Water for Life follows three Latin American Indigenous community leaders…
Oil and Water
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- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
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OIL & WATER is the coming of age story of two boys as they each confront one of the world's worst toxic disasters, the prolonged contamination of the Ecuadorian Amazon by Texaco and other oil companies. Hugo comes to America to fight for the survival of his tribe, the Cofan, while David goes to Ecuador to launch the world's first company to certify oil as 'fair trade.' Can Hugo become the leader his tribe so desperately wants him to be? Will David clean up one of the world's dirtiest industries?
This film is an intimate portrait of two young people finding their voices and trying to beat incredible odds. Their journeys lead them to explore what could be a more just future, not just for the people of the Amazon, but for all people around the world born with oil beneath their feet. Eight years in the making OIL & WATER is a shocking and inspiring David and Goliath story.
'An important film--it puts a human face on the very real and severe consequences of our thirst for oil. Yet it also gives viewers hope in the way it shows how two young adults can make meaningful changes to the world around them.' Dr. Benjamin Sovacool, Director of Danish Center for Energy Technology, AU-Herning, Associate Professor of Law, Founding Director of the Energy Security and Justice Program, Vermont Law School, Author, Energy and Ethics: Justice and the Global Energy Challenge
'Oil and Water offers no easy solutions to the problems of oil contamination and the presence of the oil industry in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Instead, this documentary searches for answers through the lives, pressures and actions of two young men, who are growing up with a heavy burden of decision: to negotiate, to regulate or to resist the oil companies. Watch it, and ask yourself: how could I resolve the ongoing injuries of oil? Then remember that these two young men are working and studying to be the leaders that they want to be--in order to solve the harms of an industry, or ills that were not created by them and in many cases that predate them.' Patricia Widener, Associate Professor of Sociology, Florida Atlantic University, Author, Oil Injustice: Resisting and Conceding a Pipeline in Ecuador
'Oil and Water immerses the viewer in the at once captivating and complex experiences of society and oil in one of the world's most biodiverse places on the planet, the Ecuadorian Amazon. Unlike other analyses on the topic, this film does not demonize or simplify the oil industry or indigenous peoples. Rather, it brings the very human connections we all have to each other and to the planet, including with petroleum resources, to the forefront and presents hopeful global and local solutions to pathways beyond fossil fuels. Students, educators, policymakers, and industry experts will not only learn from this film, but will hopefully be inspired by it to create real change.' Dr. Pamela Martin, Professor of Politics, Director of Model United Nations Program, Coastal Carolina University, Author, Oil in the Soil: The Politics of Paying to Preserve the Amazon
'Great film...arresting...Oil and Water is the most complete portrait of how societies might move beyond 'the oil curse' to use resources from crude development to benefit the local communities from which it is found. Or, possibly, as a launching point to standardize and regulate best practices in the entire industry...It is a story of recovery but also of the need for aggressive assistance and understanding. Oil and Water puts a very human face on the ground-level of the extraction that is fueled by distant consumers.' Dr. Brian Black, Professor, History and Environmental Studies, Penn State Altoona, Author, Crude Reality: Petroleum in World History
'This a moving and thought-provoking story that opens up avenues of hope in a challenging reality.' Patricia I. Vasquez, Independent Consultant on Extractive Industries and Conflicts, Author, Oil Sparks in the Amazon: Local Conflicts, Indigenous Populations, and Natural Resources
'This film offers a compelling narrative of the unique social, cultural, and activism experiments of two young men whose political commitments are entangled with the complex and dangerous system of oil production in Ecuador...[This is] a sophisticated argument about why such struggles matter and why their stories should be shared. In the words of David Poritz, the experiments of the Cofan and Equitable Origins have been launched to address a very real issue: the 'indirect genocide' of oil. The question is no longer whether it is possible to talk about sustainable oil; the question is how to make it a reality.' Gabriela Valdivia, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
'Oil and Water reveals the social and ecological trauma of our global fossil fuel culture and how it shapes the lives of an indigenous population in Ecuador. The film also demonstrates the collaborative, visionary creativity that can also emerge from that space of pain, urgency, and love for humanity and our life support systems. I have followed the struggle of the Cofan people for decades and just when I thought all hope was lost, this film gives me reason for renewing my conviction in the power of struggle, the power of the people hit hardest by environmental injustice - and their allies - to imagine and forge new possibilities.' David Naguib Pellow, Professor of Sociology, University of Minnesota, Author, Resisting Global Toxics: Transnational Movements for Environmental Justice
'Oil and Water is a masterful depiction of the intractable dilemmas and irresolvable contradictions that haunt the lives of those entangled by oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon and beyond. This film undauntedly delves into the challenges posed by our hydrocarbon times and boldly raises more questions than it answers. It promises to be an incisive tool for generating critical discussion on the politics of petroleum.' Suzana Sawyer, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of California at Davis, Author, Crude Chronicles: Indigenous Politics, Multinational Oil, and Neoliberalism in Ecuador
'It's a tale of crusaders but of crusaders sometimes in conflict; Poritz and Lucitante are both committed to helping Ecuador's rain forests and indigenous tribes, but at times they disagree about the best way to do that...Lucitante wanted battle. Poritz favored collaboration. But Poritz says both strategies are pieces of the same puzzle.' Sacha Pfeiffer and Kathleen McNerney, Radio Boston
'A powerful and appealing documentary film...The connection between Hugo and David takes the documentary into a personal life that is fascinating in its portrayal of the Cofan culture and environment.' Floyd McKay, Crosscut
'If one ever needed proof that the universe has a hand in shaping our life's path, it can be found in the documentary film Oil and Water...Riveting.' HHCelebTV.com
'Highly recommended.' The Midwest Book Review
Citation
Main credits
Strickwerda, Francine (film producer)
Strickwerda, Francine (film director)
Strickwerda, Francine (screenwriter)
Smith, Laurel Spellman (film director)
Smith, Laurel Spellman (film producer)
Smith, Laurel Spellman (screenwriter)
Other credits
Editor, Tracy Dethlefs; cinematography, Diana Wilmar, Laurel Spellman Smith; original score, Erik Aho; animation, Drew Christie.
Distributor subjects
Activism; Anthropology; Business Practices; Conflict Resolution; Developing World; Energy; Environment; Environmental Justice; Fair Trade; Forests and Rainforests; Geography; Global Issues; Human Rights; Indigenous Peoples; International Trade; Latin American Studies; Political Science; Pollution; Social Justice; Sociology; Toxic ChemicalsKeywords
oil drilling, oil contamination, Ecuadorian Amazon, Ecuador, toxic disaster, Texaco, oil companies, cancer, Cofan people, Hugo Lucitante, David Poritz, fair trade oil, pipeline, oil industry, Petroamazonas, Equitable Origin; "Oil and Water"; Bullfrog Films,doc,env; politics; sociss
WEBVTT
00:00:03.999 --> 00:00:07.501
[MUSIC AND BIRDS CHIRPING]
00:01:09.667 --> 00:01:12.500
So this has been here for
30 years, and all this area
00:01:12.501 --> 00:01:15.082
they cleaned it up by
covering everything here.
00:01:15.083 --> 00:01:17.249
And this is one that\'s
not covered yet.
00:01:17.250 --> 00:01:20.458
And all the chemicals that come
from the oil flow to the river
00:01:20.459 --> 00:01:21.459
there.
00:01:24.417 --> 00:01:25.417
It feels hot.
00:01:29.375 --> 00:01:30.375
Crude.
00:01:33.334 --> 00:01:36.834
[MUSIC]
00:02:43.209 --> 00:02:51.209
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
00:03:05.375 --> 00:03:06.375
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
00:03:11.751 --> 00:03:15.208
19 year old, Hugo Lucitante
is making history,
00:03:15.209 --> 00:03:17.750
and it\'s all just a
little overwhelming.
00:03:17.751 --> 00:03:18.958
I don\'t know how I feel.
00:03:18.959 --> 00:03:20.998
I\'m shocked and amazed by...
00:03:20.999 --> 00:03:23.333
What\'s truly
amazing is the story
00:03:23.334 --> 00:03:27.166
of this young man, who until the
age of 10 lived with his family
00:03:27.167 --> 00:03:29.998
in the upper Amazonian
jungle of Ecuador.
00:03:29.999 --> 00:03:33.124
I am the first one
to be sent out.
00:03:33.125 --> 00:03:34.375
I\'m the experiment.
00:03:38.542 --> 00:03:40.791
From day one, coming
to the United States,
00:03:40.792 --> 00:03:43.458
that was the first time
I had got in a car.
00:03:43.459 --> 00:03:44.833
And getting on the plane.
00:03:44.834 --> 00:03:46.918
And everything was different.
00:03:56.709 --> 00:03:59.667
[DOG BARKING]
00:04:07.083 --> 00:04:09.458
My tribe has always
struggled with oil companies
00:04:09.459 --> 00:04:12.374
and with lack of leadership
within the community.
00:04:12.375 --> 00:04:16.333
They wanted to send someone
to get education from outside.
00:04:16.334 --> 00:04:21.958
They wanted a Cofan kid to
lead the people someday.
00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:25.041
Now since the oil companies
have left large pits of oil,
00:04:25.042 --> 00:04:29.291
it\'s causing more harm to
different indigenous tribes.
00:04:29.292 --> 00:04:32.750
There are some diseases that
we\'ve never seen before.
00:04:32.751 --> 00:04:35.167
I\'m very nervous and
scared for my people.
00:04:51.375 --> 00:04:56.374
In 1994, I traveled to Ecuador
and visited the Cofan village
00:04:56.375 --> 00:04:58.666
of Zabalo for the first time.
00:04:58.667 --> 00:05:00.125
[ROOSTER CROWS AND VILLAGE
SOUNDS]
00:05:08.334 --> 00:05:10.625
I was studying through the
University of Washington
00:05:10.626 --> 00:05:13.249
towards earning my Latin
American studies degree.
00:05:13.250 --> 00:05:17.625
I already proposed to do a
research study in the Amazon.
00:05:17.626 --> 00:05:18.626
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:05:25.751 --> 00:05:28.166
I was the oldest one in
the family, and my dad,
00:05:28.167 --> 00:05:29.750
he asked me what I
thought about maybe
00:05:29.751 --> 00:05:31.791
coming to the United States.
00:05:31.792 --> 00:05:34.875
It was sort of a shocking
question when Bolivar first
00:05:34.876 --> 00:05:35.876
proposed it.
