Ecuador has many different Indian tribes. Here are three from Ecuador’s three different land regions.

Otavalo Indians sell their merchandise around the world – you might have seen them! They are very good business people and are easy to spot by the traditional clothes they wear. The women braid their dark hair and wear many necklaces (usually gold bead) with brightly embroidered blouses and wool skirts and sandals. The men also wear their hair back in a braid, with a hat, white trousers, ponchos and sandals. The Otavaleņos, as they are called in Spanish, are good weavers too! They often use llama wool to make sweaters, blankets and even cuddly teddy bears! Most Otavaleņos live in the mountain region of Ecuador, near the town of Otavalo.

The Colorado Indians live in the jungle area near the coast. Many of them work on banana or cacao (chocolate) plantations. Because it is much warmer down by the coast, they don’t wear all of the warm clothes that the mountain Indians do. They also do something unusual with their hair! The men mix clay and a few other ingredients together and spread it in their hair. When the mixture dries, it looks like they are wearing an orange cap!

The Waorani Indians live in Ecuador’s eastern jungle. For a long time they had no contact outside their tribe because they thought other people were cannibals! And everyone else thought they were savages! In fact, the Waoranis used to be called Aucas which means "savages."