The Yahgans: a recent genocide

The elimination of one of the most resilient cultures of America due to the Chilean-Argentine conquest and colonization of their territories.
The Yagans or Yamanes were one of the native peoples of America who lived in one of the most hostile environments on the continent. There they were able to develop effective strategies that allowed them to adapt effectively.
They lived south of Tierra del Fuego, from the northern margin of the Beagle Channel to Cape Horn and Isla de los Estados.
It is a zone of cold climate, with monthly temperatures that vary between -2 and 9 degrees of average, with abundant precipitations in the form of rain or snow and frequent strong winds coming from the west. The water that can be more or less salty depending on the season, remains cold all year round, oscillating between 2 and 8 degrees above zero.
Just as the climatic conditions are not very comfortable, the presence of cold, oxygen-rich waters with abundant fauna of fish, invertebrates, mammals and seabirds provides an important source of food. On the other hand, on the protected slopes of the adjacent mountains, trees of different species grow, also adapted to the cold and windy character of the local climate. They are trees (generally of the genus Nothofagus), with capacity to live in a thin layer of soil, cold temperatures all year round and very strong winds.




The Yaganes skillfully took advantage of this environment by developing a fishing and harpooning culture that allowed them to feed themselves and obtain other raw materials to manufacture their clothing, tools and other necessary equipment for their subsistence. The Yaganes lived in houses built with structures of tree branches covered by hides. Their clothing was made with leather from sea lions or locally, from guanacos. The canoes were built with bark of trees covering the bottom of the same sand and pebbles where they kept a permanent fire.
The canoes were handled by the women from behind and the men were busy harpooning (dolphins and whales) from the bow of the boat. When it was possible to harpoon a prey, it was women who plunged into the water to collect them.
According to the references of the first chroniclers the population of the yaganes was originally of about 3,000 to 5,000 individuals.
The Creole (Chilean and Argentinean) colonization of the Yagan territory occurred late in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The impact of the arrival of the advanced criollas was lethal. The newcomers seized the lands and coastal areas, displacing, enslaving and even killing those who showed resistance. The Chilean advance was brutal, a colonizing landowner, José Menéndez, created a sort of manor in the South based on the exploitation of sheep's wool and other local products, not hesitating to execute the indigenous families as if they were hunting prey. The arrival of the advanced criollas of Argentina was similar. The Yagans were quickly eliminated in order to seize the land, establish ranches, and affirm the creole sovereignty of the authorities of Buenos Aires. The Yagans could not prevent their places of habitation and hunting from being occupied by the newcomers. Killings, diseases and acculturation eliminated the vulnerable Yagan communities without pause.
According to it is indicated, at present there is a single woman yagan pure survivor (of advanced age). Her name is Cristina Calderón, and she lives in the Villa Ukika village near Puerto Williams (Navarino Island) on the southern shore of the Beagle Channel.
The Chilean-Argentine genocide of one of the most amazing and resilient cultures of the Americas is almost over. The southern sovereignties of Argentina and Chile are consolidated.
There will be the usual mention of these ancient inhabitants in tourist circuits and, perhaps, the sale of handicrafts, more or less related to ancient cultures, which will be no more than a pale caricature of the intrepid, strained and untamed ancient Nation of the Yagans at the southern end of the American continent.
Danilo Antón

The Yagans: a recent genocide
Danilo Anton

The elimination of one of the most resilient cultures of America due to the Chilean-Argentine conquest and colonization of their territories.

The yagans or yamanes constituted one of the native peoples of America that lived in one of the most hostile environments of the continent where they were able to develop effective strategies that allowed them to effectively adapt.
They lived south of Tierra del Fuego, from the northern bank of the Beagle Channel to Cape Horn and Isla de los Estados.
It is a cold climate zone, with monthly temperatures varying between -2 and 9 degrees on average, with abundant precipitation in the form of rain or snow and frequent strong winds from the west. The water that can be more or less salty depending on the season, remaining cold all year round oscillating between 2 and 8 degrees above zero.

While weather conditions are uncomfortable, the presence of cold, oxygen-rich waters with abundant fish, invertebrates, mammals and seabirds provide an important source of food. In addition, on the protected slopes of the adjacent mountains there are trees of various species also adapted to the cold and windy character of the local climate. These are trees (generally of the genus Nothofagus), with capacity to live in a thin layer of soil, cold temperatures all year and very strong winds.
The yagans used this environment skillfully developing a fishing and harpoon culture that allowed them to feed themselves and obtain other raw materials to manufacture their clothing, tools and other needs for their subsistence. The yagans lived in houses built with structures of tree branches covered by leathers. Their clothes were made with leathers of sea lions or locally, of guanacos. The canoes were constructed with barks of trees and they covered the bottom with a layer of sand and pebbles where they kept a permanent fire.

The canoes were conducted by the women from behind and men did the harpooning (dolphins and whales) from the bow of the boat. When they harpooned a prey women dived into the water to pick them up.
According to the references of the first chroniclers the population of the yagans was originally of about 3,000 to 5,000 individuals.
The Chilean and Argentinean colonization of Yagan territory occurred late in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The impact of the arrival of the advanced creoles was lethal. Newcomers seized land and coastal areas, displacing, enslaving, and even killing those who resisted. 

The Chilean advance was brutal, a colonizing landowner, José Menéndez, created a kind of lordship in the South based on the exploitation of sheep wool and other local products not hesitating to execute the indigenous families as if they were hunting prey. The arrival of the Argentina colonists was similar. The yaganes were quickly eliminated in order to seize their lands, establish estates, and affirm the creole sovereignty of the Buenos Aires authorities. The yagans could not prevent that their places of habitation, fishinng and hunting were occupied by the newcomers. Massacres, diseases and acculturation eliminated without pause the vulnerable Yagan communities.

As it is pointed out, at present there is only one woman Yagan pure survivor. Her name is Cristina Calderón, and she lives in the  Villa Ukika in the vicinity of Puerto Williams (Navarino Island) on the southern shore of the Beagle Channel.
The Chilean-Argentine genocide of one of the most astonishing and resilient cultures in the Americas is almost over. The southern sovereignties of Argentina and Chile are finally consolidated.
There will be the habitual mention to be made of these ancient inhabitants in the tourist circuits and, perhaps, the sale of handicrafts, more or less related to the old cultures, that will be no more than a pale caricature of the intrepid, strenuous and old indomitable Nation of the yaganes at the southern tip of the American continent.
Danilo Antón