant political power, especially in the United States and Latin America. Most notable among these was the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), the organization for which both Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint worked. SIL International (the official name of what was originally the Summer Institute of Linguistics) is a worldwide U Because of the martyrdom of her brother, Saint considered herself spiritually bonded to the Huaorani, believing that what she saw as his sacrifice for the Huaorani was symbolic of Christ's death for the salvation of humanity. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " In 1957, Saint and her Huaorani companion Dayuma toured across the United States and appeared on the television show This Is Your Life. This Is Your Life was a television documentary series hosted by its producer Ralph Edwards. The two also appeared in a Billy Graham crusade in New York City, contributing to Saint's increasing popularity among evangelical Christians and generating significant monetary donations for SIL. William Franklin Graham Jr KBE (born November 7 1918 better known as Billy Graham, is an evangelist and an Evangelical Christian The City of New York [26]

Saint and Elliot returned to Ecuador to work among the Huaorani, establishing a camp called Tihueno near a former Huaorani settlement. Rachel Saint and Dayuma became bonded in Huaorani eyes through their shared mourning and Rachel's adoption as a sister of the Dayuma, taking the name Nemo from the latter's deceased youngest sister. The first Huaorani to settle there were primarily women and children from a Huaorani group called the Guiquetairi, but in 1968 an enemy Huaorani band known as the Baihuari joined them. Elliot had returned to the United States in the early 1960s, so Saint and Dayuma worked to alleviate the resulting conflict. They succeeded in securing cohabitation of the two groups by overseeing numerous cross-band weddings, leading to an end of inter-clan warfare but obscuring the cultural identity of each group. [27]

Saint and Dayuma, in conjunction with SIL, negotiated the creation of an official Huaorani reservation in 1969, consolidating the Huaorani and consequently opening up the area to commerce and oil exploration. Hydrocarbon exploration (or oil and gas exploration) is the search by petroleum Geologists for Hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earth's surface By 1973, over 500 people lived in Tihueno, of which more than half had arrived in the previous six years. The settlement relied on missions aid from SIL, and as a Christian community set up by missionaries, all those living there were obliged to follow specific rules completely foreign to traditional Huaorani culture, most notably the prohibitions of killing and polygamy. The term polygamy (a Greek word meaning "the practice of multiple marriage" is used in related ways in Social anthropology, Sociobiology, and By the early 1970s, SIL began to question whether their impact on the Huaorani was positive, so they sent James Yost, a staff anthropologist, to assess the situation. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of He found extensive economic dependence and increasing cultural assimilation, and as a result, SIL ended its support of the settlement in 1976, leading to its disintegration and the dispersion of the Huaorani into the surrounding area. A region or society where several different groups are spontaneously assimilated is sometimes referred to as a Melting pot. SIL had hoped that the Huaorani would return to the isolation in which they had lived twenty years prior, but instead they sought out contact with the outside world, forming villages of which many have been recognized by the Ecuadorian government. [28][29]

Legacy

Conspiracy

In the book, "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" by John Perkins, (Page 141-143) he states that the Ecuadoran President accused SIL of working with US based oil companies in order to presuade the local tribes to deed over the rights to their lands to the oil companies for oil exploration. (No further data to support this claim)

Christian views

Among evangelical Christians, the five men are commonly considered martyrs and missionary heroes. The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom Books have been written about them by numerous biographers, most notably Elisabeth Elliot. Elisabeth Elliot Gren (née Howard; born December 21, 1926) is a Christian Author and speaker Anniversaries of their deaths have been accompanied by stories in major Christian publications,[30] and their story, as well as the subsequent acceptance of Christianity among the Huaorani, has been turned into several motion pictures. These include the documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor (featuring interviews with some of the Huaorani and surviving family members of the missionaries) and the 2006 dramatic production End of the Spear, which grossed over $12 million. This article is about the film For the book of the same name see ''End of the Spear'' (book. [31] Even so, Christians have noted with concern the disintegration of traditional Huaorani culture and westernization of the tribe, beginning with Nate Saint's own journal entry in 1955 and continuing through today. Westernization or occidentalization (from occident, see wiktionary) is a process whereby societies come under or adopt the Western However, many continue to view as positive both Operation Auca and the subsequent missionary efforts of Rachel Saint, mission organizations such as Mission Aviation Fellowship, Wycliffe Bible Translators, HCJB World Radio, Avant Ministries (formerly Gospel Missionary Union), and others. Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian Missionary organization whose primary purpose is to provide Air transportation in support of missionary efforts Wycliffe Bible Translators is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a translation of the Bible in every living language in the world especially for cultures with little HCJB is the flagship station of one of the most popular and far-reaching international radio ministries in the world - HCJB Global Specifically, they note the decline in violence among tribe members, numerous conversions to Christianity, and growth of the local church. [32][33]

Anthropologist views

Anthropologists generally have less favorable views of the missionary work begun by Operation Auca, viewing the intervention as the cause for the recent and widely recognized decline of Huaorani culture. Leading Huaorani researcher Laura Rival says that the work of the SIL "pacified" the Huaorani during the 1960s, and argues that missionary intervention caused significant changes in fundamental components of Huaorani society. Prohibitions of polygamy, violence, chanting, and dancing were directly contrary to cultural norms, and the relocation of Huaorani and subsequent intermarrying of previously hostile groups eroded cultural identity. Exogamy has two related definitions both biological and cultural Cultural identity is the (feeling of identity of a group or Culture, or of an Individual as far as he or she is influenced by her belonging to a group [27] Others are somewhat less negative—Brysk, after noting that the work of the missionaries opened the area to outside intervention and led to the deterioration of the culture, says that the SIL also informed the Huaorani of their legal rights and taught them how to protect their interests from developers. [34] Boster goes even further, suggesting that the "pacification" of the Huaorani was a result of "active effort" by the Huaorani themselves, not the result of missionary imposition. He argues that Christianity served as a way for the Huaorani to escape the cycle of violence in their community, since it provided a motivation to abstain from killing. [35]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Boster, 473–75.
  2. ^ Rival, 37–38.
  3. ^ Boster, 473, 475, 480.
  4. ^ Elliot, 19–21, 24.
  5. ^ a b c Stoll (1982), 282–83.
  6. ^ Elliot, 25–26, 28–32.
  7. ^ Elliot, 48, 53–54.
  8. ^ Hitt, 65.
  9. ^ Hitt, 94, 136–45, 265.
  10. ^ Elliot, 73–79.
  11. ^ Elliot, 81, 92–94, 151–54.
  12. ^ Elliot, 128–33.
  13. ^ Elliot, 134–43, 149–50.
  14. ^ Elliot, 146–48, 156, 161, 163.
  15. ^ Elliot, 173–74.
  16. ^ Elliot, 177–83.
  17. ^ Elliot, 189.
  18. ^ a b Saint, 25.
  19. ^ Elliot, 190–92.
  20. ^ Elliot, 193–94.
  21. ^ a b Saint, 26–27.
  22. ^ Rival, 158.
  23. ^ Stoll (1982), 305–07.
  24. ^ Elliot, 195–200, 233–39.
  25. ^ New York Times articles
  26. ^ Colby, 287–90.
  27. ^ a b Rival, 157–59.
  28. ^ Rival, 158–61.
  29. ^ Stoll (1982), 296–305.
  30. ^ Saint and Rainey.
  31. ^ End of the Spear (2006). Boxofficemojo. com. Retrieved on 2007-01-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army
  32. ^ Elliot, 157.
  33. ^ Rainey, 18–21.
  34. ^ Brysk, 37–38.
  35. ^ Boster, 480–82.

Further reading

External links

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