Survival in a Birthday Suit

 

Survival in a Birthday Suit

 

Three slender canoes had appeared out of the mist. These were strong and sturdy, made from overlapping sheaths of bark meshed with whale tendons and curved elegantly upward at the bow and stern. Onboard were several men with bare chests and long black hair, carrying lances and slingshots. It was raining and blowing hard from the north, and Byron, freezing, was struck by the nakedness. “ Their clothing was nothing but a bit of some beast’s skin about their waists and something woven from feathers over their shoulders.”  The Wager by David Grann

 

Byron was one of the castaways …a survivor of  HMS Wager, a British man-of-war that left England in 1740 on a secret mission during a dispute with Spain only to be wrecked in a storm off the coast of Patagonia, a region between Argentina and Chile.

 

This was a party of Kawesqar (Ka-WES-kar), one of several indigenous groups that settled in the area thousands of years earlier. Over those centuries, they learned to adapt to their harsh environment; they knew the coastline and where to find food. And it was a society where the women played a central role. They were highly respected and often held positions of leadership.

Women were very skilled in navigating canoes – important since Kawesqar were nomads They often rowed the canoes while minding the kids and  passing on cultural knowledge, including oral traditions, language, and skills necessary for survival in the challenging environment.

Kawésqar women made baskets and tools from natural materials. They crafted  clothing from seal or sea lion skins, but they wore little of it. And if a kid got hurt and needed someone to “kiss and make it better,” they were there. They were the healers using medicinal plants and spiritual knowledge to treat ailments and maintain harmony within the community. This  was an egalitarian society were men and women were treated as equals.

By emphasizing equality, adaptability , and cooperation, the Kawésqar people maintained a sustainable way of life in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. Their egalitarian structure was not just a cultural trait but a survival strategy that helped enabled them to thrive for thousands of years.

 

Home Sweet Home could be a pebble beach, a stretch of sand, a big pile of rocks  or a familiar inlet. They might have a “summer home”  and one for the winter, but they never stayed in one place very long. Home might even be a “houseboat” – a big canoe with ready? – a working fireplace, a dog or two,  and potable water. The “grocery” was anything they found in the sea or along the shore.

Centuries after Byron met the Kawesqar, NASA sent scientists to study them.

 NASA was interested in studying Indigenous cultures like the Kawésqar because their unique survival strategies and way of life offered valuable insights for planning long-term human exploration of space and travel to other planets. NASA studied how group dynamics, conflict resolution, and shared responsibilities affect the success of long-term missions. The Kawésqar's ability to maintain cohesion in small, nomadic groups provided a model for astronauts living and working in hostile environments.

There was much to be learned from a group of people who “ran around” in their “birthday suits.”

 

“A canoe moves forward when all row together.”   Kawesqar Proverb