Friday, October 12, 2012

Aoinikenk

Aonikenk con boina, 1950's

The Aonikenk or Tewelche people, now extinct in Chile, belonged to a group of nomads in Patagonia. They are recognized as one of the tallest ethnic groups in the world, two meters height in average. They lived as hunters and food gatherers on the pampa, between the Strait of Magallanes and the Santa Cruz River. Their  enormous footprints gave origin to legends about the giants of Patagonia, what explains the name given to this vast territory and to their inhabitants. 
During the 18th century, the Aonikenk people developed riding skills over the newly arrived horses, expanding their travels through the Austral steppes. Due to their physical resemblance the Aonikenks are thought to be related to the Selk´nam people. Moreover, their languages have the Tshon as their common root .

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