Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego in particular, are spectacular. However, for me what really makes a place are the people. I found the people who live on the island of Tierra del Fuego to be friendly, hospitable and very generous.

It’s the people I didn’t meet who could have taught me much more about the land than the ones I did meet. The Selk’nam people, who are also called Ona, were the original inhabitants of the Tierra del Fuego island.

Today, the Chilean government is deciding what to do with a petition from the surviving descendants of the Selk’nam people. They are asking for recognition, which, if granted, could be a step in them regaining their land. If that happens, there’s no telling yet what the few people who currently live there will have to do and if they will be able to stay in their homes on what they consider to be their land.

Read my article about the Selk’nam in Fodor’s Travel.

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For boat tours of glaciers in Tierra del Fuego, contact Viejo Lobo de Mar Expediciones on Instagram or vldmexpediciones@gmail.com

For personalized tours anywhere in the region, contact KaNaturaleza kanaturaleza@gmail.com or WhatsApp+56923960855

KaNaturaleza owners Katalina Carretta & Ignacio Carrasco have three Instagram accounts @katarukinka @nachoexplorador @kanaturaleza