Which Indigenous peoples lived as hunters and gatherers in southern Chile?

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distribution of aboriginal South American and circum-Caribbean cultural groups — South American nomad Distribution of aboriginal South American and circum-Caribbean cultural groups.

In southern Chile, the Indigenous peoples who traditionally lived as nomadic hunters and gatherers—specifically as shellfish gatherers—included the Chono, Alacaluf, and Yámana peoples.1

These groups inhabited the rugged archipelago extending southward to Cape Horn, an environment characterized by dense forests, fjords, and islands where land travel was difficult and agriculture was not feasible. Their survival depended on gathering shellfish and hunting marine life, such as seals, whales, and various marine birds. Because they lacked food preservation methods, these groups remained nomadic, traveling primarily by canoe to secure their food supply.12