The last Yamana, Tierra del Fuego - Argentina

There is only one Yamana left to represent an incredible culture that lived in what must be one of the harshest places on earth. At 80 years old 'Abuela' Christina Calderon lives in Puerto Williams and is the last direct descendent and speaker of the Yamana language. Tierra del Fuego is a land seeped in history, the most fascinating (I think!) has to be the Yamana peoples and their relationship with Antarctic explorers, Europeans and missionaries. A relationship which led to their 'extinction' and to a museum we visited telling their story for them.

Nomads who didn't stray far from the coast, knew everything there was to know about their land (they had 8 different words for different kinds of snowfall) and travelled by canoe from island to island to collect food. Men hunted penguins, cormorants, and sea lions, whilst woman rowed and dove for shellfish. Washed up whales provided a feast. Huts built in sheltered coves or dips provided shelter.

The first and probably the last nudists of Cape Horn, the Yamana wore nothing. Relying on body fat, animal greese, knowing natural wind shelters, developing a naturally higher body temperature and keeping fires going to for warmth. Hence the European given name, Tierra del Fuego. We've been dressed up in duck-down coats and vilbram soles and still complaining about the bitter cold. I still don't know how they did it.

It was not until the 1800's, when Fitz Roy navigated the Beagle Channel aboard 'The Beagle' that things really changed for the Yamana. It's an amazing history. Everywhere we visited, we seem to have talked with someone about the Yamana. Our trip to Estancia Haberton where Bridges worked with 'the natives' and recorded the only Yamana dictionary and our sail to H-island where we saw Yamana middens (shelters) and fishing grounds has given us even more respect for these incredible people! Give them a google...