Selenam Indians
The indigenous Selenam Indians of Latin America, being transported by sea for display in Europe in human zoos at the end of the 19th century.
This photo was taken in 1899, but the transportation of groups of Selenam Indians began in 1889, with permission from the Chilean government to transport 11 people for display in Europe.
The Selenam people lived in the isolated region of Patagonia, between Argentina and Chile, and the Europeans discovered the Selenam people through the fires of their camps, which were visible from afar.
Their number was small, not more than 3 thousand people, according to their census in 1896. They spoke a language called “Chun” and worked as hunters and gatherers. They were tall, physically strong, and adaptable, and they avoided contact or dealing with the Spanish colonists, who seized much of their land. Of their food resources, they killed many animals, which the Selenam fed on, and they also established vast sheep farms on the Selenam lands.
The Selenam Indians could not understand the issue of private ownership that the Spaniards imposed on their farms, so they hunted sheep for food, which the Spaniards saw as a roadblock, so they began attacking them and sending armed gangs to them to kill them, bringing their ears as evidence of the killing.
In the last quarter of the 19th century, three groups of Indians from the Patagonian region were sent to Europe, where they were displayed in human zoos, after being weighed, measured, and photographed. They were shown to the public 6 to 8 times a day, and health care was poor, which is why they were not Some of them could not bear it and died before reaching Europe.
In 1919, the number of Selnam Indians was 297 people, which declined to 25 by 1945.
In 1974, Angela Loig, the last Selnam Indian, died, and the Chun language became extinct.
Source:
Selknam natives en route to Europe for being exhibited as animals in Human Zoos, 1899