00:05:41.209 --> 00:05:42.958
Honestly, I couldn\'t
imagine having
00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:48.208
a 10-year-old boy from
Zabalo in America.
00:05:48.209 --> 00:05:49.209
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:05:59.834 --> 00:06:02.249
The idea, when Hugo
first came here,
00:06:02.250 --> 00:06:05.958
was to teach him
Western culture,
00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:08.250
so he understands
who the enemy is.
00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:16.000
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:06:27.667 --> 00:06:30.249
It was supposed to
be a six month visit.
00:06:30.250 --> 00:06:34.082
It turned into nine years.
00:06:34.083 --> 00:06:35.833
He\'s the first Cofan
kid to graduate
00:06:35.834 --> 00:06:37.250
from an American high school.
00:06:41.167 --> 00:06:44.626
[CROWD CHEERS]
00:06:55.999 --> 00:06:57.458
[MUSIC]
00:06:57.459 --> 00:07:00.998
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:07:00.999 --> 00:07:04.875
I believe family
is very important.
00:07:04.876 --> 00:07:08.541
I\'ve lived so far away from
them for such a long time.
00:07:08.542 --> 00:07:11.124
Now they\'re here, and
now I want to show them
00:07:11.125 --> 00:07:15.124
what nine years of
experience here was.
00:07:15.125 --> 00:07:17.626
[CHEERING]
00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:43.918
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:08:31.334 --> 00:08:33.791
There was a lot of supposition
that Hugo would one day just
00:08:33.792 --> 00:08:37.082
become the tribal leader, and
speak all three languages,
00:08:37.083 --> 00:08:39.333
and everybody would be fine.
00:08:39.334 --> 00:08:42.998
But that\'s just not reality.
00:08:42.999 --> 00:08:45.959
[MUSIC]
00:08:52.292 --> 00:08:54.958
I want to speak for
my people because we
00:08:54.959 --> 00:08:56.000
need someone like that.
00:09:05.751 --> 00:09:10.583
It\'s kind of hard for
being the first one.
00:09:10.584 --> 00:09:13.625
I wish I could be a
perfect example for them,
00:09:13.626 --> 00:09:16.334
but we\'ll see how it goes.
00:09:45.542 --> 00:09:51.166
So this is, yeah,
cancer water basically.
00:09:51.167 --> 00:09:53.583
All those chemicals
like chromium.
00:09:53.584 --> 00:09:55.374
They\'re all in this water.
00:09:55.375 --> 00:09:56.083
That\'s important.
00:09:56.084 --> 00:09:58.333
It\'s like a toxic legacy.
00:09:58.334 --> 00:10:01.750
And the effects of it are
still here 30 years later.
00:10:01.751 --> 00:10:05.917
I gave David to the Amazon.
00:10:05.918 --> 00:10:08.958
I gave David up to this cause.
00:10:08.959 --> 00:10:12.082
If it\'s what\'s healthy you
would be able to see that.
00:10:12.083 --> 00:10:13.917
He\'s back and
forth all the time.
00:10:13.918 --> 00:10:17.791
It\'s like he\'s the
ambassador to Ecuador.
00:10:17.792 --> 00:10:21.998
I didn\'t imagine the
implications when it began.
00:10:21.999 --> 00:10:26.791
In sixth grade, we did a project
on rainforests of the world.
00:10:26.792 --> 00:10:28.583
Through that I came
across this occurrence
00:10:28.584 --> 00:10:30.041
of oil contamination.
00:10:30.042 --> 00:10:33.041
Not only oil contamination,
but severe oil contamination.
00:10:33.042 --> 00:10:36.166
And through that research I came
across this lawyer, Cristobal
00:10:36.167 --> 00:10:41.166
Bonifaz, who had filed
this lawsuit in 1993.
00:10:41.167 --> 00:10:43.666
The following year,
completely coincidentally,
00:10:43.667 --> 00:10:47.166
my seventh grade English
teacher was Margarita Bonifaz.
00:10:47.167 --> 00:10:48.666
It was the first week of school.
00:10:48.667 --> 00:10:51.333
And this is where I
am and this is David.
00:10:51.334 --> 00:10:52.917
I mean he was in my space.
00:10:52.918 --> 00:10:54.041
Excuse me?
00:10:54.042 --> 00:10:55.625
He says.
00:10:55.626 --> 00:10:56.917
I\'d like to ask you something.
00:10:56.918 --> 00:10:58.333
And I\'m getting ready for class.
00:10:58.334 --> 00:10:58.751
I\'m like, yes?
00:10:58.752 --> 00:11:00.249
And I couldn\'t
imagine what he would
00:11:00.250 --> 00:11:03.500
want to ask me at that point.
00:11:03.501 --> 00:11:05.041
Do you know a Cristobal Bonifaz?
00:11:05.042 --> 00:11:07.249
Cristobal Bonifaz,
do you know him?
00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:09.666
And I said yeah, he\'s my dad.
00:11:09.667 --> 00:11:10.708
He\'s your father?
00:11:10.709 --> 00:11:12.124
He\'s your father!?
00:11:12.125 --> 00:11:12.999
Yes, he\'s my father.
00:11:12.999 --> 00:11:13.751
Why don\'t you sit down.
00:11:13.752 --> 00:11:14.917
We need to get started.
00:11:14.918 --> 00:11:15.876
Oh my god!
00:11:15.877 --> 00:11:17.082
I have been working on this.
00:11:17.083 --> 00:11:18.999
I have been studying this case.
00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:21.750
And I\'m like how can that be.
00:11:21.751 --> 00:11:25.124
He began a campaign to
get my daughter Margarita
00:11:25.125 --> 00:11:26.333
to introduce him to me.
00:11:26.334 --> 00:11:27.750
And I said well this is a kid.
00:11:27.751 --> 00:11:28.751
By now he was 12.
00:11:28.752 --> 00:11:29.833
I don\'t know.
00:11:29.834 --> 00:11:31.249
And he wanted to work.
00:11:31.250 --> 00:11:32.917
Margarita says I don\'t know.
00:11:32.918 --> 00:11:34.875
How am I going do with this kid?
00:11:34.876 --> 00:11:36.416
What am I going to
do with the kid?
00:11:36.417 --> 00:11:38.541
A 12 year old kid.
00:11:38.542 --> 00:11:40.541
She says well just
do me a favor, dad.
00:11:40.542 --> 00:11:42.958
Just talk to him.
00:11:42.959 --> 00:11:45.541
So that summer, that
was the summer of 2003,
00:11:45.542 --> 00:11:47.998
when we were ready to
file the case in Ecuador.
00:11:47.999 --> 00:11:53.750
And Texaco had delivered 72,000
pages of documents in boxes.
00:11:53.751 --> 00:11:56.500
But somehow all the
papers got shuffled.
00:11:56.501 --> 00:11:59.041
They gave you a big
shuffled bunch of papers.
00:11:59.042 --> 00:11:59.834
And that\'s it.
00:11:59.834 --> 00:12:00.834
That\'s what we produced.
00:12:00.835 --> 00:12:03.458
Discovery quote unquote.
00:12:03.459 --> 00:12:05.333
So they hand you
all this garbage,
00:12:05.334 --> 00:12:07.583
and you find what
you need there.
00:12:07.584 --> 00:12:09.208
It took David the whole summer.
00:12:09.209 --> 00:12:12.082
I remember Cristobal giving
him a key to his office.
00:12:12.083 --> 00:12:13.958
And I would drop David
off in the morning,
00:12:13.959 --> 00:12:17.166
and he would say come
and get me at 3 o\'clock.
00:12:17.167 --> 00:12:19.208
So then I would
return, and he would
00:12:19.209 --> 00:12:20.750
say come back in two hours.
00:12:20.751 --> 00:12:23.249
He went through
every single box.
00:12:23.250 --> 00:12:24.500
He read everything.
00:12:24.501 --> 00:12:26.333
He collected all the
stuff that was good.
00:12:26.334 --> 00:12:28.958
And I took the stuff
that was good to file
00:12:28.959 --> 00:12:30.998
in the court in
Ecuador, which we did.
00:12:30.999 --> 00:12:32.666
He says David what
can I do to help you?
00:12:32.667 --> 00:12:34.666
I can\'t really pay you
because you\'re under age.
00:12:34.667 --> 00:12:37.583
But what can I do
to just... I want
00:12:37.584 --> 00:12:40.082
to give you something for what
you\'ve done for this case.
00:12:40.083 --> 00:12:41.666
And I said... I
remember immediately...
00:12:41.667 --> 00:12:44.249
I said I want to go to Ecuador.
00:12:44.250 --> 00:12:46.751
[MUSIC]
00:12:59.999 --> 00:13:02.917
When we walked off on the
tarmac, there was reporters.
00:13:02.918 --> 00:13:05.583
All this international
press was there.
00:13:05.584 --> 00:13:08.041
There was professors
from all over the world.
00:13:08.042 --> 00:13:09.750
There was toxicologists.
00:13:09.751 --> 00:13:11.082
Everyone was there.
00:13:11.083 --> 00:13:12.833
Cristobal was very
adamant about this.
00:13:12.834 --> 00:13:14.166
He said the first
thing I want you to do
00:13:14.167 --> 00:13:16.584
is I want you to go out and
see what\'s taking place here.
00:13:22.542 --> 00:13:25.333
Going from pit to pit to pit.
00:13:25.334 --> 00:13:27.833
Going from these oil
pits, to these oil swamps,
00:13:27.834 --> 00:13:31.082
to passing oil stations,
to seeing the roads
00:13:31.083 --> 00:13:34.625
lined with thick sludge,
to seeing children
00:13:34.626 --> 00:13:37.416
walking along the
road without shoes.
00:13:37.417 --> 00:13:38.626
Just sticks with you.
00:13:41.334 --> 00:13:44.958
These communities
have been exploited,
00:13:44.959 --> 00:13:48.541
have been spit on, because
underlying this whole issue
00:13:48.542 --> 00:13:52.041
is this racism
that exists there.
00:13:52.042 --> 00:13:54.958
I think you\'d say it\'s an
indirect genocide which
00:13:54.959 --> 00:13:56.583
is occurring in Ecuador.
00:13:56.584 --> 00:13:58.208
Once you see what
happened there,
00:13:58.209 --> 00:14:00.082
you can\'t get away from it.
00:14:00.083 --> 00:14:02.917
You cannot live a
life here, tranquil,
00:14:02.918 --> 00:14:04.500
now knowing what happened.
00:14:04.501 --> 00:14:05.501
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:14:37.042 --> 00:14:40.417
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
00:14:46.334 --> 00:14:50.166
[Hugo\'s voice] The first time
I met David was when I was 16.
