Tierra del Fuego (nowadays part of Argentina and Chile) has been inhabited by hunter-gatherer-fisher societies for approximately 12.000 years. In historical times, the Yagán (or Yámana) and the Kawésqar (or Alakaluf) inhabited the islands of the Fuegian archipelago and the occidental channels. These hunter-gatherer-fishers moved with canoes around the coast these insular territories. Selk’nam and Haush populations occupied the north-central zone and the eastern end of the Isla Grande respectively. Both were pedestrian hunter-gatherers that focused on exploiting inland and coastal resources. One of the most important uses of plant products was the manufacture of baskets from local rushes (Marsippospermum grandiflorum). These baskets were traditionally used to gather and transport shellfish, plants, fruits, eggs and mushrooms. The manufacture of baskets continues today among traditional and contemporary basket makers of the Fuegian native Communities.
The general objective of this project is to collect, record and digitally document the technological and traditional botanical knowledge related to basketry of contemporary indigenous communities in the southernmost part of the American continent.
- Digitise the process of making baskets, taking into account the different weaving techniques used.
- Record the different processes of selection, production and finishing of baskets, taking into account the differences between communities.
- In addition, morphometric patterns and weaving techniques will be recorded by 3D scanning of baskets made by local artisans.
- Document other information related to basket weaving, such as the cultural transmission of knowledge and learning, through semi-structured open interviews with indigenous artisans.
- Make an exhaustive inventory of the historical baskets kept in the Patagonian Museum and review the ethnographic collections of Fuegian in European museums, involving the communities in their documentation.
The project outcomes will include both digital documentation and dissemination through exhibitions. A detailed digital archive with photographs, 3D scans, and audiovisual records of the basketry process will be created and hosted in repositories accessible to communities and academic research. Additionally, a collaborative exhibition on traditional and contemporary basketry from Tierra del Fuego will be developed, traveling to local museums to highlight Indigenous heritage and promote intercultural dialogue.
PI: Anna Franch Bach
Collaborators: Raquel Piqué Huerta, Ana Rosa Butto, and Nelson Alejandro Orlando Agustín Aguilera Águila
Location of Research: Argentina and Chile
Host Institution: Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET) Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Top Banner Image: Basket weaving by Margarita Maldonado, Selk’nam artisan, writer, and ancestral educator. Río Grande (Argentina). Photo credit: Pablo Saldivia.