Myth of Oil as Sacred Blood Debunked

The popular story that an Indigenous tribe believes oil is the blood of a sacred being was

actually invented in 1998. The Cofán people of Ecuador are famous for fighting big

oil. Many Westerners think it's because they believe oil is the blood of

a mythical underground creature, the coancoan. But an anthropologist who spent years

with them found out it's way more complicated. Most Cofán are actually unsure about this

and even joke about the coancoan. A Cofán elder even admitted they came up with the "oil

is blood" idea during a protest to explain their struggle to outsiders. Their real fight

against pollution and sickness often gets ignored for this more romantic story.