00:14:50.167 --> 00:14:52.583
[David\'s voice] I was stranded
on the side of the Aquarico
00:14:52.584 --> 00:14:54.708
River trying to get a ride.
00:14:54.709 --> 00:14:56.998
[Hugo\'s voice] And so we see
this person just waving us
00:14:56.999 --> 00:14:58.291
down.
00:14:58.292 --> 00:14:59.666
And it\'s the middle of nowhere.
00:14:59.667 --> 00:15:00.708
It could be an emergency.
00:15:00.709 --> 00:15:02.082
It could be anything.
00:15:02.083 --> 00:15:04.958
And so we stopped,
and there was David,
00:15:04.959 --> 00:15:08.208
standing and asking
for a ride in Spanish.
00:15:08.209 --> 00:15:09.750
[David\'s voice] For
whatever reason,
00:15:09.751 --> 00:15:12.249
he stopped to pick me up,
which people don\'t usually do.
00:15:12.250 --> 00:15:14.374
And he started
speaking English to me,
00:15:14.375 --> 00:15:18.082
which was like, \"excuse me?\"
00:15:18.083 --> 00:15:20.541
[Hugo\'s voice] He told me he
was very interested in the oil
00:15:20.542 --> 00:15:23.998
companies and the contamination.
00:15:23.999 --> 00:15:24.709
I was impressed.
00:15:24.710 --> 00:15:26.833
The fact that he was
so young and just
00:15:26.834 --> 00:15:31.292
out there without really knowing
or having a family there.
00:15:47.999 --> 00:15:48.999
In the jungle.
00:16:17.292 --> 00:16:19.291
Hugo wanted to give
me an opportunity
00:16:19.292 --> 00:16:21.124
to see his home
where he grew up,
00:16:21.125 --> 00:16:22.541
where you would
spend the summers,
00:16:22.542 --> 00:16:23.751
and where his family was.
00:16:27.792 --> 00:16:29.500
He\'s very bicultural.
00:16:29.501 --> 00:16:33.833
He clearly can move between
the two very fluidly.
00:16:33.834 --> 00:16:35.708
I was going to ask
him, do you feel
00:16:35.709 --> 00:16:37.998
like your American experience
has given you more,
00:16:37.999 --> 00:16:39.125
or has it taken more away?
00:16:43.667 --> 00:16:51.667
[GUITAR MUSIC AND SINGNG]
00:17:33.125 --> 00:17:34.833
And so what I was
thinking tomorrow,
00:17:34.834 --> 00:17:36.791
we\'re going to leave
pretty early around seven,
00:17:36.792 --> 00:17:38.998
just because we have a full day.
00:17:38.999 --> 00:17:43.124
We\'re going to go to the women\'s
and children\'s health clinic.
00:17:43.125 --> 00:17:47.000
And in Sacha I know three or
four families that have cancer.
00:17:50.125 --> 00:17:52.583
Because I have been away from
home for such a long time,
00:17:52.584 --> 00:17:56.291
I never really got a chance
to actually go to these sites.
00:17:56.292 --> 00:17:58.501
David offered to show me
how bad things were getting.
00:18:05.375 --> 00:18:06.417
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:19:18.751 --> 00:19:20.209
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:28.999
He was explaining how the
community is in danger
00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:33.291
because first this exploded.
00:19:33.292 --> 00:19:36.998
There\'s a house here
that burnt down.
00:19:36.999 --> 00:19:39.041
And he\'s saying it\'s
contaminating the air.
00:19:39.042 --> 00:19:40.500
It\'s contaminating
this whole area.
00:19:40.501 --> 00:19:42.708
And the whole community has been
put in danger because of it.
00:19:42.709 --> 00:19:43.917
And this is just what\'s left.
00:19:43.918 --> 00:19:45.959
And Petroecuador still
hasn\'t cleaned it up.
00:19:49.125 --> 00:19:50.125
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:19:52.918 --> 00:19:55.041
And this is supposed
to be his land,
00:19:55.042 --> 00:19:57.501
but they took it over,
and took it over.
00:20:07.834 --> 00:20:10.998
All the families here cannot
cook because they\'re afraid
00:20:10.999 --> 00:20:13.166
that there will be an
explosion if they light a match
00:20:13.167 --> 00:20:15.541
or if they light anything
because this whole area is full
00:20:15.542 --> 00:20:16.417
of gas.
00:20:16.418 --> 00:20:19.334
Then there\'s families
living here, here, here.
00:20:31.751 --> 00:20:32.834
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:21:37.209 --> 00:21:40.584
[MUSIC]
00:22:23.542 --> 00:22:25.416
The oil industry had
a tremendous impact
00:22:25.417 --> 00:22:26.500
on the Cofan people.
00:22:26.501 --> 00:22:30.291
And the Cofan were some of the
few residents of that region
00:22:30.292 --> 00:22:33.082
before the oil industry
came in the 1960s.
00:22:33.083 --> 00:22:35.875
The area that was really
the the Cofan homeland
00:22:35.876 --> 00:22:38.875
that became the epicenter
of the oil industry.
00:22:38.876 --> 00:22:43.541
Lago Agrio was a Cofan village.
00:22:43.542 --> 00:22:47.416
Contamination began to seep
into the rivers, the streams,
00:22:47.417 --> 00:22:48.998
very early on.
00:22:48.999 --> 00:22:51.917
People still didn\'t know where
the diseases, the sicknesses
00:22:51.918 --> 00:22:53.791
they had, were
coming from, but they
00:22:53.792 --> 00:22:56.416
realized that they were
not as strong or as healthy
00:22:56.417 --> 00:22:57.541
as they used to be.
00:22:57.542 --> 00:22:59.250
And that was because
of the oil industry.
00:23:02.667 --> 00:23:07.666
Cofans went from, 1964,
having unlimited access
00:23:07.667 --> 00:23:12.625
to more or less 10 million
acres of territory.
00:23:12.626 --> 00:23:14.708
The government had
a homestead law
00:23:14.709 --> 00:23:17.291
to offer free land to colonists.
00:23:17.292 --> 00:23:18.998
And so the minute
the road went in,
00:23:18.999 --> 00:23:22.041
we got this wave, this huge
wave of colonists coming
00:23:22.042 --> 00:23:24.750
into what were
supposedly empty lands.
00:23:24.751 --> 00:23:27.750
By 1974, Cofans
were a non-entity
00:23:27.751 --> 00:23:29.666
as far as the government
was concerned.
00:23:29.667 --> 00:23:30.375
Landless.
00:23:30.376 --> 00:23:31.875
Totally landless.
00:23:31.876 --> 00:23:34.500
That has to be the worst
possible thing that
00:23:34.501 --> 00:23:38.124
could happen to a group of
people who are so intricately
00:23:38.125 --> 00:23:40.374
connected with the land.
00:23:40.375 --> 00:23:43.374
Wherever they would hunt
before, they would fish before,
00:23:43.375 --> 00:23:45.875
they no longer had
access to that territory.
00:23:45.876 --> 00:23:48.750
And basically, it was
this total transformation,
00:23:48.751 --> 00:23:52.166
ecologically,
socially, culturally.
00:23:52.167 --> 00:23:55.666
And the sense amongst everybody
who was watching at the time
00:23:55.667 --> 00:23:59.333
was these people will
go extinct very shortly.
00:23:59.334 --> 00:24:00.998
And they still have
just a fragment
00:24:00.999 --> 00:24:02.708
of what was their
traditional territory.
00:24:02.709 --> 00:24:04.125
But enough to
continue being Cofan.
00:24:07.042 --> 00:24:08.583
We went on to start
a new community
00:24:08.584 --> 00:24:10.917
where everything was
brand new, and fresh,
00:24:10.918 --> 00:24:16.041
and without this mess of oil.
00:24:16.042 --> 00:24:18.124
We had to move
further down, and that
00:24:18.125 --> 00:24:19.918
was how we founded the
community of Zabalo.
00:24:23.167 --> 00:24:26.667
[MUSIC]
00:24:36.667 --> 00:24:41.917
People got worried I might
not want to return back.
00:24:41.918 --> 00:24:45.917
But I had no doubt that I
was going to return home.
00:24:45.918 --> 00:24:49.708
It will always be my home.
00:24:49.709 --> 00:24:53.167
[FAMILY SPEAKING SOFTLY]
00:25:00.167 --> 00:25:03.125
[MUSIC AND RAIN]
00:25:10.125 --> 00:25:12.666
[CHILDREN\'S LAUGHTER]
00:25:12.667 --> 00:25:13.459
I love Hugo.
00:25:13.460 --> 00:25:14.750
He\'s a good friend.
00:25:14.751 --> 00:25:17.249
I\'ve always thought of him as
being a very kind of sweet kid.
00:25:17.250 --> 00:25:20.750
But they feel like they\'ve
invested so much in him.
00:25:20.751 --> 00:25:22.041
They have so much hope for him.
00:25:22.042 --> 00:25:23.833
He\'s gotten more
outside education almost
00:25:23.834 --> 00:25:25.625
than any other Cofan youth.
00:25:25.626 --> 00:25:28.833
That to just let that
all go to waste and not
00:25:28.834 --> 00:25:31.791
turn into something,
economically
00:25:31.792 --> 00:25:34.958
or politically that could
help himself, his family,
00:25:34.959 --> 00:25:37.333
the community, the
Cofan nation, that\'s
00:25:37.334 --> 00:25:39.625
been weighing on him
since he was 11 or 12.
00:25:39.626 --> 00:25:40.666
He knew that.
00:25:40.667 --> 00:25:45.666
And to have that when you\'re
11 years old is just extreme.
00:25:45.667 --> 00:25:47.500
His father is very strict.
00:25:47.501 --> 00:25:49.291
He puts a lot of
pressure on him.
00:25:49.292 --> 00:25:51.625
He\'s been a leader for the
Cofan people for a long time.
00:25:51.626 --> 00:25:55.875
He\'s the President
of Zabalo right now.
00:25:55.876 --> 00:25:56.876
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:26:06.834 --> 00:26:10.834
I\'m expected to be a leader, but
I wasn\'t sure what that meant.
00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:15.541
What I had to take in college.
00:26:15.542 --> 00:26:21.583
Or what I had to do in order
to become that leader that they
00:26:21.584 --> 00:26:22.584
wanted me to be.
00:26:26.667 --> 00:26:29.333
I still don\'t know.
