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The Mysterious Story of the Southernmost People in the World
The indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego are one of the most unique in their culture and customs. But their history and ancestry might be even more mysterious and significant in the history of mankind itself
You might have heard of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who was the first to circle the globe by sea. As he and his ship curled around the rugged southern end of the American continent he must have witnessed a magnificent view; crystal clear glacial waters and snow-peaked mountains all around. A hostile world, but nonetheless timeless and beautiful. This area would later be known as the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, Spanish for “Land of fire.”
What he did not know at the time was that these lands were the homeland of the Yaghan people and that it had been their home for a very long time. Tierra del Fuego is located at the far southern tip of South America, and the climate is rough, with cold arctic winds from the south and lots of rain all year round. These hostile lands were the home of the Yaghan. They had grown used to these circumstances and had thrived there for thousands of years.
