The Indigenous People of the Ecuadorian Amazon and Their Battle Against Big Oil
Date of Award
2005
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Andrews, Anthony
Keywords
Ecuador, Indigenous Movement, Petroleum, Oil
Area of Concentration
Anthropology
Abstract
During the Spring Semester of 2003, from January to April of that year, I did a semester abroad in Quito, Ecuador. Before arriving in Ecuador I had established contact with Pachamama, an NGO that works with various indigenous groups in the Ecuadorian Amazon. I interned with them for the duration of my stay in Ecuador and used their knowledge and resources to research my thesis topic. I returned to Ecuador again in the summer of 2004 for three weeks. I participated in an indigenous-run ecotour and had the opportunity to talk firsthand to some of the indigenous people opposed to petroleum exploitation, as well as seeing the unscathed beauty of the Amazon up close. In my thesis I deal with the petroleum situation within Ecuador on a number of levels. First I discuss indigenous-state-corporation relations throughout the world to not only show where Ecuador lies in relation to other nations on such issues, but also to demonstrate how indigenous rights are being violated in a number of countries. I then recount the history of the indigenous rights movement within Ecuador, beginning with the discovery of petroleum in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The final part of my thesis deals with the current situation in Ecuador by focusing on two highly contested areas, Blocks 23 and 24. This discussion assesses the current situation and explores possible outcomes of the present impasse.
Recommended Citation
Myers, Lowell, "The Indigenous People of the Ecuadorian Amazon and Their Battle Against Big Oil" (2005). Theses & ETDs. 3554.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/3554
Rights
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