Selknam - Indians who were destroyed by European civilization
Selknam - Indians who were destroyed by European civilization

Video: Selknam - Indians who were destroyed by European civilization

Video: Selknam - Indians who were destroyed by European civilization
Video: Nastya learns to joke with dad - YouTube 2024, November
Anonim
Selknam - Indians of Tierra del Fuego
Selknam - Indians of Tierra del Fuego

Selknam - one of the Indian peoples who could not resist the onslaught of civilization. The number of these ancient nomads in the middle of the 19th century was several thousand people, and already in 1974 the last purebred villagers died. The Indians were ruthlessly exterminated with the support of the Argentine government: presenting the head of a Selknam, two hands or two ears, one could receive a reward of 1 pound sterling.

Selknam women
Selknam women

The mysterious Selknam people inhabited the eastern and northern parts of Tierra del Fuego, were engaged in gathering and hunting, fishing and collecting shellfish. Birds and guanaco lamas were hunted with a bow and arrows, on wooden boats, moving along the coast, they looked for sea prey.

Selknam - Indians of Tierra del Fuego
Selknam - Indians of Tierra del Fuego
The villagers were characterized by monogamous families
The villagers were characterized by monogamous families

For the villagers, a communal clan system was characteristic, by the beginning of the 1920s, 39 localized clans were part of the villagers, the account of kinship was carried out on the paternal side. According to ancient beliefs, the Selkns descended from a common mythical ancestor Temaukel. In his honor sacrifices were made, appeals were made to him in case of illness. It was believed that after death the soul certainly meets with the deity in the afterlife.

The man at the klokten ceremony
The man at the klokten ceremony
The man at the klokten ceremony
The man at the klokten ceremony
Klokten - a rite of initiation for men
Klokten - a rite of initiation for men

Selknam families were small, and polygamy was rare. The genus numbered from 40 to 120 people, had its own hunting grounds. Each clan had an elder, his title was not hereditary.

The man at the klokten ceremony
The man at the klokten ceremony
Selknam - an ancient Indian people
Selknam - an ancient Indian people
Klokten - a rite of initiation for men
Klokten - a rite of initiation for men
Klokten - a rite of initiation for men
Klokten - a rite of initiation for men

The main holiday in the life of the Selknam is the sacred Klokten ceremony, which was held in winter, when the entire community gathered together. It was a kind of initiation rite for men who, under the guidance of a shaman, appeared before women in a specific form - in conical masks made of bark, and their bodies were painted with geometric patterns. In everyday life, the Selknam wore clothes made of guanaco, otter or fox skins with fur outside, fur hats and leather shoes reminiscent of modern moccasins.

The bodies of men are decorated with patterns, on the head - fur hats, on the legs - moccasins
The bodies of men are decorated with patterns, on the head - fur hats, on the legs - moccasins

Unfortunately, the culture of the village people is almost completely lost today. However, representatives of other indigenous peoples still live in America, and it is interesting to learn about them in their own way. Take a look at the portraits modern American Indians and see for yourself!

Recommended: