8. The story of the red necklace
Today is a lazy day. Gaméla leans against her mother who is preparing food near the fire. When her mother bends down her necklace tinkles. Gaméla stares at the middle link: a red snail home between rosy coloured shells hanging on a thin leather string. She asks her mother to tell her how she got the necklace. “You already know that, don’t you?”, her mother replies, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, but it is such a beautiful story,” Gaméla flatters. “Well, all right then.”
Outside there is a storm. The canoe still has to be repaired. They cannot leave and have to wait anyways. Sitting by the fireside is cozy, it’s the perfect time to tell stories.
Gaméla’s mother starts: “Fifteen years ago, before I knew your dad and you were not born, I already knew Aunt Uwale-kipa; we are lifelong friends. One day we saw from the water a beautiful shimmer on a small beach. The evening sun reflected a red-brown glow and we begged our parents to go look at that beach. We went to the shoreline and saw there were hundreds of beautiful rosy shells. While we were collecting some, suddenly Uwale-Kipa started to scream that she had found a bright red one. It turned out to be a very special snail home with a nice spiral shape and a pointed end. It made me envious because there was only one and Uwale-kipa had found it! Tired of searching, we fell asleep.
The next day we moved on. The canoe of the Uwale-kipa’s family left in the opposite direction and after a while I had forgotten about the red snail home.
Almost a year later we sailed on one of the side arms of the Beagle Channel where Uwale-kipa’s brother saw us first. We greeted each other and our parents agreed upon a nice beach to set up a camping site. That night Uwale-kipa’s brother gave me a present: in his hands he held some rosy shells strung into a necklace; in the middle the red snail home. And he said: I like you, Uá-quípa! ”
- Uá-quípa means ‘what a wonderful woman’ in the language of the Yahgans.
- Uwale-kipa made the necklace. Who is the brother of Uwale-kipa? Why did Gaméla’s mum receive this necklace? How would this story continue? Would you like to make a drawing or create a photo about the two girlfriends on the shell beach, the red snail home or another topic from this story? Send it to my e-mail and I will post it on your behalf on the website.
- Click on the ‘Yagán Martin Gusinde Museum Book’ or ‘Martin Gusinde Museum Publications‘ for in depth information.
- Or continue reading. Next story: 9. The missing canoe
- Click on the maps to see where the Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego are located.
