"Auca" Incident - Collection 599

1 Box (DC) Audio tapes, comic book, film, filmstrips, oversize materials, phonograph records, postage stamps, video tape (0.51 cubic feet)

Brief Description: Materials documenting the martyrdom of five American missionaries in Ecuador by the Huaorani Indians in 1956, the response by Protestant evangelical Christians in the United States, and later missionary work with the Indians by Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot. Collection includes audio tapes, comic book, film, filmstrips, oversize materials, phonograph records, postage stamps, and video tape.

Chronology of Events
	The Huaorani Indians were a small, isolated stone age tribe living in the jungles of eastern Ecuador. Also known as “Aucas” (the Quechua word for “naked savages”). They were noted for their violence against their own people and outsiders who ventured into their territory
Late 1940s	Dayuma, a young Huaorani Indian flees from her village after her father and other relatives are speared by other Huaoranis
1950s	Jim Elliot first hears of the Huaorani Indians. He an Pete Fleming travel to Ecuador and are later joined by Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian. They plan to reached to Huaoranis with the Christian Gospel
September 1955	First sighting of a Huaorani settlement by Nate Saint from his Mission Aviation Fellowship airplane
January 2, 1956	Five missionaries set up camp on a sandy beach which they named, “Palm Beach,” on the Curaray River
January 6, 1956	Two Huaorani women, Gimade (nicknamed “Delilah” by the missionaries) and Mintake and a young Huaorani man, Nenkiwi (nicknamed “George”) visit with the missionaries at Palm Beach
January 8, 1956	Five missionaries speared and killed by six Huaorani Indians
January 12-13, 1956	Missionaries bodies are discovered and buried the next day by the United States Air Force Air Rescue Service and a group of missionaries, guides, and soldiers.
January 1956	HCJB broadcasts the first reports of what becomes know as the “Auca Incident” to the world. (“Auca” is a derogatory term used for Huaorani by their enemies. It means “savage.”) The story received wide coverage in religious and secular press.
January 30, 1956	Life magazine article, “‘Go Ye and Preach the Gospel’ Five Do and Die” with extensive coverage of the death of the missionaries. The article includes several photos taken by Life photographer Cornell Capa.
October 1956	Wheaton College renames two student buildings James Edward Elliot Hall, and Nathanael Saint Hall
1956	Five Missionary Martyrs Fund established by the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies "to provide for the widows and fatherless children of the brave missionaries martyred in the jungles of Ecuador"
1957	Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot is published. Tells the story of the efforts of five missionaries to reach the Huaorani Indians with the Christian gospel and the deaths
September-October 1958	Radio station HCJB in Quite, Ecuador the Back Home Hour program about the initial contact and beginnings of the work with the Huaorani Indians
September 1958	Dayuma returns to Huaorani village with two Huaorani Indian women, Nintoca and Mintamo, and later they come back to Arajuno, Ecuador with ten others. They report the Huaorani are friendly and invite Rachel Saint and Betty Elliot to come and permanently live with them
October 1958	Rachel Saint and Betty Elliot with her daughter Valerie travel to the Huaorani settlement and live there. Elliot for a few years and Saint for the rest of her life.
1958-	Conversion of several Huaorani men (Dyuwi, Gikita, Kimo, Mincaye) who participated in the killing of the missionaries
1958	Operation Auca by Fay Smart
1959	Jungle Pilot: the Life and Witness of Nate Saint by Russel Hitt
1960	The Dayuma Story by Ethel Wallis
1961	Elisabeth Elliot’s book The Savage is My Kinsman is published.
1963	The film I Saw Aucas Pray produced by Kent Films, Inc.
1966	Yaeti Kimo and Gikita Komi (Huaorani Indians) gave their testimonies at the World Congress on Evangelism in Berlin
1970	Kathy and Steve Saint, children of Nate Saint, baptized by Dyuwi and Kimo in the Curaray River
1978	Journals of Jim Elliot edited by Elisabeth Elliot is published
1989	Shadow of the Almighty : the Life & Testament of Jim Elliot, by Elisabeth Elliot
1990	Unfolding Destinies: the Untold Story of Peter Fleming and the Auca Mission by Olive Fleming Liefeld
Nov. 11, 1994	Rachel Saint died in Quito, Ecuador and was buried in Toñampade, Ecuador where she had lived with the Huaorani
1995-1996	Steve Saint and his family live with the Huaoranis and help build an airport and a hospital
September 16, 1996	Steve Saint’s article, Did They Have to Die?, in Christianity Today magazine
ca. 1990s	Steve Saint established I-TEC (Indigenous People’s Technology & Educational Center) to assist the “hidden” church in its journey toward independence
2000	Steve Saint accompanies Huaoranis Indiana Mincaye and Tementa who give their testimonies at the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists (Amsterdam 2000)
2005	Steve Saints’s book End of the Spear is published and film by the same title is released

[Note: In the Scope & Content section, the notation “folder 2-5" means “Box 2, Folder 5"]

The materials in this collection relate to the “Auca” Incident and were given to the Archives. Their arrangement was by the processing archivist. The documents relay the efforts to reach the Huaorani Indians of Ecuador with the Christian gospel, the deaths of five American missionaries, response of American evangelicals, and continued ministry by Rachel Saint.

