Daily talks

In our daily talks, we will be discussing topics which are relevant to today´s Kawésqar societ
A short description of the talks can be found underneath the timetable.

Short descriptions of the daily talks

• 1. Kawésqar – nomadic canoers: This talk seeks to transmit the way of life of our nomadic canoe ancestors through the perspective of navigation.
• 2. Europeans in Kawésqar territory: Look into the recent history of Kawésqar territory: since 1520 hundreds of curious navigators traveled through these latitudes and came into constant contact with the natives.
• 3. Kawésqar livelihoods – fire, houses, canoes: The subsistence of the ancient canoe nomads depended entirely on their adaptation to the environment, subsisting on hunting and gathering, cooking with fire, and building their canoes and houses.
• 4. Keeping tradition alive: How is Kawésqar tradition kept alive? Come discover the oral tradition of their descendants and active history.
• 5. Kawésqar language: Thanks to the use of Kawésqar language and its translation into Spanish, it has been saved for the future. Today we can better understand the culture, the territory and the heritage of our people who refuse to disappear.
• 6. Innovative cultural projects: The Pueblo Kawésqar Foundation was created to keep the traditions alive by saving, safeguarding and making visible those traditions that allow us to know more about the Kawésqar culture and heritage.
• 7. Rush plant traditional basketry project: Basketry is a very important Kawésqar tradition, which is kept alive today by a dozen women. Therefore, the year 2022 was dedicated to strengthening their work and highlighting their contribution to Kawésqar culture.
• 8. Wild protected areas: The extensive Kawésqar territory covers an area four times the size of Switzerland. The largest national parks in Chile are located here, enriching the country with ecosystems of inestimable value. Let´s get to know the parks!
• 9. Wildlife conservation: What do we preserve in Kawésqar territory? What ecosystems cover this largest region of Chile? From penguins to whales, endemic flora and the most gigantic glaciers, they are part of a landscape to be preserved.
• 10. Wetlands and southern icefields: A large part of the territory consists of two regions, one covered by wetlands and forests, the other covered by the largest ice field in South America. This is also known as the third largest freshwater reserve on Earth. How over time have Kawésqar lived and adapted to these environments?
• 11. Threats to land and sea conservation: Today the Kawésqar see how their territory is threatened by the limited reach of current protection policies. We ourselves have only limited access to the area, but the ecosystems of a vast territory deserve to be protected by its inhabitants, respecting their expertise, worldview and living presence.