The Ona and The Ona and YahganYahgan

of Tierra del of Tierra del Fuego:Fuego:

BandBand--Level Level WarfareWarfare

Ethnographer:Ethnographer:MartMartíín Gusinden Gusinde

•

•

(Topic 5)(Topic 5)

The Spread of Modern HumansThe Spread of Modern Humans

Beringia

Paleoindian huntersbattle a 20’ ground sloth

Dall Sheep

Musk Ox

Saiga Antelope

Horse

Lion-like Cats

Mammoth

Grizzly Bear

Wolf

Long-horned Bison

NorthNorthAmericanAmerican

animals,animals,many nowmany nowextinct, ofextinct, of

the Latethe LatePleistocenePleistocene

Megatherium,Megatherium,Giant GroundGiant Ground

Sloth, SouthSloth, SouthAmericanAmerican

PleistocenePleistocene

southernsouthernSouthSouth

America,America,~10,000 B.P.~10,000 B.P.

MammothMammoth

ValsequilloValsequillo&&Santa IsabelSanta IsabelIxtapaIxtapa(7710 B.C.(7710 B.C.±± 400 yr.)400 yr.)

MexicoMexico

Atlatl

The Ona and The Ona and YahganYahgan

of Tierra del of Tierra del Fuego:Fuego:

BandBand--Level Level WarfareWarfare

Ethnographer:Ethnographer:MartMartíín Gusinden Gusinde

•

•

(Topic 5)(Topic 5)

Strait of MagellanStrait of Magellan

Tierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego

Beagle ChannelBeagle Channel

SystemsSystems--Hierarchical ModelHierarchical Model

1

23

4

5 6 7(7),8

9

10

The OnaThe Ona——Tierra del Fuego IslandTierra del Fuego Island

1. Environment:1. Environment:TOTAL AREA: 48,110 sq. Km

Inhospitable--a drab, dark-green landscape with little diversity

Flatter terrain in north, snow-capped peaks in the south

Rain: abundant, but heaviest in the southern woods.... sun comes out weakly and infrequently

Temperatures: can be 15-25°below zero C.

Two Ona Two Ona subgroups:subgroups:

1.1. PPáámicamica::huntedhuntedcururo,cururo,

a rodenta rodent(summer)(summer)

2. Mode of Production:2. Mode of Production:

2. 2. HHáámskamska: hunted: huntedguanaco, aguanaco, acamelid (winter)camelid (winter)

VV

PPáámicamica

HHáámskamska

1. Individual hunting: one man went out traveling in a random direction, using his dogs to help locate the tracks and spoor ... Arrows, shot at a distance of 20-30 m, were aimed at the upper neck area of the animal. After being shot, they would often run some distance before falling down ...

2. Group hunting: (3-8 hunters): when a herd was spotted that remained for a day or more in the same general area the men would hunt in a group, spacing themselves around the herd at some distance from each other ...

2. Mode of Production:2. Mode of Production:

Sharing: Meat was given to family and to any nearby neighbors, with the hunter’s wife distributing the cuts tothe other women... If two neighbors both made a kill, then no one made vulgar comparisons of the quantity/quality of what was given ... the same was true for plants and other foods that the women collected, such as mushrooms or fish.

2. Mode of Production:2. Mode of Production:

COLLECTING, or “how the women look for food.”What the women contributed to the diet of the family was so reduced in quantity and so irregular that it couldn’t be counted on…

2. Mode of 2. Mode of Production:Production:

3. SETTLEMENT PATTERN:3. SETTLEMENT PATTERN:

Migratory hunting, the only possibility for subsistence on Tierra del Fuego Island

Thus, each family had to move constantly from one place to another.

Search for food was never absent from their thoughts, nor was fear of hunger.

Each family had to have an extensiveregion at its disposal, since the animals couldn’t stay long in one place.Thus, the land had to be verylightly populated.

It was not possible, either, for manyfamilies to gather in one spot for more than a few days.

ONA TERRITORIALITY (3) and ONA TERRITORIALITY (3) and POLITICAL ECONOMY (7):POLITICAL ECONOMY (7): Boundaries:

• Marked by rocks and other natural features.

