Enjoying the Culture 157Mapuche traditionally wear brightly coloured handwoven
clothes, which the women accessorise with the fine silver
jewellery for which they are known. However, today
they generally wear western clothes when not on the
reservations.
Mapuche are well known for their silver work and you
can buy such items in Santiago and Temuco. They started
using silver after the arrival of the Spanish, who brought the
precious metal with them. The intricate pieces are related to
their religious beliefs and are generally worn during rituals.
Certain pieces are used as a safeguard against evil and
others as a symbol of fertility. Mapuche silversmiths make
earrings, necklaces, pendants, ponchón (similar to a stick
pin) and items to decorate the hair. The distinctive pieces
are large and flat with tubes, chains and links.
Tribes of the Extreme South
A number of different tribes once lived at the southernmost
part of the continent. The Chonos inhabited the area known
today as Aisén. The Kawèsqar (Alacaluf) were a nomadic
tribe that moved along the channels in the far south in their
canoes. The Aonikenk lived and roamed along the steppes
of the southern Andes. The Selk’nam (Ona) lived in the
northern parts of Tierra del Fuego and the Yagan (Yamana)
lived along the southern coast near the Beagle Channel.
Due to the severe cold, many of the indigenous peoples in
southern Chile wore large pelts wrapped around their feet.
The Spanish explorers referred to them as Patagones (big
feet) and that is how the region became known as Patagonia.
When Magellan sailed through the strait that now bears his
name, he and his crew saw a great many bonfires used by
the natives for warmth and cooking. They called the area
Tierra del Fuego (land of fire), which is how such a cold
region earned its hot name. Today, most of these groups
are considered culturally extinct. Living in such an isolated
part of the country, their customs and beliefs did not make
a huge impact on Chilean society. Now that the groups
have all but disappeared, their culture is, for the most part,
relegated to museums and history books.