Between indigenous memories and archival photo documents. Visual analysis of eight historical photographs of the Salesian missions of San Rafael (Dawson Island) and La Candelaria (Río Grande) in Tierra del Fuego.
Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the Salesian missions of San Rafael on Dawson Island (1889-1903) and La Candelaria in Río Grande (1893-1903) were installed in Tierra del Fuego. Both had the purpose of evangelizing the kawésqar, yaganes and selk´nam groups, ancient inhabitants of the southern Chilean and Argentine extreme. The article presents a visual analysis of photographs that show material aspects of the life of indigenous women and men in the missions. The value of these images resides in one of the few records of cultural groups in this context. This research provides material information on the civilizing impact resulting from the evangelization and colonization of the peoples of the end of the world.