• Fixed, enduringfor generations

• All were reminded of their locations.

• Other groups could not enter without permission.

• Violators were attacked openly, or later by “vengeance assaults.”

Population estimate: ca. 4000 p. over 48,000 km² (= 1260 km² per territory [area of 23 X 23-miles], with average of 105 p/territory and a population density of .1p/km²).

(38 namedTerritories)

(a 1260(a 1260--kmkm²² area, or 23 X 23 mi, in area, or 23 X 23 mi, in Dallas,TexasDallas,Texas; ; population of 1,588,580 = a density of 1260 population of 1,588,580 = a density of 1260

persons/kmpersons/km²²!) =12,600 X greater than Tierra del Fuego) !) =12,600 X greater than Tierra del Fuego)

warfare warfare …… ??

9. ONA RITUAL AND MAGIC: 9. ONA RITUAL AND MAGIC:

Shamans (xons):

1. In control of weather, health, disease, lives, deaths of everyone, and war.

2. In control of darts called “kwáke” (dart throwers/dart removers … bewitchers/curers).

3. Had three souls—one, the há’hmen, gathered intelligence on other groups to determine the timing of war.

Regulation Regulation ofof

warfare:warfare:

Regulation Regulation ofof

distance/distance/dispersal:dispersal:

Regulation Regulation ofofwarfare:warfare:

Ona were sensitive, irritable, distrustful in their dealings with nearby groups, as well as vengeful with respect to rights to territory... people were easily provoked.

NATURE OF CONFLICT:

• Frequency: The entire island was subject to war, occurring in one or another area every six months or so.

• Size of warrior groups: 8-20 men.• Preparations: All relatives and nearby friends were called

upon to make arrows, and meat was stored to feed women and children during hostilities.

• War headman: Chosen on the basis of age, abilities in sorcery, and leadership.

10/710/7----ATTITUDE AND WARFARE:ATTITUDE AND WARFARE:

(Small(Small--scale scale ““CIACIA””))

• Attacks on camps: Usually always carried out by surprise.But, with warning, the women would hide the children nearby, teaching them to stay still while the mothers fled elsewhere.

• Defensive works: Sometimes used, consisted of piles of branches to hide behind and from which to shoot arrows, especially in more open terrain.

7. WARFARE (POLITICAL ECONOMY):7. WARFARE (POLITICAL ECONOMY):

• Shamans would find “signs that peace would come,” but they also spurred the men on if they thought it worthwhile.

• Peace Ritual (Jelj)

1. performed when both sides were ready to call an end to the strife …

2. They met in the open, about 150 meters apart.3. Groups would approach each other, making speeches

and shooting arrows (barbed heads removed, leather-covered).

4. Ended with several days of friendly interaction—men, women, and children participating.

Conflict Resolution:Conflict Resolution:

7. WARFARE (POLITICAL ECONOMY):7. WARFARE (POLITICAL ECONOMY):

• Proximate Causes of War (Emic Causes):

1. Trespass onto another group’s territory.

2. Witchcraft/sorcery from a malevolent xon(anytime someone died prematurely, a group’s own xon would divine who did it)

3. Blood revenge because of a murder (a single homicide could cause years of constant strife between two groups).

Proximate/Emic and Ultimate/Etic Cause(s)?Proximate/Emic and Ultimate/Etic Cause(s)?

7. WARFARE (CAUSES):7. WARFARE (CAUSES):

KLÓKETEN (PUBERTY RITE) – the myth:

1. First owned and carried out by the women (in control of Ona society, ran men’s lives just as men do now, men stayed home and took care of the children) …

2. Still, the men were stronger and the women knew this, so one woman, Moon/Krä, wife of the Sun, told them to have a secret women’s society and construct a hain, or Great Hut, far from the camps … neither men nor children could enter ....

3. Women spent days in camp bossing their husbands around, even sleeping with them from time to time, but mostly they slept in the Great Hut.

