The
first human inhabitants arrived in Ultima Esperanza 12,000 years
ago. They were nomad hunters looking for food and shelter. They
knew how to use the fire, sheltered in caves and rocky wings and
knew how to manufacture from stones their own tools and weapons.
Through the years, the cultural development plus the environmental
background of the area divided the primitive inhabitants in two
groups defined clearly groups, due to their way of living and
their physical characteristics.
The continental site was occupied by Aonikenks or Tehuelches.
They were tall natives that make their living by hunting and traveled
all over down Santa Cruz river. They used stones in order to make
their weapons and tools. They dressed with guanaco fur and lived
in tents made out of wood poles and leather. They were also skilful
horse riders. Nevertheless, their culture finally disappeared
due to the arrival of the colonizers, since their habits changed
dramatically.
In the sea chanels lived the Qawashgars, canoe nomads. They navigated
around the fiords looking for feeding. They made they harpoons
from whale bones, which were very useful in order to catch sea
animals and obtain animal fat, meat, bones and fur. In the present,
still exist some genuine etnic representatives. Some of them live
in Puerto Edén and Puerto Natales.
The first colonizing expedition that visited the area was the
one leaded by Juan de Ladrillero in 1557. They were sent by the
Governor of Chile on a mission to find Magallanes Strait. Presumably
Ladrilleros named Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) the fiord were
Puerto Natales is nowadays.
There are
no historical records of expeditions between 1557 and 1870, which
is an emptiness in the history of the Province. Many scientific
and military expeditions took place between 1830 and 1900 so as
to retrieve information about the territory.
The colonizer settlement and the stockbreeding started in 1985,
when the Chilean Government granted lands mostly to foreign pioneers.
In a second stage, an English Society called Tierra del Fuego
auctioned the rest of the lands.
Puerto Natales
was founded in the beginning of the 20th century (1911) as a need
to count with an emplacement were supplies and goods could be
provided for the stockbreeding industry.
Through the
years, Puerto Natales population was increased due to the arrival
of immigrants from Chiloé (X Region) that felt attracted
by cattle raising. Another motivation was the discovery of a coal
mine in Río Turbio (Argentina) were many of them were employed.
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