My name is Macarena, I am a social anthropologist from Valdivia, Chile. I work at the IDEAL Center, in the human dimensions research line, studying the human communities in the region of Magallanes and Antarctica. My latest work has focused on the modes of navigation in Cape Horn.
During my secondment, under the supervision of Dr. Kerstin Jerosch, I worked on the writing of the book “Yagan Women in Navigation and the Seashores” which proposes a historical and anthropological journey through the seafaring practices developed by Yagan women. This book narrates the transformations that the practices and links with the sea of the Yagan women have undergone. This study reveals the transformations that have taken place since a first stage in which they had a protagonist role in activities such as sailing, swimming and fishing; to a present in which they are absent from them, however, in the hope of recovering their ancestral practices and revitalizing their culture.
My work during the three months of secondment consisted in doing a bibliographic review of primary and secondary sources; coding and systematizing the interviews; systematizing and analyzing ethnographic data; and text writing and design the content of the chapters.
In addition, during my secondment I was able to meet and interview Cristina Zárraga, a yagan writer, who has been living in Germany for many years. With her I was able to build up a collaboration. I also received the support and advice of Kerstin Jerosch, as well as her support in the elaboration of maps for future editorial projects.
The results of my secondment are a finished draft of the book, soon to be sent to the design agency and presented to the community of Puerto Williams in Cape Horn. My work was very enriched by the aforementioned contacts and collaborations established in Germany. I really enjoyed the hospitality of all the AWI people I was able to meet, and I am very grateful that this secondment offered me the possibility to dedicate myself exclusively and in depth to the development of this book.
Figure 1. Yagan women fishing in their monoxila canoe on the Beagle Channel.
