Exploration for oil, which had by now been going on for almost forty years, had become a real threat to Waorani lands. Through the sixties and seventies, many international companies were becoming involved, working in increased safety since so many Waorani had been persuaded to move off the land to the Protectorate. Although Tagae's group continued to kill all who came near, he and the other remaining isolationist Waorani groups were losing ground. The oil companies would soon penetrate Waorani lands everywhere, cutting a criss-cross network of trails every kilometre or so.

Waorani Amazon Expedition 1983

As outsiders continued their relentless advance on to Waorani lands, Jim decided it was time to document the traditional way of life of Caempaede's group on film before it was too late. Fifty-year old Caempaede was still living as his ancestors had for generations untold, although now in peace rather than in war. His community still hunted with blowguns and spears, planted gardens, relied heavily upon kin relationships for survival, and held a thorough and deep understanding of their environment.

Caempaede's group were still a people who were living in perfect equilibrium with the forest, which in turn provided everything they needed for their daily lives. But for how much longer this traditional life would continue was difficult to predict.

Jim worked with a team from the BBC in 1982 to film a short sequence on the Waorani for David Attenborough's "Living Planet" series. Then, by chance, Jim was contacted by Grant Behrman, a South African living in the USA, who wanted to organise an expedition in 1983 to visit the Waorani. It seemed a good opportunity to make a full length documentary film, and the BBC again became involved. The American Museum of Natural History in New York wanted to create an exhibit on the Waorani so the task of making a collection of traditional artefacts was added to the expedition's agenda. A medical study was also undertaken. It became a huge project and Jim was concerned about the sociological impact of a team of seven cowode with a mountain of equipment descending on a small community of Waorani.

Grant Behrman, rio Cononaco, Ecuador, 1983

In order to maintain some control over the intrusion, the expedition made an independent camp some distance away from Caempaede's community on the banks of the river Cononaco. All the equipment and personnel were ferried in by light aircraft from the Missionary Aviation Fellowship based at Shell Mera to the oil company airstrip and then by inflatable rubber boat to the camp site. Once established the team waited for the Waorani to visit, hoping that it would not be a raiding party in the middle of the night. No doubt the activities of the cowode were observed continuously from behind a screen of forest foliage, but, on the third day, during the afternoon, some Waorani appeared in full view on the opposite bank of the river and stayed for some fifteen minutes, before disappearing into the forest once more. The following day, a party of Waorani calmly walked into the cowode camp and made themselves at home, lying in hammocks, examining equipment and closely watching activities. For Jim, this was a critical moment, but his presence signalled to the Waorani that they were among friends and the meeting was calm and peaceful. The following day, the cowode paid a reciprocal visit to one of the traditional houses where several families lived. It was another peaceful encounter and now the work could begin. The expedition team stayed with Caempaede's group for a month documenting their daily lives, hunts, crafts, relationships and gardening activities. The material was edited into three film productions: "Waorani - The Last People" (BBC), "Nomads of the Rain Forest" (WGBH Nova), and "Waorani" (ABC). Jim had mixed feelings about the project; on the one hand, his primary motivation in making the film was to present the issue of the need to protect Wao land from encroachment and loss, to try to get the International community to recognize the tenuous situation the Waorani were in; and he also knew that unless the documentary was made, there would be no archival film record of Waorani traditional life. On the other hand, however, he knew that many people would see the film and would therefore want to visit the Waorani, with all the risks that uncontrolled contact and diseases might bring.

Adrian Warren

Hugh Maynard filming Karowae

Minimo with Joel Rettig