00:26:29.334 --> 00:26:32.583
So I\'m taking this time
to get an idea for what
00:26:32.584 --> 00:26:35.416
Cofan\'s need, and I believe
the most danger that we
00:26:35.417 --> 00:26:38.625
face today are the oil
companies coming in
00:26:38.626 --> 00:26:40.998
and colonists taking over our
territories, and the land,
00:26:40.999 --> 00:26:41.876
and contamination.
00:26:41.877 --> 00:26:44.082
And we don\'t have
anywhere else to go.
00:26:44.083 --> 00:26:52.083
[WOMAN SINGING IN COFAN]
00:26:58.999 --> 00:27:00.167
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:27:11.292 --> 00:27:12.791
So we wanted to
produce something
00:27:12.792 --> 00:27:15.917
that the Cofan could use
as a political weapon.
00:27:15.918 --> 00:27:19.999
We started talking about doing
an ancestral historical map
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:21.000
of the Cofans.
00:27:27.250 --> 00:27:28.958
We\'ve been playing
around with this idea
00:27:28.959 --> 00:27:33.666
of doing a really culturally
accurate, scientifically
00:27:33.667 --> 00:27:37.041
accurate representation
of Cofan claims
00:27:37.042 --> 00:27:39.833
to basically all of
Northeastern Ecuador.
00:27:39.834 --> 00:27:44.082
So the Cofan would have
a map and oral histories
00:27:44.083 --> 00:27:46.374
that they could use when
fighting for their land rights
00:27:46.375 --> 00:27:48.082
to say no we were here.
00:27:48.083 --> 00:27:49.917
That information
didn\'t exist anywhere.
00:27:49.918 --> 00:27:53.333
We went to every village
tribe, and asked the elders
00:27:53.334 --> 00:27:56.124
of the stories that
they had to tell.
00:27:56.125 --> 00:27:58.374
And we got a lot of information.
00:27:58.375 --> 00:27:59.375
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:28:10.542 --> 00:28:15.833
We have been experimenting
with conservation projects.
00:28:15.834 --> 00:28:19.291
And with the help and the
donations of the outsiders
00:28:19.292 --> 00:28:21.751
it has helped to
maintain the nature.
00:28:24.584 --> 00:28:26.500
So as far as the
fish are going, they
00:28:26.501 --> 00:28:30.249
have three pools that are
being worked on right now.
00:28:30.250 --> 00:28:32.998
One is finished that\'s
further back that way.
00:28:32.999 --> 00:28:36.374
And we\'ll see how it goes
and see if it\'s working,
00:28:36.375 --> 00:28:39.458
they\'ll continue to do more.
00:28:39.459 --> 00:28:42.750
We went up north, and it\'s
all contaminated there.
00:28:42.751 --> 00:28:44.583
And they have two
hectares of land
00:28:44.584 --> 00:28:46.917
that they\'re just going to
do things like this for fish,
00:28:46.918 --> 00:28:49.458
for example, and other
areas for animals.
00:28:49.459 --> 00:28:51.125
And so that doesn\'t go extinct.
00:28:56.167 --> 00:28:58.082
Every inventory we\'ve
done with the Cofan
00:28:58.083 --> 00:29:01.500
have showed not only are
these places hugely diverse,
00:29:01.501 --> 00:29:04.333
but the Cofan are the ones
that are managing these lands
00:29:04.334 --> 00:29:05.667
and keeping them that way.
00:29:09.918 --> 00:29:12.998
They\'ve been able to work
with the Ecuadorian government
00:29:12.999 --> 00:29:17.958
to allow them to set up a
park ranger program, the Cofan
00:29:17.959 --> 00:29:21.249
Rangers, that works brilliantly.
00:29:21.250 --> 00:29:24.082
They\'ve reduced deforestation
inside the lands
00:29:24.083 --> 00:29:26.708
that they patrol to zero.
00:29:26.709 --> 00:29:30.500
They\'ve seen no
encroachment by agriculture,
00:29:30.501 --> 00:29:31.751
mining, oil companies.
00:29:34.667 --> 00:29:37.998
You sometimes hear indigenous
people say well, it\'s our bank,
00:29:37.999 --> 00:29:39.791
it\'s our pharmacy,
it\'s our school,
00:29:39.792 --> 00:29:42.583
it\'s all of those things.
00:29:42.584 --> 00:29:44.500
Their whole history is there.
00:29:44.501 --> 00:29:46.333
Their myths are there.
00:29:46.334 --> 00:29:50.208
Their sacred places are there.
00:29:50.209 --> 00:29:51.334
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:30:10.626 --> 00:30:11.999
They\'re getting
closer and closer.
00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:14.458
Everybody knows that
there\'s oil basically
00:30:14.459 --> 00:30:17.583
under the entirety
of that territory.
00:30:17.584 --> 00:30:20.249
When the oil runs out,
when the price skyrockets
00:30:20.250 --> 00:30:24.124
to $150 or $200 a barrel,
when Ecuador\'s other reserves
00:30:24.125 --> 00:30:27.833
totally go dry, they\'re
going to come back.
00:30:27.834 --> 00:30:29.082
It\'s a constant threat.
00:30:29.083 --> 00:30:30.584
It\'s just not going to go away.
00:30:46.167 --> 00:30:48.124
70 years later, the
United States, in fact,
00:30:48.125 --> 00:30:50.998
is interfering in
affairs of countries
00:30:50.999 --> 00:30:53.333
not to protect them
from foreign aggression,
00:30:53.334 --> 00:30:57.750
but to protect them for their
own interest in the region.
00:30:57.751 --> 00:31:01.708
It was the summer between my
freshman and my sophomore year.
00:31:01.709 --> 00:31:04.458
I was driving through the
Amazon and just looking around
00:31:04.459 --> 00:31:06.998
at all of this billions of
dollars oil infrastructure,
00:31:06.999 --> 00:31:09.500
and I just though why
can\'t this be done better.
00:31:09.501 --> 00:31:10.459
We can fight.
00:31:10.460 --> 00:31:12.041
We can file lawsuits.
00:31:12.042 --> 00:31:14.666
We can pit ourselves
against the industry,
00:31:14.667 --> 00:31:16.833
but the industry
is here to stay.
00:31:16.834 --> 00:31:21.998
We need to away from fossil
fuels, yet it is a process.
00:31:21.999 --> 00:31:23.918
And it\'s a transition
that takes time.
00:31:31.626 --> 00:31:34.082
The lawsuit is like
a roller coaster.
00:31:34.083 --> 00:31:35.666
You never know when
it\'s going to end.
00:31:35.667 --> 00:31:37.833
You never know what issue
is going to come up.
00:31:37.834 --> 00:31:39.875
It was from the lawsuit
that I realized the need
00:31:39.876 --> 00:31:41.917
to develop a system like GAIA.
00:31:41.918 --> 00:31:44.583
Beginning with organic
certification way
00:31:44.584 --> 00:31:47.374
back in the \'60s,
certification systems
00:31:47.375 --> 00:31:50.500
have developed in a
number of diverse sectors
00:31:50.501 --> 00:31:52.041
that are ridden with conflict.
00:31:52.042 --> 00:31:56.583
Coffee, chocolate, the timber
industry, the diamond industry.
00:31:56.584 --> 00:31:59.458
And I said well, oil and
gas, the oil industry,
00:31:59.459 --> 00:32:01.291
the largest industry
in the world,
00:32:01.292 --> 00:32:04.082
why doesn\'t there
exist a certification
00:32:04.083 --> 00:32:05.998
system for oil and gas?
00:32:05.999 --> 00:32:07.625
GAIA is developing a standard.
00:32:07.626 --> 00:32:09.998
Just as a teacher
grades a student,
00:32:09.999 --> 00:32:12.998
we can grade the performance
of an oil company.
00:32:12.999 --> 00:32:15.833
So once an operation
is GAIA certified,
00:32:15.834 --> 00:32:18.541
the oil and gas
from that operation
00:32:18.542 --> 00:32:22.625
can then be sold to US or
European consumers, who
00:32:22.626 --> 00:32:26.166
seek to purchase a product that
is derived from an operation
00:32:26.167 --> 00:32:30.750
that they consider as
ethical or more responsible.
00:32:30.751 --> 00:32:34.917
So could Chevron pay me off?
00:32:34.918 --> 00:32:37.124
They could give me money,
but it wouldn\'t do anything,
00:32:37.125 --> 00:32:42.082
because... I\'m being facetious...
But their money wouldn\'t affect
00:32:42.083 --> 00:32:45.333
what their score would be,
because professional auditors
00:32:45.334 --> 00:32:48.541
are in charge of
evaluating based
00:32:48.542 --> 00:32:50.958
on the standard that
GAIA establishes.
00:32:50.959 --> 00:32:52.791
I will be in touch
with you on some level.
00:32:52.792 --> 00:32:54.291
And if we get to
stage where I think
00:32:54.292 --> 00:32:57.583
that the investment becomes
much more clear because we\'ve
00:32:57.584 --> 00:32:59.625
reached certain benchmarks,
or we\'ve accomplished
00:32:59.626 --> 00:33:01.750
certain things, I definitely
will reach out to you
00:33:01.751 --> 00:33:05.333
again just to see what your
thoughts are at that point.
00:33:05.334 --> 00:33:07.166
It\'s not just me
working on this,
00:33:07.167 --> 00:33:09.416
but there\'s really advanced
sophisticated people
00:33:09.417 --> 00:33:10.791
helping develop the concept.
00:33:10.792 --> 00:33:11.667
I totally understand.
00:33:11.668 --> 00:33:12.875
That makes a lot of sense.
00:33:12.876 --> 00:33:16.374
So let\'s figure out what
the next steps would be,
00:33:16.375 --> 00:33:18.166
and what you do need
from me in order
00:33:18.167 --> 00:33:20.958
to move forward on
our end with it.
00:33:20.959 --> 00:33:23.500
I\'m still kind of
riding the age thing.
00:33:23.501 --> 00:33:26.166
I think the fact that
I\'m still a student,
00:33:26.167 --> 00:33:27.876
for a lot of people
that\'s really cool.
00:33:34.250 --> 00:33:37.167
[MUSIC]
00:33:46.584 --> 00:33:48.998
I got married.
00:33:48.999 --> 00:33:51.166
It happened really fast.
00:33:51.167 --> 00:33:52.917
Fell in love and got married.
00:33:52.918 --> 00:33:54.541
Her name is Sadie.
00:33:54.542 --> 00:33:58.875
Now it\'s Sadie Lucitante,
so pretty cool.
