The strange and sad case of Sara Baartman, kidnapped from South Africa…
The Human Zoo
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Toward the end of the 19th century, 25 people from four different Chilean indigenous groups were kidnapped from Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia by a German businessman and taken to Europe to be exhibited as attractions in cities throughout the continent. THE HUMAN ZOO uncovers the history of this colonial spectacle, and follows the fallout into the present.
With Chilean historian Christian Baez, director Hans Mulchi contacts these native people's descendents, and traces their voyage from South America across Europe, paying particular attention to the fate of Calafate, a Selk'nam boy who was taken when he just 9 years old, and survived to return to his native land.
Others were not so lucky. The filmmakers discover a collection of skeletons of five Kawesqar people in the archives of the Anthropology Department at the University of Zurich, and with help from the Swiss researchers, begin the process of repatriation to Chile.
Their efforts-and those of the Kawesqar descendents-reveal not only the persisting legacy of colonial oppression, but also the fissures that still separate indigenous Chilean communities from their national government.
'A film that reflects on the paradoxes of culture, indigenous peoples and science.' - Carla Olivares H., El Agente (Chile)
'Passionate, committed... a tremendous history.' - Ascanio Cavallo, El Mercurio (Chile)
“Detailed and thoroughly researched... viewers will have a great deal to ponder and discuss.” —National Science Teachers Association Recommends (NSTA Recommends)
Citation
Main credits
Mülchi, Hans (Director)
Other credits
Original idea, Christian Báez and Hans Mülchi; photography, Enrique Ramírez; editor, Enrique Ramírez; original music, Subhira.
Distributor subjects
Anthropology; Bioethics; Chile; Ethics; History (World); History of Science; Human Rights; Indigenous Peoples; Latin America; Latin American Studies; Native People; Photography; Race and Racism; Science and Technology; South America; Western EuropeKeywords
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[music]
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At the end of the 19th century,
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groups of Patagonians and Fueguinos
were taken against their will
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to European Human Zoos. These
were shows where Africans,
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Asians and Native Americans
were exhibited as savages
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before audiences that paid to see them.
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Christian Báez has researched for years the
photographs that were taken of these people
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from the end of the world. When
I saw them, I started wondering
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how did they get there, who
had captured these images
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without suspecting the long earning
they would have over time.
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We Chileans half-Indian half-European,
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how do we look at these forgotten pictures.
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Do we have any responsibility
in how they originated?
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[music]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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Later, Hagenbeck exhibited them
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in (inaudible) and Berlin. This
man identified as Pitioche,
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suffered a severe depression.
After two months in Germany,
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he and the other two Tehuelches
were returned to Patagonia.
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This was the first of
three forgotten episodes.
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Curiously none of them
appear in our history books.
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[music]
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We decided to follow through Europe,
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the route of this Kawésqar culture
Fueguinos, who appear in the photographs.
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Now we look for their descendants.
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Celena Llan Llán and Haydeė Aguila
grew up here in family stories
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that told of epidemics,
captures, and disappearances.
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They listened carefully
to the news of our trip.
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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At the ethnographic museum of Berlin,
we found dozens of implements of
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non-European people. I wonder
how these objects got here.
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A place that is now head quarters of
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the same scientific group that
supported Hagenbeck’s actions.
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The Berlin Society of Anthropology,
Ethnology and pre history.
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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Five adults and four children
arrived to Europe. In this picture
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by an anonymous author, a boy stands out.
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He was called Calafate, after a common
fruit of the Magallanes region.
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Along with him, we have his capture
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and may be his parents, brothers
and sisters. How was this
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and other groups departure possible on a territory
on the Chilean authorities jurisdiction,
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neither Calafate nor his
companions had any notion
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about the place they were taken to. Even
less of importance of this picture.
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[sil.]
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They were moved to London, to a showroom,
today turned into an evangelic church.
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Their exhibition was turned
down for being inhumane.
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And the British foreign ministry asked
for Chilean Diplomatic intervention.
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That reacted timidly.
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A Selk’nam woman, got
seriously sick and died.
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[music]
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[music]
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[sil.]
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In Brussels, while they were exhibited
at an amusement fair by Maitre,
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the police came and took them to jail.
Apparently, as illegal immigrants.
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Maitre fled and the Chilean
council was requested
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but he did not take actions in the matter.
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[music]
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At the port of Dover, they
were shipped to Punta Arenas.
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Surprisingly, Calafate was authorized to
stay in Europe by the Chilean council.
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It is hard to understand the actions of the
government authorities in this matter.
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But their attitudes are no
exception in Chile’s history.
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[sil.]
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[music]
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[music]
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Dawson island is a place that seems to be
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marked by destiny. It gave
shelter to an indigenous mission
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by the Magellan Strait. An
almost a 100 years later,
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in 1973, it so,
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(inaudible)concentration camp
for political prisoners rose.
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Not only Calafate lived his last
days on this island but four other
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Zurich Kawésqar survivors
were brought here as well.
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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Calafate is the only one
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who after returning from Europe, left
a trace of his existence in history.
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But the rest are still waiting to return.
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Upon our arrival from Zurich,
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in March 2008. We informed
the Chilean government
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about the finding of Kawésqar’s skeletons.
With the purpose of promoting the return
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to the Magellan Strait. A year later we
had had conversations and made efforts
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before more than a dozen employees
of different ministries.
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Due to the lack of concrete
answers, the swiss anthropologists
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ask us to establish contact directly
with the Kawésqar descendents.
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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At the end of the 19th century, while they were disappearing,
Patagonians and Fueguinos started to be photographed.
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No one can assure this was
done with their consent.
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Their will was being less
respected every day.
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This was confirmed by
our revealing finding,
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their presence in the European human zoos,
was authorized by the Chilean government
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on a request from a German
chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
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Only after disapproval, the captors
of the three groups exhibited
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and photographed were carried out.
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In this letter, Chili’s foreign affairs minister
tells (inaudible) ambassador of the German empire,
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that he will give orders to
Magallanes government authorities
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to allow Mr. Hagenbeck
or his representative
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to transport one or more specimens
of Patagonians or Fueguinos.
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Jose Alfonso, minister of foreign
affairs and colonization.
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This letter puts under way
the operation which meant
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the captor of three
Tehuelches, 11 Kawésqars,
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and 11 Selk’nams, a total of 25 people.
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[sil.]
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In September 2009, when
the restitution process
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seem to have been activated,
the government incorporated
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the indigenous affairs office of
Punta Arenas. This office organized
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a delegation to go to Switzerland,
led by the director of that office.
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Celina Llan Llán was not included.
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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[non-English narration]
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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What is the real position of us, the Chileans,
towards our indigenous (inaudible)?
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On what side of the
picture are we in today?
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[music]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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A hundred years later,
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the Kawésqar group is exhibited
and photographed again.
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[music]
01:26:20.000 --> 01:26:28.000
[sil.]
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The Kawésqar group
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was abducted at (inaudible)
bay, on the Magellan’s Strait.
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Here a 128 years later,
their remains return.
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The Fueguino community formed
by Kawésqars and Eganas,
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decided not to submit them to DNA testing.
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And said their last farewell in
the intimacy of sacred grounds.
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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[sil.]
Distributor: Icarus Films
Length: 93 minutes
Date: 2011
Genre: Expository
Language: English; Spanish / English subtitles
Grade: 10-12, COLLEGE, ADULT
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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