The indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego, also known as the Fuegians, are often iconic for the country. They are usually shown in their celebratory outfits, which includes extravagantly shaped head pieces and lots of body paint. For me, they assume the role of the quintessential tribal people: exotic, ecstatic, and extravagantly decorated. Unfortunately though, the population of the Fuegians has diminished greatly and their culture has become archaic. This was caused in large part by the settling of South America by Europeans. When Europeans came to Chile they brought with them diseases such as measles and smallpox. Having no immunity to these foreign diseases, thousands of the Fuegians were wiped out. Some were treated with brutality by the Europeans. They even went so far as to take 11 people from the Alacalufe tribe to Paris to display them in an exhibition of humans, much like a circus; the indigenous people did not stand a chance once the Westerners came to their land. They were a remarkable people, though. They lived in an extremely cold climate and wore very little clothing. They kept warm by huddling around fires, covering themselves in animal fat, and consuming lots of fish oils. Over time, they developed a higher metabolism which allowed them to produce more body heat. They had a rich culture that celebrated the earth and its processes. They valued shamans and had many myths the explain their universe. In the Selk’nam and the Yamana tribes, females were the more empowered gender. A dynamic and developed people, the culture Fuegians should to be preserved and celebrated.
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