00:33:58.876 --> 00:34:01.708
We went to the same high school.
00:34:01.709 --> 00:34:03.166
I always thought
he was attractive,
00:34:03.167 --> 00:34:04.917
and I always thought
he was really sweet,
00:34:04.918 --> 00:34:07.166
but I knew he was
coming and going.
00:34:07.167 --> 00:34:10.833
So I never really developed
any strong feelings for him
00:34:10.834 --> 00:34:13.958
until probably about the
second time he came back.
00:34:13.959 --> 00:34:16.791
And he was only in town for
about two or three weeks.
00:34:16.792 --> 00:34:20.333
And we really hit it off.
00:34:20.334 --> 00:34:24.209
And I do that he was the one I
wanted to spend my life with.
00:34:53.959 --> 00:34:54.959
Ready?
00:35:01.918 --> 00:35:03.333
Cold, cold.
00:35:03.334 --> 00:35:04.750
I guess we\'re here
in San Antonio
00:35:04.751 --> 00:35:09.666
because we just
wanted a fresh start.
00:35:09.667 --> 00:35:12.666
Schools are a lot more
affordable than in Seattle,
00:35:12.667 --> 00:35:14.209
and we just needed
something new.
00:35:18.125 --> 00:35:20.998
If I\'m really going to be
able to help my people,
00:35:20.999 --> 00:35:23.041
I need a college degree.
00:35:23.042 --> 00:35:25.917
My close friend Mike
Cepek was a professor,
00:35:25.918 --> 00:35:28.041
and I had talked
to him about maybe
00:35:28.042 --> 00:35:31.333
trying to see if it was possible
for me to go to school here.
00:35:31.334 --> 00:35:33.166
I\'m kind of stuck at the moment.
00:35:33.167 --> 00:35:35.374
I\'ve got to become a
resident to get help
00:35:35.375 --> 00:35:37.249
and just to be able
to get into school.
00:35:37.250 --> 00:35:44.958
And financially,
it\'s just tough.
00:35:44.959 --> 00:35:46.374
I love you.
00:35:46.375 --> 00:35:49.208
I love you, too.
00:35:49.209 --> 00:35:52.082
I work at the Hyatt
as a cocktail server.
00:35:52.083 --> 00:35:54.625
It\'s fun, but it\'s exhausting.
00:35:54.626 --> 00:35:56.000
It takes a lot of you.
00:35:58.876 --> 00:36:00.750
I got two jobs.
00:36:00.751 --> 00:36:04.249
I work at Chipotle,
which is a Mexican grill.
00:36:04.250 --> 00:36:06.584
And the other job is
Movie and CD Exchange.
00:36:10.709 --> 00:36:12.249
I work in the morning.
00:36:12.250 --> 00:36:13.833
Go in at nine.
00:36:13.834 --> 00:36:16.458
Work until four, and then after
that go to a different job
00:36:16.459 --> 00:36:18.958
until 10:30 or 11.
00:36:18.959 --> 00:36:21.416
What we\'re just trying to
do is to survive and save up
00:36:21.417 --> 00:36:22.417
some money for school.
00:36:37.042 --> 00:36:39.917
We were planning to be in
Ecuador for just maybe six
00:36:39.918 --> 00:36:42.876
months, and then we ended up
actually staying for a year.
00:36:48.375 --> 00:36:50.500
We just wanted to go
there to visit family,
00:36:50.501 --> 00:36:53.541
and we ended up getting
the teaching job.
00:36:53.542 --> 00:36:54.542
[SPEAKING COFAN]
00:36:59.417 --> 00:37:02.459
They didn\'t have any teachers,
and the kids needed our help.
00:37:09.167 --> 00:37:10.998
I didn\'t feel like it
took that much for me
00:37:10.999 --> 00:37:14.166
to adapt into that
environment, because I\'d always
00:37:14.167 --> 00:37:17.625
been more of a tomboy, and
there\'s just a few things
00:37:17.626 --> 00:37:20.375
that Hugo had to teach me.
00:37:23.584 --> 00:37:27.082
As long as I could carry
my own load of laundry,
00:37:27.083 --> 00:37:29.875
and I made sure that
he was well fed,
00:37:29.876 --> 00:37:32.333
I was pretty much doing my job.
00:37:32.334 --> 00:37:34.584
And that was basically
all you really had to do.
00:37:37.125 --> 00:37:38.833
It\'s really that simple.
00:37:38.834 --> 00:37:40.416
And it was nice,
because you didn\'t
00:37:40.417 --> 00:37:41.708
have to worry about money.
00:37:41.709 --> 00:37:42.998
You weren\'t worrying
about paying the bills.
00:37:42.999 --> 00:37:44.792
You weren\'t worrying
about paying the rent.
00:37:48.542 --> 00:37:49.999
Sometimes we would
run out of food.
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:51.833
Or sometimes you go
hunting, or go fishing,
00:37:51.834 --> 00:37:54.333
but you don\'t always get enough.
00:37:54.334 --> 00:37:57.124
It\'s just different.
00:37:57.125 --> 00:37:59.374
And if you can\'t get used
to the weather, or the bugs,
00:37:59.375 --> 00:38:03.500
or the heat... the isolation,
you just can\'t really survive.
00:38:03.501 --> 00:38:06.041
I definitely did feel
lonely a lot of the time,
00:38:06.042 --> 00:38:10.541
because he would go off
and do his own thing.
00:38:10.542 --> 00:38:13.250
Sometimes I had to
just figure it out.
00:38:25.834 --> 00:38:29.083
He is completely different
when he is in the jungle.
00:38:31.959 --> 00:38:35.666
You just really see how hard
of a worker he is physically.
00:38:35.667 --> 00:38:38.750
If someone\'s building a house,
he\'s right there helping them.
00:38:38.751 --> 00:38:41.374
And he\'ll put his entire day
to help someone make sure
00:38:41.375 --> 00:38:43.417
that their house is
going to be finished.
00:38:58.667 --> 00:38:59.917
And we had a meeting.
00:38:59.918 --> 00:39:04.082
Everybody came in from
10 different communities.
00:39:04.083 --> 00:39:06.583
They elected me to be
the community development
00:39:06.584 --> 00:39:08.166
organizer.
00:39:08.167 --> 00:39:09.083
I accepted that role.
00:39:09.084 --> 00:39:11.166
I let them know that I
would be honored to try it,
00:39:11.167 --> 00:39:12.999
out and try to
represent my people,
00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:15.166
and try to get the
word out that there
00:39:15.167 --> 00:39:16.917
are Cofan people that need help.
00:39:16.918 --> 00:39:19.875
I love the politics
and just the ideas.
00:39:19.876 --> 00:39:20.876
I will be involved.
00:39:37.751 --> 00:39:38.250
Hey man.
00:39:38.250 --> 00:39:38.584
What\'s going on?
00:39:38.584 --> 00:39:39.042
How you doing?
00:39:39.042 --> 00:39:39.501
Nice to see you.
00:39:39.501 --> 00:39:39.667
Nice to see you.
00:39:39.667 --> 00:39:40.626
Than you for having me.
00:39:40.626 --> 00:39:41.250
Yeah it was good.
00:39:41.250 --> 00:39:42.167
I\'m glad you made it.
00:39:42.167 --> 00:39:42.667
Awesome.
00:39:42.667 --> 00:39:43.501
How was your trip?
00:39:43.501 --> 00:39:43.999
It was good.
00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:47.333
It was a little complicated
in Quito, but it was good.
00:39:47.334 --> 00:39:51.333
I was by David to participate in
the GAIA certified negotiation
00:39:51.334 --> 00:39:54.958
meeting, which is the first one.
00:39:54.959 --> 00:39:58.918
[MUSIC]
00:41:11.417 --> 00:41:13.958
My brothers and cousins.
00:41:13.959 --> 00:41:15.209
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:41:33.542 --> 00:41:35.374
So yeah, it was good
to... I haven\'t seen you
00:41:35.375 --> 00:41:37.208
in like three
years or something.
00:41:37.209 --> 00:41:39.291
It has been, man.
00:41:39.292 --> 00:41:42.458
I heard... I was a little
surprised that I heard you got
00:41:42.459 --> 00:41:44.791
married during that
time period after you...
00:41:44.792 --> 00:41:45.292
Yeah.
00:41:45.293 --> 00:41:47.041
I got married.
00:41:47.042 --> 00:41:48.500
I wouldn\'t be ready
to get married,
00:41:48.501 --> 00:41:49.667
so I\'m impress that you are.
00:41:52.999 --> 00:41:53.667
What can I say?
00:41:53.668 --> 00:41:55.374
I feel in love.
00:41:55.375 --> 00:41:57.875
Love is blind.
00:41:57.876 --> 00:41:58.751
That\'s true.
00:41:58.752 --> 00:42:00.666
Your time will come.
00:42:00.667 --> 00:42:01.750
Probably.
00:42:01.751 --> 00:42:02.999
Hopefully it will.
00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:04.750
I have a picture of
her if you want...
00:42:04.751 --> 00:42:07.625
Yeah, I\'d like to...
00:42:07.626 --> 00:42:09.875
Let\'s see if find the
right one, but I\'ve
00:42:09.876 --> 00:42:12.250
been taking a lot of
pictures of my family.
00:42:15.250 --> 00:42:18.500
She\'s half Lebanese.
00:42:18.501 --> 00:42:19.501
Beautiful.
00:42:19.501 --> 00:42:20.417
Thank you.
00:42:20.418 --> 00:42:21.625
Great.
00:42:21.626 --> 00:42:23.416
Well when I have a
photo of my wife,
00:42:23.417 --> 00:42:24.541
I will share with you too.
00:42:24.542 --> 00:42:25.666
I will appreciate that.
00:42:25.667 --> 00:42:27.082
Thank you.
00:42:27.083 --> 00:42:29.249
What are your experiences
with ayahuasca?
00:42:29.250 --> 00:42:30.998
The first time, what
did you think of it?
00:42:30.999 --> 00:42:33.124
I think the first I did
it I was 15... I was.
00:42:33.125 --> 00:42:34.541
I was 15.
00:42:34.542 --> 00:42:36.999
And I\'ve done it once or
twice a year since that.
00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:41.250
It\'s like 10 years of
psychotherapy in a night.
00:42:43.751 --> 00:42:47.082
Ayahuasca for me was something
grew up hearing about.
00:42:47.083 --> 00:42:49.541
And I\'ve had shamans
who have helped
00:42:49.542 --> 00:42:51.292
me heal when I was
sick when I was little.
