Originally from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador, the Waorani (Huaorani) are the last hunter-gatherers ethnic group.

For centuries, Waorani warriors, called Aucas a Quichua word meaning "savages," by outsiders are perhaps equaled only by their Shuar neighbors to the south for their reputation as a fierce independent group, hostile to outside intrusions (who sought to exploit the Amazon Rainforest and conquer its inhabitants) and willing to resort to violence to defend their ancestral lands.