Another thank-you card from Chile

The Selk'nam

14 Mar 2014 | From Hernan of Chile

FACEBOOK SWAP (THANK-YOU POSTCARD)

The Selk'nam or Ona were a people that inhabited the north side of Tierra del Fuego Island in the Southern tip of South America. They could cope with extreme temperatures - naked or wearing guanaco fur. The Selk'nam culture has amazing cosmogany and legends. According to them, the world was originally ruled by women.

They suffered cruelty when the Europeans arrived, and many died of illness. These women have their bodies painted for a ritual called Kewanix, a dance performed during the initiation ceremony for young men called Hain. - Hernan