00:42:54.626 --> 00:42:59.541
Shamans have told me that once
you are getting aware of what
00:42:59.542 --> 00:43:02.041
shamanism, or learning
about it, that you
00:43:02.042 --> 00:43:03.999
do start seeing visions.
00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:06.208
I\'ve seen it multiple
times, even to the point
00:43:06.209 --> 00:43:09.041
of seeing myself like half
of my face would be a jaguar
00:43:09.042 --> 00:43:12.082
and the other half would
be like an anaconda.
00:43:12.083 --> 00:43:15.833
And that\'s the belief that
the Cofans and many indigenous
00:43:15.834 --> 00:43:19.166
people have, that a shaman
can transform into anything
00:43:19.167 --> 00:43:20.667
if they were powerful enough.
00:43:36.042 --> 00:43:40.042
[MUSIC AND CHANTING]
00:45:04.167 --> 00:45:05.667
Not cool at all.
00:45:17.542 --> 00:45:18.292
Good morning.
00:45:18.293 --> 00:45:19.333
How are you feeling?
00:45:19.334 --> 00:45:21.998
I\'m doing OK.
00:45:21.999 --> 00:45:24.374
I\'m still feeling it actually.
00:45:24.375 --> 00:45:25.917
Trying to get over it.
00:45:25.918 --> 00:45:27.917
It was a strong batch.
00:45:27.918 --> 00:45:29.917
It was.
00:45:29.918 --> 00:45:32.500
Every time after I do
it once, it\'s like...
00:45:32.501 --> 00:45:34.875
This is the last time I do it.
00:45:34.876 --> 00:45:38.333
When wait six months
or so, then you
00:45:38.334 --> 00:45:39.958
realize it\'s important
to do it again.
00:45:39.959 --> 00:45:42.082
It\'s just such an
uncomfortable process.
00:45:42.083 --> 00:45:44.625
It\'s definitely not
a fun, happy process.
00:45:44.626 --> 00:45:45.626
No, it\'s not.
00:45:54.584 --> 00:45:56.666
I would say that the
ayahuasca and being a jungle
00:45:56.667 --> 00:45:59.166
will help me prepare for the
potentially difficult couple
00:45:59.167 --> 00:46:00.750
months that are
going to be happening
00:46:00.751 --> 00:46:02.792
with the beginning of
the negotiation process.
00:46:10.083 --> 00:46:11.958
I think I\'m ready
to enter it now,
00:46:11.959 --> 00:46:13.918
and I look forward
to see what happens.
00:46:30.751 --> 00:46:31.918
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:46:37.667 --> 00:46:40.082
So we\'ve reached a very,
very exciting stage
00:46:40.083 --> 00:46:42.541
where we\'re entering the
process of what we\'re actually
00:46:42.542 --> 00:46:44.334
negotiating what the
standard looks like.
00:46:51.542 --> 00:46:54.374
We had done months and months
and months of preparation,
00:46:54.375 --> 00:46:56.374
but you never know.
00:46:56.375 --> 00:46:57.501
People might not show up.
00:47:12.501 --> 00:47:13.501
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:47:29.542 --> 00:47:32.416
No one\'s ever tried what we were
doing because it\'s complicated.
00:47:32.417 --> 00:47:33.998
It\'s really difficult.
00:47:33.999 --> 00:47:35.666
This is the first
time in history
00:47:35.667 --> 00:47:40.082
that indigenous communities,
NGOs, oil companies,
00:47:40.083 --> 00:47:42.249
all these variety of
stakeholders who are generally
00:47:42.250 --> 00:47:45.249
in conflict, have been
able to sit at a table
00:47:45.250 --> 00:47:48.958
together to talk about,
in a collective way,
00:47:48.959 --> 00:47:50.542
to find solutions
to these problems.
00:47:53.999 --> 00:47:55.082
It means a lot.
00:47:55.083 --> 00:47:57.917
Since it has never
been done before,
00:47:57.918 --> 00:48:00.166
we\'re going to be working
hard along with GAIA
00:48:00.167 --> 00:48:04.041
and try to construct a very
strong standard to improve
00:48:04.042 --> 00:48:06.041
environmental practices
in oil production.
00:48:06.042 --> 00:48:14.042
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:48:16.918 --> 00:48:18.416
Getting certified
is something that
00:48:18.417 --> 00:48:21.625
could be very beneficial to the
people, but at the same time,
00:48:21.626 --> 00:48:25.291
it\'s really hard to tell
the people what exactly it\'s
00:48:25.292 --> 00:48:26.583
going to do.
00:48:26.584 --> 00:48:29.917
I was just glad I was even
invited to participate.
00:48:29.918 --> 00:48:31.791
For me it was all a
learning experience.
00:48:31.792 --> 00:48:39.792
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:49:05.999 --> 00:49:09.166
I think we have to send this
news to the wire services,
00:49:09.167 --> 00:49:11.708
because this is kind
of the first time
00:49:11.709 --> 00:49:13.791
that these groups meet together.
00:49:13.792 --> 00:49:16.416
Let\'s get that girl
to do a press release.
00:49:16.417 --> 00:49:17.958
I\'ll send it to Reuters.
00:49:17.959 --> 00:49:19.999
I\'ll send it to the oil
and gas thing of Forbes.
00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:21.333
We\'ll just send it to everyone.
00:49:21.334 --> 00:49:23.249
It\'s the launch that\'s
the most difficult.
00:49:23.250 --> 00:49:24.625
And we\'ve launched.
00:49:24.626 --> 00:49:26.333
We\'ve invested
almost $1.5 million.
00:49:26.334 --> 00:49:30.500
We\'re dealing with huge
amounts of conflict.
00:49:30.501 --> 00:49:34.082
The moment that you align black
oil and the sustainability
00:49:34.083 --> 00:49:36.625
conversation or the
responsibility conversation,
00:49:36.626 --> 00:49:39.917
people almost
universally say, Whoa!
00:49:39.918 --> 00:49:40.999
What are you talking about?
00:50:13.667 --> 00:50:16.875
Consumers don\'t know,
generally speaking,
00:50:16.876 --> 00:50:20.208
that the plastic based objects
that they use in their lives
00:50:20.209 --> 00:50:22.999
are actually derived from
petroleum, such as Nalgene
00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:26.998
water bottles, and contact
lenses, and pacemakers.
00:50:26.999 --> 00:50:29.416
Look at our process
of transitioning away
00:50:29.417 --> 00:50:30.750
from fossil fuels.
00:50:30.751 --> 00:50:35.208
Wind turbines, solar
panels, electric vehicles.
00:50:35.209 --> 00:50:39.041
Each of those things are
carbon based that the right now
00:50:39.042 --> 00:50:42.500
mean that to a develop or
to make those products,
00:50:42.501 --> 00:50:43.292
oil is needed.
00:50:43.293 --> 00:50:46.500
Manuel has taught
me so much, and then
00:50:46.501 --> 00:50:48.918
to be able to then work
with him is just fantastic.
00:52:33.167 --> 00:52:35.500
San Antonio was tough for us.
00:52:35.501 --> 00:52:37.750
We were both struggling.
00:52:37.751 --> 00:52:39.500
We were getting
paid minimum wage,
00:52:39.501 --> 00:52:42.416
and we were working
all day, every day.
00:52:42.417 --> 00:52:44.666
We couldn\'t get into school.
00:52:44.667 --> 00:52:47.666
We just couldn\'t afford it
with out of state tuition,
00:52:47.667 --> 00:52:50.166
so we end up running
back to the jungle.
00:52:50.167 --> 00:52:53.291
Because if we\'re not in
school, I would honestly rather
00:52:53.292 --> 00:52:54.626
be spending my time here.
00:53:01.417 --> 00:53:04.791
Well this is our work
in progress house.
00:53:04.792 --> 00:53:08.124
We\'ve been working on it little
over three months I would say.
00:53:08.125 --> 00:53:11.666
We like to try to
plant flowers or just
00:53:11.667 --> 00:53:13.416
some sort of medicinal plants.
00:53:13.417 --> 00:53:16.833
And we just got this staircase,
which I\'m really excited about.
00:53:16.834 --> 00:53:18.583
Because before we
didn\'t have a staircase,
00:53:18.584 --> 00:53:23.041
so we had to climb up these two
beams to get up into that hole
00:53:23.042 --> 00:53:23.584
up there.
00:53:23.585 --> 00:53:25.374
So that wasn\'t a lot of fun.
00:53:25.375 --> 00:53:26.416
Luckily nobody got hurt.
00:53:26.417 --> 00:53:27.417
Shush.
00:53:30.209 --> 00:53:33.374
This is our room.
00:53:33.375 --> 00:53:36.541
This would have been impossible
for us just to... even
00:53:36.542 --> 00:53:38.917
in the states, even if we
purchased a piece of property,
00:53:38.918 --> 00:53:40.500
you can\'t just build
a house like this.
00:53:40.501 --> 00:53:44.166
You have to meet all these
regulations, but here you can.
00:53:44.167 --> 00:53:46.958
If it falls down on you,
then that\'s your own fault.
00:53:46.959 --> 00:53:48.500
This is the straightest
view that you
00:53:48.501 --> 00:53:50.208
have all the way down river.
00:53:50.209 --> 00:53:51.917
But you can see
whoever is coming up,
00:53:51.918 --> 00:53:53.998
or if anybody is
in trouble, or...
00:53:53.999 --> 00:53:58.166
Or if there\'s a deer swimming
across the river and everyone
00:53:58.167 --> 00:54:00.000
grabs their guns
and runs for it.
00:54:03.000 --> 00:54:06.501
[MUSIC]
00:54:52.334 --> 00:54:52.834
Sit.
00:54:52.834 --> 00:54:53.834
Good girl.
00:55:08.792 --> 00:55:12.250
[BUGS BUZZING]
00:55:15.209 --> 00:55:18.751
[SHOT FIRED]
00:55:27.709 --> 00:55:33.167
[BIRDS CHIRPING AND INSECTS
BUZZING]
00:55:47.792 --> 00:55:48.751
You\'ve seen this one?
00:55:48.752 --> 00:55:51.750
Yeah these ones
are really yummy.
00:55:51.751 --> 00:55:52.209
Good job.
00:55:52.210 --> 00:55:54.917
I\'m going to go try
to get some more...
00:55:54.918 --> 00:55:57.166
If you can provide a lot
of meat for the family,
00:55:57.167 --> 00:56:01.041
then people do look up to you,
and want to listen to you,
00:56:01.042 --> 00:56:03.583
and have that sense of respect.
