Selknam: a people who in rare photographs. Photo

Cognizability and their customs.

Selknam – Indian people who led a nomadic lifestyle and inhabited the territory of Tierra del Fuego for over 7000 years.

The main occupations of these people were hunting, gathering and fishing. Selknam have not been leaders, the main thought of the wise men (“fathers of the world”), which, as expected, could affect people, weather, and events.

The most sacred rite of the tribe was associated with age. To conduct adult men have been painting their bodies red, black and white paint, and traditional clothing from animal skins was replaced with costumes from the bark of trees, showing himself for the terrible spirits. Within a few days or even weeks, they performed a complicated rite of passage that boys became men.

One of the latest of such ceremonies took place in 1920. It documented the missionary stay at Martin (Martin Gusinde). Becoming a priest in Germany in 1911, he hoped to go as a missionary to exotic tribes of Guinea. But the leadership sent him to Chile, he taught at the German school in Santiago. However, experiencing an increased interest in Ethnology and anthropology, for several years a stay at went in the expedition to Tierra del Fuego, in the extreme South of Chile and Argentina.

In December 1918 Martin a stay at the first visit to Isla Grande, an island in the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego. Meeting with the archaic tribes caused him (his words) “an indescribable joy” and “youthful dreams”. In photos stay at etched selknam, agony and alacalufe (kawesqar). A missionary had visited the region in the years 1918-1924 and observed the way of life of Ogneslav, which then were already on the verge of extinction.

Soon the Indians of Tierra del Fuego were exterminated by European mercenaries with the consent of the Argentine government. The destruction selknam is one of the most horrific and lesser-known genocides in human history. About the disappeared indigenous population give an idea of photography Martin stay at.

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