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This article is about the Yaghan people. For the language spoken by this people see: Yaghan language

The Yaghan, also called Yagan, Yahgan (the original spelling), Yámana or Yamana, are the indigenous inhabitants of the islands south of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego extending their presence into Cape Horn. Yagán (originally Yahgan, but also now spelled Yaghan, Jagan, Iakan) also known as Yámana and Háusi Kúta Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (literally Great Island of the Land of Fire) is an island near the southern tip of South America from which it is separated by Cabo de Hornos redirects here for the Chilean commune see Cabo de Hornos Chile. They were known as Fuegians by the English speaking world, but the term is nowadays avoided as it can refer to any of the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego. Fuegians are the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. Tierra del Fuego ( Spanish for " Land of Fire " in English tiˈɛərə dɛl ˈfweɪgoʊ] Spanish ˈtjerað̞elˈfweɰo is an Archipelago They spoke the Yaghan language that is considered to be a language isolate. Yagán (originally Yahgan, but also now spelled Yaghan, Jagan, Iakan) also known as Yámana and Háusi Kúta A language isolate, in the absolute sense is a Natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic" relationship with other living languages that is The Yaghan were nomads who traveled by canoes between islands to collect food. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors The men hunted sea lions while the women dived to collect shellfish. For other uses of the term "sea lion" see Sea lion (disambiguation. Shellfish is a Culinary and Fisheries term for those aquatic Invertebrate animals that are used as Food: various species of molluscs

The Yahgan left strong impressions on all who encountered them, including Charles Darwin, Francis Drake, James Cook, and James Weddell. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral, (c 1540 &ndash 27 January 1595 was an English Privateer, navigator, Slaver, and politician Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and James Weddell ( August 24, 1787 - September 9, 1834) was an English Navigator, sealer and explorer of the Antarctic. [1] In "Sailing Alone Around the World" Joshua Slocum was warned they would rob and possibly kill him if he moored in a particular area, so he sprinkled tacks on the deck of the Spray, and awoke to the sound of Yahgans yelping in pain. Sailing Alone Around the World (1899 is a sailing memoir by Joshua Slocum about his single-handed global Circumnavigation aboard the sloop Joshua Slocum ( February 20, 1844 &ndash on or shortly after 14 November, 1909) was a Canadian -born American seaman (footnote needed)

The Yahgan may have been been driven to this inhospitable area by enemies to the north, but were famed for their complete indifference to the bitter weather around Cape Horn. [2] Although they had fire and small domed shelters, they routinely went about completely naked in the frigid cold and biting wind of Tierra del Fuego, and swam in its 48-degree waters. [3] They would often sleep in the open completely unsheltered and unclothed while Europeans shivered under their blankets. [4] A Chilean researcher claimed their average body temperature was warmer than a European's by at least one degree. [5]

But the Yahgan, who never numbered more than 3000 individuals, could not survive contact with white man's diseases; they allegedly became sick immediately if the missionaries persuaded them to put on some clothes. In the 1920s some were resettled on Keppel Island in the Falklands in an attempt to preserve the tribe, as described by E. Lucas Bridges in Uttermost Part of the Earth (1948), but continued to die off. Keppel Island ( Spanish: 'Isla de la Vigia' is one of the Falkland Islands, lying between Saunders Island and Pebble Island, and near Esteban Lucas Bridges ( 31 December 1874, Ushuaia &ndash 4 April 1949, Buenos Aires) was an Anglo-Argentine The last full-blooded Yahgan died in 1999.

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Contacts with Europeans

The area around Tierra del Fuego became known to Europeans in the early sixteenth century, but it was not until the nineteenth century that Europeans started to be interested in the zone and its peoples. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar When Robert FitzRoy became captain of the HMS Beagle in the middle of her first voyage, he captured four Fuegians after a boat was stolen. Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy ( 5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS ''Beagle'' First Voyage On 27 September 1825 Beagle docked at Woolwich for repairs and fitted out for her new duties at a total cost of £5913 As it was not possible to put them ashore conveniently, he decided to 'civilise' the 'savages', teaching them "English. . the plainer truths of Christianity. . and the use of common tools" before returning them as missionaries. One died, but the others became 'civilised' enough to be presented at court in the summer of 1831. On the famous second voyage of HMS Beagle, the three Fuegians were returned along with a trainee missionary, and impressed Charles Darwin with their civilised behaviour, in startling contrast to the primitive tribes he saw once the ship reached Patagonia. See also HMS Beagle The second voyage of HMS Beagle from 27 December 1831 to 2 October 1836 was the second survey expedition of HMS ''Beagle'' Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life He described his first meeting with the native Fuegians as being "without exception the most curious and interesting spectacle I ever beheld: I could not have believed how wide was the difference between savage and civilised man: it is greater than between a wild and domesticated animal, in as much as in man there is a greater power of improvement. " In contrast, he said of Jemmy Button that "It seems yet wonderful to me, when I think over all his many good qualities, that he should have been of the same race, and doubtless partaken of the same character, with the miserable, degraded savages whom we first met here. Orundellico, known as "Jemmy Button", (c 1815 &ndash 1864 was a native Fuegian of the Yaghan (or Yamana) people from islands around " The mission was set up for the three Fuegians, but when the Beagle returned a year later only Jemmy was found, and he had returned to his tribal ways, speaking English as well as ever and assuring them that he "had not the least wish to return to England" and was "happy and contented" to live in what they thought a shockingly primitive manner with his wife.


Famous Yahgans

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Dallas Murphy, Rounding the Horn, Basic Books, 2004, p 132
  2. ^ ibid, p 139
  3. ^ ibid, p145
  4. ^ ibid, p134
  5. ^ ibid, p 140
  6. ^ Darwin at Terra del Fuego (1832). Athena Review, Vol. 1, No. 3
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