Type of documents: Comic book, postage stamps, magazine and newspaper clippings, transcripts

Subjects: Ecuador, Elisabeth Elliot, Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, Rachel Saint, Huaorani Indians, Roger Youderian

Notes: Transcripts for two audio tapes (T1, T2) and filmstrips, Mid-Century Martyrs (FS1) and Unforgettable Friday (FS1), are in folder 1-4. These transcripts relate the story about the lives and martyrdom of the five missionaries. Folder 1-2 contains one envelope (no letter) addressed to Mr. H. Garfield of Birmingham, Michigan from E. McCully in Quito, Ecuador. It was postmarked March 28, no year visible. Oversize folder OS40 contains clippings about the death of the missionaries and the work of Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot with the Aucas. A set of five mint Ecuador commemorative postage stamps in honor of the five missionaries are in folder 1-3. A Spire Christian Comics, Through Gates of Splendor, from Fleming H. Revell Company is based on Elisabeth Elliot’s book by the same name is in folder 1-1.

Exceptional items: A complete copy of the January 30, 1956 issue of Life magazine featuring the death of the missionaries is in OS40.

Type of documents: Audio tapes, film, filmstrips, phonograph records, video tapes

Subjects: Ecuador, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, Pete and Olive Fleming, Ed and Marilou McCully, Mission Aviation Fellowship, Nate and Marj Saint, Rachel Saint, Huaorani Indians, Roger and Barbara Youderian

Notes: Filmstrips Mid-Century Martyrs (FS1) and Unforgettable Friday (FS2) have accompanying audio tapes (T1, T2) and transcripts (folder 1-4). Mid-Century Martyrs is about the lives and martyrdom of the five missionaries and Unforgettable Friday, narrated by Marj Saint, tells the story of Nate Saint and his family, missionary work with Mission Aviation Fellowship and involvement in Operation Auca. Filmstrip FS2 has a second section spliced onto it titled, World of Opportunity, which is produced by MAF and is a promotional piece about the work on MAF. There is no audio tape or transcript for this section.

Exceptional items: Audio tape T3 contains six episodes of the Back Home Hour programs broadcasted on radio station HCJB. All but the first one is narrated by Marj Saint, widow of Nate Saint.

1. Narration by unnamed individual. Dayuma travel to the Huaorani settlement three weeks before along with two other Huaoranis, Nintoca and Mintamo. Later the group returns to Arajuno with other Huaoranis and report they were received in a friendly manner. They gave information about Nenkiwi “George,” who was killed by other Huaoranis. September 29, 1958, about 4½ minutes

2. The history of Operation “Auca” is given along with information on the current contact with the Huaoranis. Return of Dayuma and others to Huaoranis settlement. Nenkiwi’s wife mentioned that according to tribal custom, she strangled her child, and placed her in the grave with him. October 5, 1958, about 10 minutes.

3. Betty Elliot and her daughter, Valerie, and Rachel Saint and Huaoranis travel to the Huaorani settlement. October 12, 1958, about 3 minutes.

4 Reports from both Elliot and Saint who just arrived at the Huaorani village are read. October 19, 1958, about 2 ½ minutes.

5. Saint reads portions of Elliot’s letter about life in Huaoraniland: living conditions, foods, Valerie’s adaptation to village life and meeting the men who killed her father, describes death of missionaries, and death and burial of Nenkiwi. November 2, 1958, about 8 minutes.

6. Marj Saint reads a report from Rachel Saint titled, “Night Life.” November 9, 1958, about 5 minutes.

Audio tape T4 is a HCJB Memorial radio program for Five Martyrs on the 3^rd anniversary of their deaths. It was broadcasted from Quito, Ecuador on the Back Home Hour on radio station HCJB, January 11, 1959. The sound is scratchy and fades in and out. Program consists of musical numbers including solos by Joe Springer, missionary to Ecuador, and short messages by Fred and Clara Elliot (parents of Jim Elliot) and Betty Elliot.

