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Patagonia ChannelsPlaces of interest
Puerto Edén last shelter of the Kawésqar people
Article: Daniela Villar, Journalist.
Photography: Miguel Hecheleitner.
This small coastal village of the Wellington Island, located north of Punta Arenas, was established in 1930 by the Chilean Air Force as base for sea planes flying from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas. |
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| Puerto Edén is located in the Última Esperanza province, XII Region, in a sheltered bay by the Messier Channel in the area of the Patagonian Channels. It has a population of approximately 286 inhabitants, whose main activities are traditional fishing (mainly mussel and king crab), handcrafts and tourism. Their culinary specialty is “smoked mussels”. This small port is the only populated village located within the lonely landscapes of the southernmost channels between the Penas gulf and the Strait of Magellan. The village is provisioned by vessels like Navimag that travel the Patagonian channels from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales and by ships of the Navy of Chile. |
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Kawésqar |
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| The Kawésqar, Kawéskar or Alacalufe people is a village of nomad Indian people who traveled on board canoes across the channels, fjords and archipelagos located south of the Taitao peninsula up to the proximities of Cape Horn. Their language is the Kawésqar, name after which they call themselves. In their language this word means “person” or “human being”. Originally, the name alacalufe had a disparaging intention and they do not longer use it. |
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| They were constantly sailing across the channels and fjords, that could not be inhabited due to its abundant vegetation. The archaeological sites that have been found evidence the voyages they made to this places until 6,000 years B.C. These skilled hunters and fishermen fed with nutrias, southern Andean deer, shellfish, fish, birds, plants, seeds and seals. They also used the skin of such animals to get dressed and their bones to manufacture several tools, like harpoons and knives. They wore loincloth and a leather cape. Only when someone died, they painted their faces black in mourning. During the short periods of time they spent on land, they built small huts in beehive shape. |
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Ceremonies |
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| When someone got severely ill in their group, quacks made every effort to save him/her by breaking a lance over his/her back, pressing the area of the illness to later suck it out and lastly, blow it to the sky. If these actions and rituals did not have positive effects, the ill person was left alone so he/she spent his/her last moments by himself (herself). They buried dead people on rare occasions; instead, they bent the body and wrapped it around a skin with four cords. |
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| Then, offshore, they loaded the body on board a canoe that was filled with stones for the purposes of sinking it. Sometimes, the body was left inside a cave or under rocks, in a squatting position. | |
Today |
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| There are currently about 15 people considered to be part of this people and they live near Puerto Edén. Little by little, they have mixed themselves with their settlers, learning their language and marketing their products, like handcrafts. Over time, they have experienced a major cultural and social transformation. Finally, their language and traditions have been greatly reduced, which could lead to their extinction. |
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Related information |
| About Puerto Edén |
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| About The Kawéskar people |
Navimag offers passengers the possibility of visiting this village twice a week during high season (November to March) in its Patagonian Channels route. There are two options: the Puerto Montt – Puerto Natales route, departing every Monday at 04:00 pm and the Puerto Natales – Puerto Montt route, departing every Friday at 06:00 am (embarking on thursday at 09:00 pm) During low season (May to October), Navimag sights land at this port with optional disembarkation only in April. Lean more about this trip. |
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