The image of a mulatto chief sitting on a chair in a photographic studio is the starting point for the final act on the tragedy of Patagonia’s indigenous communities. The history of the Tehuelche people who were unjustly forced from their land.
It has always been argued that the Tehuelche did not know how to adapt their nomadic hunting culture to the sedentary economic changes that suggested the advancement of livestock farming in Patagonia. However, Chumjaroun, the head of the Tehuelche tribe, who is called “mulatto” because of the color of his skin, did not have that in mind.
In 1893, the governor of Punta Arenas, Magallanes province, granted mulattos and their communities provisional permission to occupy and develop 10,000 public hectares in the Zurdo River valley, approximately on the border with Argentina. This law stipulated certain strict conditions and provided penalties of losing land if the conditions were not met.
Within a year they had to fence their fields, pay the land tax, and build a Christian “house.” Mulatto fulfilled all requirements. “The house was built in the same way as other properties in the countryside, leaving the old awning for use on hunting expeditions,” explains Mateo Martinić, a historian at Ros Aonikenk. history and culture.
But he also built up a work and productive organization with his people so that he could have cabins and sheds and devote himself to raising horses, mules, sheep, and cattle. Their horses, already domesticated, were sold in the colonies of Punta Arenas and Rio Gallegos.
Given the massive advances in livestock farming, he felt pressure on his ancestral lands from neighboring British ranchers. He noticed that Tehuelche people were restricted from hunting transsexuals in their community by fences, which symbolized private property, which led him to protest with local authorities. After evading the Magallanes governor several times, he decided to make the long journey to meet the president, taking a boat from Punta Arenas to Valparaíso and then taking a train to Santiago de Chile.
The mulatto arrived accompanied by two young men, Canario and Prom. La Unión de Valparaíso newspaper commented: “This was the first trip for the three of them. They did not know what it was to sail on a steamer, much less a railway station.”
In this important port city on the Pacific Ocean, Mulatto and his companions met with the famous photographer Eduard Clifford Spencer. Founded in Chile in 1870, this North American citizen had photographic galleries in Valparaiso and Santiago, studios where he painted the major politicians of the day and recorded scenes from the Pacific War.
El Chileno newspaper reported that Spencer had taken three photos of the visitors, and while he was about to take a fourth, Mulatto stood up and politely asked the photographer for a fee. “Photography is a transaction with them, so it was very fair for them to participate in that business.As you can see, the chief turned out to be as good a businessman as Mr. Spencer.”
In November 1896 he was received by Federico Errazuriz Echauren. The first president listened to their opinions and intervened through orders to the Magallanes government so that they would not be confused.
Erathuriz quickly worked to resolve the conflict in Magallanes. He already had enough problems with the abuses committed by the landowners and miners of Fuego against the indigenous people.
It was an achievement for the mulattos that the Tehuelche delegation was recognized by the president. However, the Punta Arenas newspaper El Magallanes said one of his companions was not very happy, claiming that “the president gave neither chauchas nor shirts.” Accustomed to gifts from local officials, he was surprised that Chilean leaders did not deliver gifts or presents.
The ceasefire with the ranchers in Magallanes lasted nine years. The rise in the price of wool on the London Stock Exchange has created a need for more land in Patagonia, even land declared as indigenous reserves.
In 1905, the land in Tehuelche was claimed to be auctioned under the name Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego, owned by Sara and Mauricio Brown. Latifundio was a model for wool exploitation. There was no need for rural families or small producers. Moreover, the Indians settled on fertile pastures.
Mulatto left for Santiago again with his family and an interpreter.
El Porvenir newspaper emphasized in its cover box: “For several days now the mulatto chief has been in the capital, coming to complain to the Colonial Inspector General about the land grabs of which he has been the victim.However, as in previous cases, the poor chief visited the office every day, but could not find anyone who would pay attention to his legitimate claims.”
The newspaper commented that Chief Tehuelche was staying at the police station as a visitor.
Finally, President Germán Risco attended him. The meeting ended with Mr. Mulatto affectionately patting him on the back and promising a peaceful return. After the silence at the desk, and as a return gift, smallpox was presented.
His niece, who was accompanying him, contracted the disease in Valparaiso and died on arrival in Punta Arenas. Shortly after, Murat, his son, and most of the Tehuelche people of the Zurdo Valley died of an epidemic. His wife, Ms. Chalagre, believed that a great guaricho (spell) had affected the reserve. He left home and traveled to Coyle, Santa Cruz Territory, where other relatives lived. She brought the plague and infected them. “Almost the entire population of India died,” wrote Salesian Maggiolino Borgatello in his memoirs. In this way, within a month or two, two indigenous communities in Chile and Argentina were destroyed.
Farmers in the reserve abandoned the site and some of their animals were appropriated by neighboring ranchers and the Punta Arenas government. The ranch built by the mulatto was eventually abolished and his ancestral land was placed under ranch control.
The history of the conquest of America is the history of the conquest of the earth. Indigenous peoples who resisted with weapons succumbed, as did those who tried to establish peaceful coexistence.
Osvaldo L. Mondello He is a certified journalist (UNLP), former university professor, and author of recent books. Mulatto (Chumjaroun).
About The Author