The film (F1), I Saw Aucas Pray, was produced by Kent Films, Inc. and is narrated by Rachel Saint and her brother, Phil. It begins with a brief dramatization of radio reports about the missionaries deaths in Ecuador, and continues with scenes of Huaorani village life after Rachel Saint and Betty Elliot arrived including construction of a home and an air strip, church worship service, Quito street scenes, arrival of Phil Saint who relates his feelings upon landing at the village, Huaoranis gathering, hunting, and fishing, Bible translating by Rachel assisted by Dayuma, Huaoranis being taught to read their own language, Phil Saint giving an evangelistic message by chalk drawing, baptism of nine Huaoranis, arrival at Palm Beach were Gikita explains events of the day when the missionaries died, praying over the graves, individual and group shots of the five surviving Huaoranis (Mintake, Mincaye, Dyuwi, Gikita, Kimo) who took part in the attack. Film ends with these encouraging words, how can I doubt the power of God to reach the down river group [Huaoranis] when I saw Aucas pray on Palm Beach.

Video tape V1, Rachel Saint and the Aucas, is a Day of Discovery television program produced by Radio Bible Class. It gives the history of the missionaries attempts to reach the Huaoranis and their martyrdom. Includes interview clips with Rachel Saint, and the Huaoranis Gikita, Kimo, Dyuwi, Dayuma.

The Auca Story phonograph records (P1-P3) present a documented retelling of the events from September 1955 to July 1962 in Ecuador. Includes voices of the five widows, three of their children (Valerie Elliot, Kathy and Steve Saint), Rachel Saint, Clarence Jones, Dr. V. Raymond Edman, Abe Van Der Puy, Dr. Wilfred Tidmarsh, and others.

Several other collections in the BGC Archives have information about the Auca incident including Collection 113 - Records of BGEA: Films and Video Tapes, Collection 165 - Records of the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies (EFMA), Collection 136 - Records of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and Collection 277 - Papers of Philip James Elliot. After the deaths of the missionaries EFMA set up the Five Missionary Martyrs Fund to “provide for the widows and fatherless children.” A decade of Nate Saint’s correspondence is in the MAF collection.

The materials in this collection were given to the Archives of the Billy Graham Center by Ruth Mellis in October 1981, Olga Kruck in March 1988, Radio Bible Class in February 1993, Robert Johnson in May 1993, Harold Cook, Jr. in March 1995, David Kucharsky in December 1998, Robert Carlson in May 2002, and James Mann, Jr. in December 2002.

Accession: 81-118, 88-21, 93-25, 93-73, 95-8, 95-52, 98-81, 02-39.
February 20, 2008
Wayne D. Weber

Item# - Reel or cassette, speed, length, number of sides, contents (title of session, participants) according to the program, date.

The Archives has one copy of each film, in 16mm format, unless otherwise noted. The following items are in the FILM FILE:

The following items are located in the FILMSTRIP FILE. Request by the FS number at the beginning of each entry below.

The following items are in the OVERSIZE FILE. Request by collection number and folder location (in parentheses).

Life magazine, January 30, 1956, contains the story of the five missionaries martyred in Ecuador, “‘Go Ye and Preach the Gospel’ Five Do and Die.”

Sunday Midwest Magazine of the Chicago Sun-Times, contains Part 1 of 4 of the “Faith Beyond Fear” series about how a missionary wife (Elisabeth Elliot) returned to forgive her husband’s jungle slayers. March 8, 1959.

Sunday Midwest Magazine of the Chicago Sun-Times, contains Part 2 of 4 of the “Faith Beyond Fear” series about the five missionaries and their meeting with the Aucas on Palm Beach. March 15, 1959.

Chicago Daily News, “How Missionaries Died as Martyrs,” includes individual photos of the missionaries, January 21, 1956.

Chicago American, “Died Martyr, Says Dad of Missionary,” January 21, 1956.

The Archives has one copy of each video, unless otherwise noted. The following items are in the Video FILE:

