SUMMARY

The Tagaeri (also Taegueri) are a subgroup of the Huaorani ethno-linguistic community, which lives in the lowlands in the Amazonian region in Ecuador. The Tagaeri live in extreme isolation in remote jungle areas in the Pastaza province. The group is very small, with different sources estimating their numbers between 30 and 250 people at the beginning of the 21st century.

The Tagaeri decided to break away from the main Huaorani community in the 1980s, after increased oil exploitation led to displacement of indigenous groups and increased contact with non-Huaoranis. While the main group of Huaorani people reportedly established a working relationship with oil companies and other ‘outsiders’, the Tagaeri sought isolation in more remote areas close to the border with Peru. According to reports, their decision to separate from the main group was also motivated by intra-group feuding. In 1999, a Tagaeri Zone was established to protect the group from outside contact. The Tagaeri are sometimes grouped together with another small self-isolated community, the Taromenani, who are also a Huaorani subgroup and are said to live in the same region.

The Tagaeri community has been described as extremely hostile to those who threaten their self-isolation, and have been implicated in several attacks on missionaries, oil workers and others venturing into their territory. They have also reportedly been involved in non-state conflict with other ethnic groups and with the main group of the Huaorani people. In violent conflict with other groups, Huaorani warriors have traditionally used spears as weapons.

The Tagaeri have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.