00:56:03.584 --> 00:56:05.041
Oh wow.
00:56:05.042 --> 00:56:07.458
You got three of them?
00:56:07.459 --> 00:56:09.500
He usually leaves at night.
00:56:09.501 --> 00:56:12.291
So I don\'t go with him
at night, because it\'s
00:56:12.292 --> 00:56:13.625
a little too dangerous.
00:56:13.626 --> 00:56:16.082
But he usually always brings
something home in the morning.
00:56:16.083 --> 00:56:18.291
But then he\'s so tired
because he\'s been up all night
00:56:18.292 --> 00:56:20.833
that he will just throw the
animal on the kitchen floor,
00:56:20.834 --> 00:56:24.082
and say I\'m hungry,
and go off to sleep.
00:56:24.083 --> 00:56:28.041
So I have to figure out how I\'m
going to prepare him a meal.
00:56:28.042 --> 00:56:30.250
But I definitely have had
some help from Hugo\'s mom.
00:56:37.501 --> 00:56:42.999
I think he has this
expectation that,
00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:46.500
because of the opportunities
he\'s had in the states,
00:56:46.501 --> 00:56:49.583
he should\'ve done more,
which he couldn\'t.
00:56:49.584 --> 00:56:51.666
He didn\'t have his residency
until we got married,
00:56:51.667 --> 00:56:53.249
so he wasn\'t legally
allowed to work.
00:56:53.250 --> 00:56:54.666
And it\'s not like
people were just
00:56:54.667 --> 00:56:56.833
handing him money to
take care of himself
00:56:56.834 --> 00:56:58.249
while he was in school.
00:56:58.250 --> 00:57:00.958
Some people here assume that, as
soon as you get to the States,
00:57:00.959 --> 00:57:03.458
you\'ll be making thousands
and thousands of dollars.
00:57:03.459 --> 00:57:07.666
But there you have to have car
insurance and health insurance
00:57:07.667 --> 00:57:09.625
and you pay all your bills.
00:57:09.626 --> 00:57:12.291
Your electric bills and your
water bill and your garbage
00:57:12.292 --> 00:57:12.959
bill.
00:57:12.960 --> 00:57:14.082
We usually come here broke.
00:57:14.083 --> 00:57:15.959
We usually come here
with absolutely nothing.
00:57:21.042 --> 00:57:24.542
[MUSIC AND TRAFFIC NOISE]
00:57:28.999 --> 00:57:31.459
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:57:37.417 --> 00:57:40.082
In the next month, we\'re
releasing the newest version
00:57:40.083 --> 00:57:40.792
of our standard.
00:57:40.793 --> 00:57:42.625
We\'re going directly
to wanting to implement
00:57:42.626 --> 00:57:44.166
it and pilot testing.
00:57:44.167 --> 00:57:46.875
We\'ve begun engaging with
a variety of oil and gas
00:57:46.876 --> 00:57:47.667
operators.
00:57:47.668 --> 00:57:49.708
And both Petroamazonas,
which is state
00:57:49.709 --> 00:57:53.666
owned oil company in Ecuador,
and Ivanhoe really immediately
00:57:53.667 --> 00:57:56.082
saw the need and the
importance for what we\'re doing
00:57:56.083 --> 00:57:58.166
and wanted to
participate in that.
00:57:58.167 --> 00:57:59.334
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
00:58:22.501 --> 00:58:24.583
They want to become a
world class operator.
00:58:24.584 --> 00:58:27.500
And we\'re not waiving
holy water on them
00:58:27.501 --> 00:58:29.208
and just because
they\'re participating
00:58:29.209 --> 00:58:30.334
means that they\'re perfect.
00:58:32.292 --> 00:58:34.833
There\'s a fine line
that one has to walk.
00:58:34.834 --> 00:58:36.875
The moment at which
stakeholders feel
00:58:36.876 --> 00:58:39.958
that we have greenwashed
an oil company,
00:58:39.959 --> 00:58:41.666
we are dead in the water.
00:58:41.667 --> 00:58:43.999
I like that it\'s also
this forward movement.
00:58:44.000 --> 00:58:46.458
See it\'s moving that way.
00:58:46.459 --> 00:58:48.875
So we went though about a year
and half planning process,
00:58:48.876 --> 00:58:52.166
and our name changed from
GAIA to EO, Equitable Origin.
00:58:52.167 --> 00:58:54.166
The reason I like
the word equitable
00:58:54.167 --> 00:58:57.625
so much is equitable
means equitable treatment
00:58:57.626 --> 00:58:59.083
of the environment
and communities.
00:59:04.918 --> 00:59:07.583
Rocks.
00:59:07.584 --> 00:59:09.458
How many do we have made?
00:59:09.459 --> 00:59:10.875
144.
00:59:10.876 --> 00:59:11.334
Wow.
00:59:11.334 --> 00:59:12.334
Look at this.
00:59:15.125 --> 00:59:16.583
The largest
networking opportunity
00:59:16.584 --> 00:59:18.166
in Ecuador in the
oil and gas industry
00:59:18.167 --> 00:59:19.625
is an annual golf tournament.
00:59:19.626 --> 00:59:22.333
We decided to become
a platinum sponsor.
00:59:22.334 --> 00:59:24.998
We\'re going to have every
oil executive in Ecuador
00:59:24.999 --> 00:59:26.333
hitting EO balls.
00:59:26.334 --> 00:59:28.917
They\'re going to be
teeing off with EO tees,
00:59:28.918 --> 00:59:31.791
and they\'re going to be fixing
their divots with EO divot
00:59:31.792 --> 00:59:32.792
removers.
01:00:00.167 --> 01:00:00.918
Hi, how are you?
01:00:00.918 --> 01:00:01.417
David, hi.
01:00:01.417 --> 01:00:02.250
So nice to meet you.
01:00:02.250 --> 01:00:02.918
Christina.
01:00:02.918 --> 01:00:03.709
Nice to meet you.
01:00:03.710 --> 01:00:05.416
Do you want to come
upstairs and we can talk?
01:00:05.417 --> 01:00:06.042
That\'d be great.
01:00:06.043 --> 01:00:08.750
Would you like
anything to drink?
01:00:08.751 --> 01:00:09.998
A water?
01:00:09.999 --> 01:00:11.042
I\'m good, thank you.
01:00:14.999 --> 01:00:17.291
So what happens when
there\'s a blowout.
01:00:17.292 --> 01:00:19.500
Petroecuador had a
blowout six months ago.
01:00:19.501 --> 01:00:24.416
And how do you address that with
any of your EO certifications?
01:00:24.417 --> 01:00:25.334
Our system...
01:00:25.335 --> 01:00:26.917
Have you guys even
though about that?
01:00:26.918 --> 01:00:28.458
Yes, absolutely.
01:00:28.459 --> 01:00:32.791
Our system seeks to
create and mitigate
01:00:32.792 --> 01:00:34.333
as many risks as possible.
01:00:34.334 --> 01:00:38.541
Frankly, I felt like
I was the bad guy,
01:00:38.542 --> 01:00:41.041
because I was wearing a tie.
01:00:41.042 --> 01:00:45.958
The irony of it is like
six years ago, or seven,...
01:00:45.959 --> 01:00:49.666
Longer eight, nine years
ago... I think, if anything,
01:00:49.667 --> 01:00:52.124
the work I was doing was more
in alignment with the way that
01:00:52.125 --> 01:00:53.416
probably she would feel.
01:00:53.417 --> 01:00:55.875
There are risks
associated with oil.
01:00:55.876 --> 01:01:00.458
It\'s a dirty, excuse me...
It\'s a complex, dangerous
01:01:00.459 --> 01:01:02.416
industrial business.
01:01:02.417 --> 01:01:04.999
And I think what we have
done through our system
01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:08.791
is there are clear mechanisms
that are in place, that
01:01:08.792 --> 01:01:11.875
can be put in place, to ensure
that those accidents do not
01:01:11.876 --> 01:01:15.082
happen, and if those accidents
do happen, that that company is
01:01:15.083 --> 01:01:17.791
prepared to address those
issues in an appropriate way.
01:01:17.792 --> 01:01:19.666
Isn\'t that the
role of government?
01:01:19.667 --> 01:01:20.791
The role of the government?
01:01:20.792 --> 01:01:21.459
Yeah.
01:01:21.460 --> 01:01:23.542
Isn\'t that the role of the
government to regulate?
01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:29.708
I wish that was reality.
01:01:29.709 --> 01:01:32.041
I wish there was an EPA Ecuador.
01:01:32.042 --> 01:01:36.333
I wish there was rigorous
environmental regulation
01:01:36.334 --> 01:01:38.750
in many developing countries
or emerging market economies,
01:01:38.751 --> 01:01:40.291
but that\'s not the reality.
01:01:40.292 --> 01:01:43.458
Governmental law is
not where it should be.
01:01:43.459 --> 01:01:47.374
And it\'s fundamentally
irresponsible
01:01:47.375 --> 01:01:49.791
that we\'re not offering
communities and the environment
01:01:49.792 --> 01:01:54.500
an opportunity in which
that lack of regulation
01:01:54.501 --> 01:01:56.458
can be supplemented.
01:01:56.459 --> 01:01:57.958
For example, do you
think a consumer
01:01:57.959 --> 01:02:00.833
in Bay Area California would be
interested in supporting better
01:02:00.834 --> 01:02:02.416
practices in the oil
and gas industry?
01:02:02.417 --> 01:02:04.333
Of course they would.
01:02:04.334 --> 01:02:05.917
Who wouldn\'t?
01:02:05.918 --> 01:02:09.500
It\'s just a piece of the puzzle.
01:02:09.501 --> 01:02:10.750
It\'s not really the solution.
01:02:10.751 --> 01:02:12.082
That\'s for sure.
01:02:12.083 --> 01:02:15.917
I think the solution
is in reducing
01:02:15.918 --> 01:02:17.666
our consumptive lifestyle.
01:02:17.667 --> 01:02:21.124
And I think that\'s
really where the nexus is
01:02:21.125 --> 01:02:23.500
between indigenous communities
and the developed world,
01:02:23.501 --> 01:02:24.708
is because they know better.
01:02:24.709 --> 01:02:25.998
It was really nice to meet you.
01:02:25.999 --> 01:02:26.959
I appreciate it.
01:02:26.959 --> 01:02:27.959
Likewise.
01:02:37.334 --> 01:02:38.750
For some reason I
feel like I have
01:02:38.751 --> 01:02:41.167
to fight with the oil companies.
