Yaghan

The Yaghan, also spelled Yahgan or Yámana, are an Indigenous people traditionally inhabiting the southern tip of South America, including Tierra del Fuego and its surrounding channels in what is now southern Chile and Argentina. They are among the region’s best known hunter-gatherer groups and were among the last to maintain a maritime-focused way of life.

Historically, Yaghan communities relied heavily on the sea for food and materials. Their diet centered on marine mammals such as seals and sea lions, fish, and shellfish, with seasonal gathering of berries and roots. They traveled and hunted along the coast and through the archipelago, utilizing small, lightweight watercraft and tools suited to marine environments. Clothing was largely made from seal skin, providing insulation in a harsh climate. Social life was organized in kin-based groups that moved with seasonal resources.

The Yaghan language, a language isolate of Patagonia, was traditionally spoken by the Yaghan people. It is now critically endangered, with only a few elderly speakers documented in the 20th century and no fluent native community remaining. Some linguistic data has been collected by researchers, and bits of the language have influenced local speech and place names.

European contact began in the early modern period and intensified in the 19th century, bringing profound changes and devastating population declines due to disease and disruption of traditional lifeways. Today, descendants of the Yaghan live in southern Chile and Argentina, where some pursue cultural and linguistic revival efforts. The Yaghan are recognized as one of the indigenous peoples of the region, with ongoing efforts to preserve their history and heritage.