Native peoples inhabiting this region, even if separated by geographic distances, have enough in common to theorize a shared origin. At the core of this collective ethos is a worldview deeply rooted in nature.
The pre-Hispanic cultures that populated southern Chile, inhabited a landscape quite different from what we see today. Most of the land under their feet was covered by ice; in fact what we currently refer to as the northern and southern Patagonian ice fields are the remaining vestiges of that era and their formation can be traced back to the last glaciation of the Atuel, 11 thousand years ago. The most ancient indications of human life found in Chilean Patagonia fit this timeframe: bonfire remains and animal bones left behind by a group of wandering hunters, who appear to have had the ability to cover distances of hundreds and even thousands of kilometers.
Some nine or eight thousand years ago, while the first human tribes made their way to the foot of the Andes Mountains, an ancient glacier in the Aisén flatlands finished sinking down, thus creating the Strait of Magellan. This enormous geographic event created a rift in more than one sense; for the groups of hunters later to become known as Selk'nam and Aónikenk, it turned out to be a barrier that would from then on and forever keep them separated . Even if at the beginning they were a single culture, once they were divided they developed different rites, personal adornment styles and mythology. Still, both groups continued to be hunters living off of guanacos and other steppe animals.
Then, maybe six or five thousand years ago, one of the more dynamic and change-rich periods ensued, probably triggered by a surge in environmental temperature (what is technically referred to as "climatic optimum" or "altithermal"). The first evidences of canoeing groups date back to this epoch. Some studies suggest that tribes that were formerly land hunters began pursuing birds and sea lions, and then turned to gathering mollusks and fishing. This path led tribes such as the Yámanas, Kawésqar and Chonos to establish a radically new way of life.
It is also possible, nonetheless, that the canoeists actually descend from populations traditionally adapted to sea life and that they are the logical offspring of cultures that have developed for millennia along the Pacific coasts.
With time and the onset of the European colonization of the Americas, Chile's southernmost native groups succeeded for many years in fiercely defending their territory. It wasn't until gold diggers, sea lion hunters and cattle breeders became interested in the rich possibilities of this region that the native population faced serious decimation. Persecution was relentless, professional man-hunters were rewarded with significant sums of money -with a pair of cut ears to be presented as a token of each death- and epidemics and diseases brought along by the Europeans took their toll on the proud native population that had bravely fought for their land.
Nomadic Hunters:
Aonikenk or Tehuelches
All the Patagonia owes its name to the Aónikenk. Legend has it that the sheer size of their footprints was what inspired Magellan to name them in honor of the mythical giant Pathagon (Big Foot), from the novel Primaleon.
Antonio Pigafetta, one of the sailors traveling in Magellan's expedition described Tehuelches as follows: "One day, a gigantic man appeared in front of us. He was so tall, our heads only reached as far up as his waist. His face was broad and reddish". Aónikenk men were approximately 1,80 m tall, while women averaged 1,70 m. Besides their considerable height, they were conspicuous bodybuilders. Their broad backs and strong legs came in useful for hunting.
Another typical trait were their extremely white teeth, which some authors relate to their accustomed chewing of maqui or molle, a bush whose resin is used to make incense.
Their gifted physiology was both part of their adaptation and also a means to resist the tough climatic conditions. Culturally, they were also trained and educated from the earliest age to withstand the cold.
Selk'nam (Onas)
The Selk'nam called their land Karukinká. Spaniards began dubbing it Land of Smokes and finally Tierra del Fuego -land of fire-. The denomination was in reference to the bonfires native groups lit every night, and which the Spanish adventurers could see from their ships off the coast. These bonfires were the Selk'nam's way of honoring their forebears and rememorize how they became isolated in their new territory when water covered the trait, separating them for ever from their continental brethrens.
Selk'nam were outstanding guanaco hunters, an activity that was at the base of their economy.
Their elaborate body painting was yet another distinguishing cultural trait. It was done as part of a rich and complex rite of passage at which the younger generation received certain secrets pertaining their patriarchal hierarchy or Hain, the foundational nucleus around which their complete social order gravitated. They didn't have chiefs or leaders, only an elite of wise prophets who enjoyed privileges and social recognition, and were believed to have supernatural powers.
Nomadic Canoeist:
Yamanas or Yaganes
Their territory extended south of the Beagle Channel. Yaganes traveled through it in quite extraordinary canoes; they were literally a floating home in which all the members of the family had their place and role: the father hunted sea mammals; the mother rolled the canoe, fished and dove in the cold waters while the kids took care of an ever-burning fire.
The Yamanas were excellent artisans who managed to successfully adapt to their environment. In spite of the scarce material resources, they developed a great variety of tools and utensils and every family was capable of manufacturing its own goods. They appreciated talent and work skills, but hardly ever manufactured items for the purpose of trade. Objects were made mainly of wood, bone and bulbs. They also weaved rush basketry, a task reserved for women, who undertook it in their spare time. Green rush was weaved after a heating and softening process. Yaganes developed three distinct weaving techniques and baskets were used to collect bulbs, berries and fruits.
Kaweskar or Alacalufes
This nomadic sea group made the sea, fjords, channels and southern bays their way of life. Kaweskar territory extended between the Andes Mountains, the Golfo de Penas and the Brecknock Peninsula in the southwestern part of Tierra del Fuego.
Their means of transportation was a light canoe, which they built with bark, normally taken from the Coigüe tree. Canoes were sewn with reed and pole-arched ribs were used for structure. On one end of their canoe, Kaweskars kept a bonfire set on a bed of stones, sand and shells.
Chonos
This ethnic group inhabited the Chiloé Archipelago, Islas Guaitecas and Taitao Peninsula. Men were commonly engaged in sea lion hunting and fishing, while the main feminine task was gathering algae and seashells.
Chonos sailed in boats called dalcas and developed an anchor made of wood and stones. On dry land they lived in caves or in man-made shelters consisting of a wooden structure covered in leather. Their basic social unit was defined by blood and conjugal ties, but Chono families also kept in touch with each other.
Their main nutritional source was seashells, fish and sea lion meat, while their most developed crafts were spears and nets made of vegetal fiber. Their language remains largely un-researched, but most authors believe Chonos spoke a derivation of kaweskar.
By the end of the XVIII Century this tribe had completely disappeared, mostly dissolved and absorbed by other Chiloé groups.
Huilliches
In Mapudungún (Mapuche language), Huilliche means "people from the south". When the Spanish conquerors arrived in Chile, Huilliches lived from the Toltén River to the Seno de Reloncaví. Today that would correspond to the Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue provinces.
In the XV Century, a proportion of the original mainland Huilliches migrated to the north and center of the Isla Grande de Chiloé, where they acquired some influence over the aboriginal Chonos and began to develop a new culture that was soon and increasingly permeated by the Spanish colonization of Chiloé. This melting pot of origins is what we currently refer to as Bordemar culture. Hulliches are currently considered in general terms as being the native population that inhabited the territory comprised between Valdivia and Chiloé.
Their society was structured around groups who shared a common family background. Huilliches dwelled in huts that consisted of a wooden structure covered in leather, which would last them for 10 to 12 years. They developed agriculture, fishing and seashell gathering. One of their main strengths was the variety of crops they were able to farm.
Their religion was, and still remains, very rich in myths and legends; theirs is a complex worldview which encompasses a vast knowledge of nature and a deep and rich spirituality. Nowadays the Mapuche world is very much alive and active, and has turned into one of the great affluents in the construction of modern-day Chilean identity.