Foundation
1. History
The Kawésqar are an indigenous group of Chilean Patagonia who traditionally inhabited the maritime and terrestrial territories of the Magallanes region. The maritime territory is called "Čams," and the terrestrial territory is "Wæs," understood as two distinct worlds according to the Kawésqar worldview. These spaces are between which the canoeists have moved for millennia, reflecting their deep connection to the environment. Their way of life was based on hunting, fishing, and gathering, adapting to the extreme climatic conditions of the region. The history of the Kawésqar has been marked by colonization and the exploitation of their resources, leading to a drastic decline in their population and the loss of their culture and territories.
Chilean Patagonia inhabited by sea nomads.
The territory of the Kawésqar extends over the western part of the southern tip of the continent, from the Taitao Peninsula in the north to the Brecknock Peninsula in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the south, where it meets the territory of the Usi Yagan.
Their uninterrupted presence for more than 7,000 years, sailing in the deepest corners of this region, transformed and civilised by the Chilean state, transformed into the province and current region of Magallanes (1929), as in the south of the Aysén region, roots them in this land with a meaning little understood by those who do not belong to this culture and the indigenous family groups.
