Operation Auca was an attempt by five
Evangelical Christian missionaries from the
United States to bring Christianity to the
Huaorani people of the
rain forest of
Ecuador. The Huaorani, also known by the pejorative Aucas (a modification of
awqa, the
Quechua word for "savages"), were an isolated tribe known for their violence, against both their own people and outsiders who entered their territory. With the intention of being the first Christians to
evangelize the previously
uncontacted Huaorani, the missionaries began making regular flights over Huaorani settlements in September 1955, dropping gifts, which were reciprocated. After several months of exchanging gifts, on January 3, 1956, the missionaries established a camp at "Palm Beach", a
sandbar along the
Curaray River, a few kilometers from Huaorani settlements. Their efforts came to an end on January 8, 1956, when all five—
Jim Elliot,
Nate Saint,
Ed McCully,
Peter Fleming, and
Roger Youderian—were attacked and
speared by a group of Huaorani warriors. The news of their deaths was broadcast around the world, and
Life magazine covered the event with a photo essay.