National
Only one full-blood member left of tribe in Chile


Only one full-blood member of the Yagan Tribe in Chile remains after the death of 84-year-old Emelinda Acuna, a keeper of the tribe's culture and heritage.

Acuna died of a heart attack on Wednesday. She leaves behind her sister-in-law, Cristina Calderón, as the last Yagana.

The Yagan Tribe is based on the tip of southern Chile in the Tierra del Fuego. Along with other local tribes, their population dwindled to just 350 after exploration by Europeans in the late 1800s.

Get the Story:
EXTINCTION ON THE HORIZON FOR INDIGENOUS TRIBE IN CHILE (The Santiago Times 10/14)
Muere abuela yagán Emelinda Acuña (Clarin 10/12)

Related Stories:
Indians in Chile fight exploitation of forests (08/11)