01:02:44.876 --> 01:02:46.999
They tend to separate people.
01:02:47.000 --> 01:02:49.333
People want jobs.
01:02:49.334 --> 01:02:54.291
But really we just want
to maintain the forest.
01:02:54.292 --> 01:02:56.709
It has everything for us,
everything that we need.
01:02:59.918 --> 01:03:05.998
We are at Santa Elena, and
this operation began in 2009.
01:03:05.999 --> 01:03:09.416
As soon as the oil company began
negotiating with the community
01:03:09.417 --> 01:03:12.833
here, they started
putting up the fence,
01:03:12.834 --> 01:03:15.333
and basically it\'s theirs.
01:03:15.334 --> 01:03:17.500
And it\'s all private.
01:03:17.501 --> 01:03:21.291
I can never, or any Cofans
cannot go in there and ask
01:03:21.292 --> 01:03:24.708
a question or see what they
have going on in there.
01:03:24.709 --> 01:03:27.249
All this river, this
was on Cofan lands.
01:03:27.250 --> 01:03:28.998
Nobody had land titles.
01:03:28.999 --> 01:03:31.666
We still don\'t, but
it was more respected
01:03:31.667 --> 01:03:33.500
for having communities.
01:03:33.501 --> 01:03:35.625
But this is going to be
here for the next 20 years,
01:03:35.626 --> 01:03:37.625
and we\'re never going
to get to use it.
01:03:37.626 --> 01:03:39.833
Who knows what they\'re
going to do at the end.
01:03:39.834 --> 01:03:41.500
These are the big guys.
01:03:41.501 --> 01:03:42.292
The oil companies.
01:03:42.292 --> 01:03:43.209
Petroamazonas.
01:03:43.210 --> 01:03:47.999
And this is what gets the
Ecuadorian money flowing.
01:03:54.042 --> 01:03:57.501
[HELICOPTER SOUNDS]
01:04:10.250 --> 01:04:11.250
[SPEAKING COFAN]
01:04:24.999 --> 01:04:28.999
The dispute was because,
once the oil company came in,
01:04:29.000 --> 01:04:32.124
it was all false promises,
and we\'ll do this for you,
01:04:32.125 --> 01:04:34.416
and we\'ll pay you this amount.
01:04:34.417 --> 01:04:37.708
And then at the end, they
brought in military guys.
01:04:37.709 --> 01:04:39.917
And they were able to
scare the Quichuas,
01:04:39.918 --> 01:04:42.751
and they will do the
same thing to us.
01:05:47.334 --> 01:05:49.958
Yeah, but the Aguarico
is tiny compared to this.
01:05:49.959 --> 01:05:50.542
It is tiny.
01:05:50.543 --> 01:05:53.374
This is huge.
01:05:53.375 --> 01:05:55.333
Would you say it\'s pretty deep?
01:05:55.334 --> 01:05:58.833
It\'s pretty deep, yeah.
01:05:58.834 --> 01:06:01.374
We swam across the
Agaurico yesterday.
01:06:01.375 --> 01:06:02.625
We could not swim across this.
01:06:02.626 --> 01:06:03.626
No way!
01:06:08.918 --> 01:06:12.334
[MUSIC]
01:06:32.083 --> 01:06:33.083
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
01:06:50.417 --> 01:06:54.876
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
01:07:36.751 --> 01:07:38.083
That\'s a really important point.
01:07:43.334 --> 01:07:44.834
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
01:07:57.167 --> 01:08:01.124
[MUSIC]
01:08:01.125 --> 01:08:04.083
[MACHINERY NOISE]
01:08:12.999 --> 01:08:15.416
Regionally, in terms of what\'s
happening in the Block 15
01:08:15.417 --> 01:08:18.750
Panacocha area is
really an example
01:08:18.751 --> 01:08:21.416
within the Americas of
best industry practices.
01:08:21.417 --> 01:08:23.958
These are basically
offshore oil operations
01:08:23.959 --> 01:08:25.333
in the middle of the jungle.
01:08:25.334 --> 01:08:26.833
They think the
envelope still needs
01:08:26.834 --> 01:08:28.917
to be pushed regarding
the social side of it.
01:08:28.918 --> 01:08:31.708
I think our system can
really help establish what
01:08:31.709 --> 01:08:33.666
does real community
engagement look like.
01:08:33.667 --> 01:08:35.875
It doesn\'t look like the
intimidation of them.
01:08:35.876 --> 01:08:39.833
With what\'s going on with
my people in my home,
01:08:39.834 --> 01:08:42.124
in my community, is
that Petroamazonas
01:08:42.125 --> 01:08:44.124
is operating in
Santa Elena, which
01:08:44.125 --> 01:08:46.166
is kind of the outskirts
of the Cuyabeno reserve.
01:08:46.167 --> 01:08:51.958
And we\'ve never really been part
of this whole operation that\'s
01:08:51.959 --> 01:08:52.959
been going on.
01:08:52.960 --> 01:08:55.998
Indigenous people are completely
shut off from everything
01:08:55.999 --> 01:08:56.792
from operations.
01:08:56.793 --> 01:09:00.583
And so I feel that, especially
the Cofans, the mindset
01:09:00.584 --> 01:09:02.998
that they have is
that nobody really
01:09:02.999 --> 01:09:04.583
knows what\'s going on out there.
01:09:04.584 --> 01:09:08.166
And we have had a bad
experience in the past.
01:09:08.167 --> 01:09:10.583
And so how are they going
to tell us wonderful things
01:09:10.584 --> 01:09:14.998
that they\'re working on and try
to convince the people, which
01:09:14.999 --> 01:09:17.875
creates a division
within the communities.
01:09:17.876 --> 01:09:20.625
But no Cofan leader
has come to see
01:09:20.626 --> 01:09:24.082
or has understood
exactly... and the care
01:09:24.083 --> 01:09:26.584
that they are trying with
the modern technology.
01:09:29.584 --> 01:09:30.501
This is the first time.
01:09:30.502 --> 01:09:34.999
I\'m just a shock to really
see what\'s going on.
01:09:35.000 --> 01:09:38.501
[MUSIC]
01:11:10.083 --> 01:11:14.333
For as long as we can remember,
they\'ve been taking out oil.
01:11:14.334 --> 01:11:18.041
And that goes to
cities, or... we don\'t
01:11:18.042 --> 01:11:19.249
know where that money goes.
01:11:19.250 --> 01:11:21.791
And we should be the ones who
are the ones having the best
01:11:21.792 --> 01:11:24.998
education in the
world, best resources,
01:11:24.999 --> 01:11:27.375
but we\'re left with dump.
01:11:37.834 --> 01:11:39.958
I went to the U.S. to go
to school, a little bit
01:11:39.959 --> 01:11:43.583
after I left my two younger
brothers, Klever and Jhon,
01:11:43.584 --> 01:11:45.541
they moved to Quito
to go to school
01:11:45.542 --> 01:11:46.751
and get education in Spanish.
01:11:51.667 --> 01:11:55.082
[HOLA!] Ciana is my only
sister of the family.
01:11:55.083 --> 01:11:57.917
She is going to
school in the city.
01:11:57.918 --> 01:11:59.999
There\'s a lot of
pressure for her,
01:12:00.000 --> 01:12:02.750
because she is a girl,
for her to get the best
01:12:02.751 --> 01:12:03.834
education that she can.
01:12:07.334 --> 01:12:12.875
Now she\'s speaking fluent
Spanish, and she\'s confident.
01:12:12.876 --> 01:12:15.583
She\'s adapting to the lifestyle.
01:12:15.584 --> 01:12:17.416
And I just hope
that she does keep
01:12:17.417 --> 01:12:21.999
that Cofan-ness or that
culture, our language,
01:12:22.000 --> 01:12:24.208
and that she doesn\'t forget it.
01:12:24.209 --> 01:12:27.458
I mean we are the experiment
of the Cofan people.
01:12:27.459 --> 01:12:30.666
And for my sister, I was hoping
for to get the best education,
01:12:30.667 --> 01:12:34.500
so she can be a
spokesperson for the women.
01:12:34.501 --> 01:12:36.625
I think it will be an
amazing opportunity for her,
01:12:36.626 --> 01:12:38.333
but, at the same time,
a lot of pressure.
01:12:38.334 --> 01:12:39.751
And I understand what it\'s like.
01:12:53.792 --> 01:12:56.416
If you really categorize
every obstacle that we have,
01:12:56.417 --> 01:12:58.541
it\'s like a mountain that\'s
impossible to get over.
01:12:58.542 --> 01:12:59.958
There\'s so many
issues... industry
01:12:59.959 --> 01:13:02.249
not accepting what we\'re
doing on a wide scale.
01:13:02.250 --> 01:13:04.958
Communities feeling that
the standards are too low.
01:13:04.959 --> 01:13:07.666
Governments not wanting
to deal with another set
01:13:07.667 --> 01:13:08.998
of voluntary standards.
01:13:08.999 --> 01:13:11.750
Consumers not wanting
to buy the product.
01:13:11.751 --> 01:13:14.458
A laundry list of all the
obstacles that we have.
01:13:14.459 --> 01:13:16.124
And I don\'t really
look at them as fears.
01:13:16.125 --> 01:13:19.458
I look at them as things that we
need to find ways to overcome.
01:13:19.459 --> 01:13:21.458
I don\'t really have
failure in my mind.
01:13:21.459 --> 01:13:22.959
I don\'t consider failure.
01:13:32.042 --> 01:13:34.041
I always have responsibilities.
01:13:34.042 --> 01:13:36.833
But my job is to represent the
people to the outside world
01:13:36.834 --> 01:13:39.208
and explain it, or to at
least let people know.
01:13:39.209 --> 01:13:40.998
Get them aware that
there are Cofan people.
01:13:40.999 --> 01:13:44.583
We do exist, and we\'re
fighting to survive.
01:13:44.584 --> 01:13:47.082
We have fought for the
longest time to exist,
01:13:47.083 --> 01:13:51.333
and a lot of people didn\'t think
that we were going to exist.
01:13:51.334 --> 01:13:53.999
But we must be doing
something right.
01:13:57.876 --> 01:14:00.541
My dream is to lead the
people, and then I\'ll
01:14:00.542 --> 01:14:02.082
be happy with my life.
01:14:02.083 --> 01:14:02.918
I\'ll be here.
01:14:02.919 --> 01:14:06.000
This is where you\'re
going to find me someday.
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 78 minutes
Date: 2014
Genre: Expository
Language: Not available / English subtitles
Grade: 10-12, College, Adults
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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