(continued )

4. Even at this time the men hunted the guanaco, and Man-Sun, Kran, was among the best of the hunters …. One day he sneaked up on two girls who were bathing and laughing at how the women were able to control the men. Infuriated, he went to tell the men ….

5. They rose up and killed all the women … Sun-Man went after his wife, Moon-Woman, but couldn’t catch her (even today he chases her across the sky), but he was able to disfigure her with a burning stick, the results of which can still be seen today...

6. Only the youngest girls were kept alive to keep the Ona race going...

SystemsSystems--Hierarchical ModelHierarchical Model

The YahganThe Yahgan——Beagle ChannelBeagle Channeland southand south

YAHGAN TERRITORIALITY:YAHGAN TERRITORIALITY:

Gusinde: Gusinde: ““They know exactly the frontiers They know exactly the frontiers that separate their subsistence area from that that separate their subsistence area from that of their neighbors. This area they consider to of their neighbors. This area they consider to be theirs only, and any stranger who enters it be theirs only, and any stranger who enters it is considered an intruder.is considered an intruder.””

Population Population estimate: estimate: ca. 2700 personsca. 2700 persons(equivalent to (equivalent to 540 p/territory)540 p/territory)

540 persons/5000 km540 persons/5000 km²² (Area 3)=(Area 3)=.1 person/km.1 person/km²²

(5000 km(5000 km°°==4 X the size4 X the sizeof one of of one of the 38 Onathe 38 Onaterritories,territories,and 4 X theand 4 X thesize of size of central central DallasDallas……))

ATTITUDE AND FEUDING:ATTITUDE AND FEUDING:Since the Yahgan lived solitary lives, they were always glad when gatherings were over so they could be free of prying eyes, and social relationships were never based on any kind of “sincere friendship.”

• Conflict and settlement pattern: Since the population was dispersed there was little opportunity for strife to occur between large groups of people.

• Concept of honor: Although fights were less frequent than among the Ona, the Yahgan had a highly developed sense of honor … Any conscious offense or intentional insult was intolerable to them, without immediate apology the injured party took revenge.

• Feuds: Inter-neighborhood feuds were common, both between men and between women (“who fought each other like wildcats”).

• Murder and Vengeance: If a person killed someone, then a large group of people from the area of the murdered person might come in as many as 15 or more canoes to avenge the death of the murderer .

YAHGAN RITUAL AND MAGIC:YAHGAN RITUAL AND MAGIC:

SHAMANS, called Yékamuš, were bewitchers and curers like the Ona xons, and included men (and a few women) with powerful personalities. They were feared because of their special relationship with the spirit world:

• Possessed tiny, magical darts called yékuš … The darts were invisible to the shaman’s adversaries and injured, weakened, and killed them.

• Illnesses were caused by darts thrown by other shamans, and cured by sucking the darts out.

Archaeology: Paleoindians were at Monte Verde site, southern Chile (to the NW of here) by ca. 13,000 B.P., and at Fell’s Cave by ca. 11,000 B.P.).

We may assume that they had arrived on Tierra del Fuego Island by at least ca. 10,500 years ago.

Implications for the peopling of Tierra del Fuego:Implications for the peopling of Tierra del Fuego:

Recalling the Ona population was 4000 persons, assume that:

1. 60 settlers arrived on the island at 10,500 B.P.

2. Their numbers grew at 1% per year, which is equivalent to a Doubling Time (D.T.) of 70 yrs. [formula is “70/n,” where n equalsgrowth rate; therefore, 70/1 = D.T. of 70 yrs.].

3. 60 people would grow to 3840 people in 6 D.T.’s, or a mere 420 years (60 X 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 = 3840).

4. Thus, by ca. 10,000 yrs. ago, the population of T. del Fuego would have essentially reached its carrying capacity (basedon the hunting of cururo and guanaco).

120120……240240……480480……960...1920 960...1920 …….. ..

…… 40004000

What are theimplications of the preceding demographic estimates for the Onaand Yahgan …

for their territoriality and warfare?

Next:Next:HeadhuntersHeadhuntersAnd OtherAnd OtherBad HombresBad Hombres