Яганы: Последние жители Огненной Земли

Indigenous people of the Tierra del Fuego

The Yahgan (also called Yagán, Yaghan, Yámana, Yamana, or Tequenica) are a group of indigenous peoples in the Southern Cone of South America. Their traditional territory includes the islands south of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, extending their presence into Cape Horn, making them the world's southernmost human population. In the 19th century, the Yahgan were known in English as "Fuegians." The name is credited to Captain James Weddell, who supposedly created the term in 1822. The term is now avoided as it can also refer to several other indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego, for example the Selk'nam. The Yahgan language, also known as Yámana, is considered a language isolate. Cristina Calderón (1928–2022), who was born on Navarino Island, Chile, was known as the last full blooded Yahgan and last native speaker of the Yahgan language. It is now regarded as an extinct language. Most Yahgan now speak Spanish. The Yahgan were traditionally nomads and hunter gatherers who traveled by canoe between islands to collect food. The men hunted sea lions and the women dove to collect shellfish. They also scavenged whale meat, and gathered local vegetation, including berries and mushrooms. Despite these similarities, their languages are completely different.

In 1871, Anglican missionaries Thomas Bridges and George Lewis established a mission in Tierra del Fuego where they raised their families. Bridges learned the Yahgan language when he decided to remain on Keppel Island at the age of 17. Over more than a decade, he compiled a grammar and 30,000 word Yahgan English dictionary. Bridges' second son, Lucas Bridges, also learned the language and was one of the few Europeans to do so. In his 1948 book, a history of that period, he writes that the Yahgan autonym or name for themselves was yamana, meaning person, though modern usage is for man only, not women. The plural is yamali(m)). The name Yahgan was first used by his father, Thomas Bridges, abbreviated from the name of their territory, Yahgashaga, or Yahga Strait. They called themselves Yahgashagalumoala, meaning "people from mountain valley channel" ( lum means 'from'; oala is a collective term for 'men', the singular being ua). Thomas Bridges first learned the language from the inhabitants of the Murray Channel area, Yahgashaga. The name Tekenika (lang es), first applied to a sound in Hoste Island, simply means "I do not understand" (from teki see and vnnaka (v schwa) have trouble doing), and evidently originated as the answer to a misunderstood question.

Despite the cold climate, the early Yahgan wore little to no clothing, which only changed after extended contact with Europeans. They were able to survive the harsh climate because:
They kept warm by huddling around small fires, including those set in boats, to stay warm. The name of "Tierra del Fuego" (land of fire) was based on the many fires seen by passing European explorers. They used rock formations on their land to shelter from the elements. They covered themselves in animal grease to trap heat and provide an extra layer of fat. Their customary resting position was a deep squatting position, which reduced their surface area and helped to conserve heat.

The Yahgan may have been driven to the inhospitable Tierra del Fuego by enemies to the north. They were renowned for their complete indifference to the cold weather. Although they had fires and small domed shelters, they routinely went about completely naked, and the women swam in cold waters hunting for shellfish. They were often observed to sleep in the open, completely unsheltered and unclothed, while the Europeans shivered under blankets. The Yahgan domesticated a culpeo known as a Fuegian dog.