GemsOfINDOLOGYOct 2, 2025

1️⃣ 🧵 Thread: The European Genocide of the Selk'nam — Tierra del Fuego’s Forgotten People

The Selk'nam were indigenous to the remote Tierra del Fuego archipelago in South America. Around 4,000 strong in the 1880s, within 50 years, they were nearly wiped out. Why? Because European foreigner settlers saw them as obstacles to colonization.

Tag this to your favourite european occupiers in South America #Selknam #Genocide

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2️⃣ In 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for Spain, first saw Tierra del Fuego, naming it the "Land of Fire" due to numerous coastal fires lit by Indigenous peoples. Among them were the Selk'nam, also known as Ona or Onawo, one of the four tribes present when Europeans arrived.
Oct 2, 2025 at 6:30amTypefully
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3️⃣ Europeans unleashed a brutal campaign of extermination. The Selk'nam were hunted like animals, shot on sight. Bounties were offered for their dead bodies — reportedly 1 British pound per head. Women fetched even higher prices. #IndigenousGenocide
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4️⃣ By the 19th century, it had become a lucrative business, and Hamburg's Hagenbeck Zoo was the European leader in the human exhibition business. According to Hamburg colonialism researcher Jürgen Zimmerer, this dark page of European history still has not been properly addressed

https://x.com/GemsOfINDOLOGY/status/1970395936687038839?t=EQH0m9PnkWlGg8xq8ZvCzA&s=19

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5️⃣
Within two decades, their population plummeted from thousands to about 100 survivors. Forced assimilation, introduced diseases, and violent massacres decimated the Selk'nam people. #NeverForget #HumanRights
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6️⃣ The last full-blooded Selk'nam, Ángela Loij, passed away in 1974. Their language, a vital part of their identity, became extinct in the 1980s. With their deaths, a rich culture was permanently lost. #CulturalGenocide #EndangeredLanguages
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7️⃣ This is one of the last forgotten genocides in the Americas — a brutal reality hidden in history books and erased from collective memory. It’s vital we remember these atrocities to honor their suffering and prevent repeats. #HistoryMatters
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8️⃣ Today, descendants and activists work to revive Selk'nam heritage and language, protecting what remains of their identity against the erasure of time and colonization. We must listen, learn, and support their struggles. #IndigenousRights #HeritageProtection
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9️⃣ The nomadic group did not build cities or leave behind monuments. Nor did they leave behind many artifacts — or any written language. It's mainly through historical photos and research reports written by individuals, such as missionary Martin Gusinde (1886-1969), that we know about their culture today.
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1️⃣0️⃣ Why raise this now? Because recognizing past atrocities is the first step toward justice and reconciliation. We owe the Selk'nam their story — not as a distant tragedy but as a warning for our shared future. #Truth #Reconciliation
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1️⃣1️⃣ In September 2023, Chile's National Congress officially recognized the Selk'nam as one of the 11 original peoples of Chile. Their story is told in "The Settlers," which is out in German cinemas on February 15.
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