Yagans: The amazing story about a milenary people

The Ancient Legacy of the Yaghan in Southern Patagonia
In the farthest corner of the world, where the land is fragmented into numerous islands, lies the incredible story of an ancient people who lived for more than 6,000 years: the Yaghan, or better known as the Yámana. They were known for being a canoeing people, forging a unique identity and a distinctive seal among other indigenous peoples, whose life is uniquely intertwined with nature.
From wanderings, we understand their historical and cultural legacy, and we invite you to discover the wonderful and ancient Yaghan people at our Lodge through the canoe routes used by these ingenious navigators across the Beagle Channel.

Yagans: origins and lifestyle

The Yahgan people have inhabited the channels of Tierra del Fuego for more than 6,000 years, and are considered one of the oldest indigenous peoples in the southern region, named after Ferdinand Magellan, taking into account what are now the lands of Puerto Williams, Ushuaia, and Navarino Island. Living on fragmented islands, the canoe was always a key element for their subsistence, and they were made from the bark of Guindo trees, which could float in the channels with great ease.

They had to endure extremely low temperatures, given that these lands are close to Antarctica. Therefore, to survive in temperatures of -12°C, they used fats, oils, and animal skins (especially otters), taking refuge in their houses made of local wood, with a fire in the center maintained by the woman of the house, while the man was in charge of gathering produce and hunting.

Within their way of life, they were known for being fishermen, hunters, and gatherers, given that their diet was based on shellfish, crabs, and mushrooms. Each food item was obtained through fishing and hunting techniques, which were passed down through generations within families.

They were organized into small family groups, with each individual assuming a specific role: from building canoes, preparing food, and gathering and hunting food products, demonstrating a cooperative relationship that enabled them to survive in the more challenging climates.

Yagan Language

The Yaghan language, which shares the same name as the people, at its peak had five variations within the same regions, demonstrating its importance and efficiency in communicating with each other. This is considered to mean that written language was not very functional, so it is more of a dialect.

Today, the language is almost extinct, due to new lifestyles such as the sedentary lifestyle and civilization of its last members (of whom there are 1,600 today according to the 2017 Censo).

Their worldview and rituals focused on the interconnectedness of humans, wildlife, and nature, highlighting its importance as a place where they could gather and live in harmony.

Every five years, a ceremony was held in which young and old gathered to share essential knowledge, rituals, and traditions of coexistence. This ceremony was known as Chiejaus.

They relied on shamans, also known as «Yekamush» healers, who were able to access what they considered sacred in order to heal and guide the community when necessary. These shamans represented the duality between light and darkness, in which they believed.

Discover their incredible language through the following glossaries and dictionaries provided by the National Cultural Heritage Service:

Glossary Yagán

Languaje Yagán

Yagánkuta

Contact with European sailors in the 16th century brought changes to this southern people, highlighted by Western diseases and customs, as they gradually lost their Yagán identity (La voz de los que sobran, 2022).

Since 1973, the decline of the Llagan language has been considered, while the survivors or those who remained took refuge in Ushuaia, Navarino Island, and as a result, they adapted to new realities, making it difficult to maintain the strong identity that characterized them.

Currently, the remaining Yagán live in their former territories, but face the expansion of the salmon farming industry, which puts key natural resources for the region at risk, such as the king crab fishery, one of the fundamental pillars of Puerto Williams. They managed to stop its implementation thanks to their fervent organizing, alongside residents of these lands, and the creation of the Yagán group «Territorio Yagán sin Salmoneras» (Yagán Territory without Salmon Farms).

Today, despite the change in their customs and the fact that they are considered a dispersed, sparsely populated people, canoeing and basketry persist, serving as a living testament to the Yahgan people’s resilience in more modern times.

You can explore their incredible routes through the canals of the far south and learn about their history, culture, and customs through Errante, which has managed to follow the same fishing and hunting routes they used in ancient times. We aim to immerse you in this route, connecting you to the origins of this incredible land.

Current events of the Yagan people

The Yagana culture, which continues to prevail in Puerto Williams, Ushuaia, and the surrounding area, was represented by the Cristina Calderón family, the last native speaker of the language who passed away in 2022. Today, they seek to preserve the cultural heritage of this ancient people, revitalizing it with written records and recordings, as well as teaching the language and recovering their language.

The weavers who are part of the culture continue to make baskets with Justos, traditions that are maintained alongside the making of canoes as part of their cultural vestiges of harvesting and navigation.

The Yagana community is organized within the Yagán Indigenous Community of Bahía Mejillones, representing the population that persists in these lands.