List of Individuals Connected with “Auca Incident”
Dayuma	A Huaorani who became a Christian under the ministry of Rachel Saint
Dyuwi Tani	One of the six Huaorani men who took part in the attack at Palm Beach. He became a Christian and elder in the Huaorani church. He and Kimo baptized Kathy and Steve Saint, children of Nate Saint, in the Curaray River in 1970
Elliot, Elisabeth	Wife of Jim Elliot and missionary to the Huaoranis
Elliot, Philip James “Jim”	Graduated from Wheaton College in 1949, Plymouth Brethren missionary with Christian Missions in Many Lands, one of the five killed in Ecuador
Fleming, Peter “Pete”	Graduated from the University of Washington, Plymouth Brethren missionary with Christian Missions in Many Lands, one of the five killed in Ecuador
Gikita Wawae	Leader of the attack at Palm Beach.
Gimade	Sister of Dayuma. Visited the missionaries on Palm Beach and was nicknamed “Delilah” by the missionaries
Jones, Clarence	Co-founder of radio station HCJB, which did the first radio broadcasts about the men’s death
Kimo Yeti	One of the six Huaorani men who took part in the attack at Palm Beach. Rachel Saint took him to Berlin, German for a Billy Graham evangelistic conference . He and Dyuwi baptized Kathy and Steve Saint, children of Nate Saint, in the Curary River in 1970
Komi	Dayuma’s husband. Rachel Saint took him to Berlin, German, in 1966 for a Billy Graham evangelistic conference
McCully, Jr., T. Edward “Ed”	Wheaton College 1949 graduate, Plymouth Brethren missionary with Christian Missions in Many Lands, one of the five killed in Ecuador
Mincaye Enquedi	One of the six Huaorani men who took part in the attack at Palm Beach. He later became a Christian, an elder in the church, and gave his testimony at Amsterdam 2000
Mintake	One of three Huaorani who visited the missionaries on Palm Beach
Nenkiwi	Nicknamed “George” was one of the three visitors with the missionaries on Palm Beach
Marj Saint	Widow of Nate Saint who later married Abe Van Der Puy
Saint, Nathanael “Nate”	Wheaton College 1950 graduate, missionary pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship, one of the five killed in Ecuador
Saint, Rachel	Sister of Nate Saint and missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators to the Huaoranis
Tementa	Son of Nenkiwi and elder in the Huaorani church who gave his testimony at Amsterdam 2000
Tidmarsh, Dr. Wilfred	Veteran English missionary to Ecuador, one of the first to enter Huaorani territory and first to compile an Huaorani word list
Van Der Puy, Abe	Missionary to Ecuador and HCJB field director, married Marj Saint, widow of Nate
Youderian, Roger	Missionary with Gospel Missionary Union, one of the five killed in Ecuador

#	R/C	speed	length	Sides	Contents	Dates
T1	c	--	30 min	1	Mid-Century Martyrs is about the lives and martyrdom of the five missionaries. There is a filmstrip (FS1) and a transcript (folder 1-4) that accompanies the audio tape.	1956
T2	c	--	18 min	2	Unforgettable Friday tells the story of Nate Saint and his family, missionary work with Mission Aviation Fellowship and involvement in Operation Auca. There is a filmstrip (FS2) and a transcript (folder 1-4) that accompanies the audio tape. Both sides of the tape are identical.	ca. 1956
T3	R	3-3/4	33 min	2	Back Home Hour news reports broadcasted on radio station HCJB about Operation Auca. Side 1 Parts 1-3 Side 2 Parts 4-6	Sept.-Nov 1958
T4	R	7-1/2	26 min	1	HCJB Memorial Broadcast on the Back Home Hour program for the five missionaries killed in Ecuador on the 3^rd anniversary of their deaths	Jan. 11, 1959

FS 1	T1	35mm	Mid-Century Martyrs	Story about the lives and martyrdom of the five missionaries. Includes audio tape (T1) and transcript (folder 1-4)	1956
FS 2	T2	35mm	Unforgettable Friday and World of Opportunity	Two filmstrips spliced together. Unforgettable Friday, narrated by Marj Saint, tells the story Nate Saint and his family, his missionary work with MAF and involvement with Operation Auca. The color has faded on the filmstrip. Includes audio tape (T2) and transcript (folder 1-4). World of Opportunity, produced by Missionary Aviation Fellowship, is a promotional filmstrip about the work of MAF. There is no transcript or audio tape with this filmstrip	ca 1956

#	Size	Speed	Min. per side	Record Company	Contents	Date
P1	12in	33-1/3	27 & 27	Diadem	Side 1: The Auca Story, Side One, DLP 154-3, NO8P-1500	1962
					Side 2: The Auca Story, Side Six, DLP 154-3, NO8P-1477
P2	12in	33-1/3	27&28	Diadem	Side 1: The Auca Story, Side Two, DLP 154-3, NO8P-1473	1962
					Side 2: The Auca Story, Side Five, DLP 154-3, NO8P-1476
P3	12in	33-1/3	27 & 27	Diadem	Side 1: The Auca Story, Side Three, DLP 154-3, NO8P-1474	1962
					Side 2: The Auca Story, Side Four, DLP 154-3, NO8P-1475

BOX LIST
Box	Folder	First Folder/Last Folder	Dates
OS 40		Auca Incident Clippings	1956, 1959
1	1	Comic book: Through Gates of Splendor	1974
1	2	Envelope: Ed McCully	n.d.
1	3	Postage Stamps: Ecuador Commemorative	ca. 1956
1	4	Transcripts	1956

Billy Graham Center
Archives

Ephemera of "Auca" Incident - Collection 599

[Note: What follows is a description of the documents in this collection which are available for use at BGC Archives in Wheaton, Illinois, USA. The actual documents are not, in most cases, available online, only this description of them. Nor are they available for sale or rent.]

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