The Achuar Tribe in northern Peru is suing oil giant Occidental Petroleum in federal court in California.
The tribe says the company's drilling activities destroyed the environment. Toxic chemicals dumped in the waterways have killed wildlife and caused health problems, according to the lawsuit.
"Before Oxy came, the fruits and the plants grew well," Tomás Maynas Carijano, a spiritual elder, told The Washington Post.
The company denies the allegations and is trying to move the case to Peru. The tribe's lawyers say the case won't get a fair shake if that happens.
Get the Story:For Peru's Indians, Lawsuit Against Big Oil Reflects a New Era (The Washington Post 1/31)
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