Fuegian dialogues. Constructive interactions between indigenous communities from Karukinka/Usin (Tierra Del Fuego) and archaeology.

FIORE, D.; VASQUEZ CHOGUE, J.L.

Congreso; The Thirteenth Conference on Hunting and Gathering Societies.; 2022

University College Dublin

Wepresent some of the collaborative work produced between archaeologists researchingin Tierra del Fuego and Indigenous Fueguian Communities based both in Chile andArgentina. The process started in 2013 with the initiative of a team ofArgentinean archaeologists working in Fuego-Patagonia, who sought to buildbridges with the Fuegian Communities in order to: a) provide them witharchaeological and historical-ethnographic information and materials produced byresearch projects in Karukinka (traditional Selk’nam territory) and Usin(traditional Yagan territory), as a way of paying tribute theCommunity-Ancestors-Territory links and to comply with their right of access toinformation; b) open a two-way dialogue to foster their involvement in allstages of archaeological research, thus abiding by their right to free, priorand informed consent; c) contribute to the process of increasing theirvisibility, raising awareness of their deep-time presence as Indigenoussocieties in both countries, and strengthening their social/legal recognition asIndigenous Communities in both countries. These are painful processes given thelong histories of invasion, territorial dispossession and genocide suffered byFueguian populations, which, combined with still operating malicious/misinformed“extinction” discourses, have led to an understandable situation of mistrusttowards archaeologists. However, fruitful interactions have been built, and areat different development stages in each Community. We show how the resultingcollaborations are not only empowering for the Fueguian Indigenous Communities,and deeply enlightening for archaeologists, but also help to build a sense ofmeaningful engagement which would otherwise not be achieved.