Tarrespéjes-At

International Encounter with the Kawésqar Culture

Material para la región de Magallanes

El 14 de enero de 2025 la Fundación Pueblo Kawésqar entregó a más de 50 establecimientos educacionales de la región de Magallanes a través del SLEP y a las comunidades indígenas a través de la Conadi Punta Arenas, el material educativo diseñado para la primera infancia y apoyo a docentes en la enseñanza Kawésqar.

Actividades educativas al aire libre

Como parte de las actividades educativas que se llevan a cabo como parte del programa, estudiantes, docentes y apoderados disfrutan las actividades al aire libre que se realizan en Bahía Voces, a 63,5 Kilómetros al sur de Punta Arenas, junto a los educadores de la Comunidad Indígena Kawésqar Ancón Sin Salida.

Salidas aplicando conocimientos

Junto a las actividades educativas en aulas de distintos colegios y jardines infantiles de la región, y los talleres al aire libre que se llevan a cabo cuando las condiciones climáticas lo permiten, la Fundación organiza junto a los niños y jóvenes Kawésqar, diversas salidas para integrar conocimientos y poner en práctica lo aprendido.

Preparatory meeting in Zurich, Switzerland 2023

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Francisco González Alvarez

President of Pueblo Kawésqar Foundation

Inaugural Adress Ko Aswál, July 2023 in Zürich

We, the Kawésqar, are an Indigenous people who have inhabited the southernmost regions of the American continent for thousands of years, in what is now known as southern Chile, Patagonia. For millennia, we were sea nomads, navigating the channels and living in harmony with nature, guided by the stars and our canoes. But time has transformed our existence. In the past century, we have adapted to a modern society, learning new languages and ways of life, though we have never abandoned our essence, our deep roots.

Today, we are more than five hundred descendants, guardians of an ancestral heritage that resists disappearing. Through our families, we continue weaving the connection between our past and present, seeking not only recognition but also to actively participate in the construction of a future where our voices and culture continue to have a place.

2023 is not the first time the Kawésqar have been in Switzerland. In 1882, some of our ancestors arrived on this same land, but under painful and humiliating conditions, as part of the so-called human zoos. Those dark times invite us to reflect not only on the mistakes of the past but also on how we want future generations, a hundred years from now, to remember us. This shared history, bitter as it may be, connects us. It reminds us that beyond our borders and differences, there is a common humanity we must reclaim.

We have come to Zurich not only to remember that past but to heal. To open a space for dialogue and reunion, where we can recognize our differences, yes, but also our similarities. We are called to restore, with respect and humility, the bond between our peoples, not only looking back but also looking forward. Because the real challenge lies in how, together, we can build a better world for everyone—a world where our cultures not only survive but thrive in harmony with the earth we inhabit.

We are deeply grateful to Director Mareile Flitsch and the entire team at the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich for opening their doors to us and allowing this Encounter with Kawésqar Culture. We also extend our thanks to the Embassy of Chile in Switzerland, His Excellency Ambassador Frank Tressler, and the entire consular team for their presence and support at this significant event. This is a moment that transcends borders and time—a moment to reconnect and, hopefully, begin weaving a new shared future.

May this gathering be the start of a joint path where, through mutual understanding, we can build a fairer society, where all voices are heard, and where the past, no matter how difficult, inspires us to forge a future of respect, recognition, and reconciliation.