The Chilean Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved the recognition of the Selk'nam as one of the main native peoples of the country

Santiago de Chile, Aug 10 (RHC) The Chilean Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved the recognition of the Selk'nam as one of the main native peoples of the country, which also implies compensation for the genocide they were subjected to.

Also known as Onas, they inhabited the southernmost area of the country, particularly the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica, where for centuries they were dedicated to hunting, herding and gathering.

However, in the mid-19th century, large-scale cattle ranching began to be introduced there and sheep ranches owned by European, Chilean and Argentine colonists were created, which began the extermination of the original settlers.

According to documented testimonies, the owners of the herds paid groups of hunters one pound sterling for each Selk'nam killed, which they had to prove by taking the ears and hands of the victim.

Although there is no exact data on the original number of members of this community, historians estimate it to be around four thousand and almost all of them were eliminated from 1886 until the first decades of the twentieth century.

Until recently they were considered an extinct people, but a study published in 2022 concluded that they are a living ethnic group.

The process of their recognition began in 2019 driven by a group of deputies, among whom was the current president, Gabriel Boric, and almost four years later culminated successfully.

Activist Hema'ny Molina Vargas, who began more than a decade ago the task of contacting Selk'nam families scattered throughout the country, described the Senate's decision as an act of justice towards her people.

Now the initiative must return to the Chamber of Deputies for a third and final legislative procedure before its enactment (Source: Prensa Latina).