Fernando

Many of Chile’s indigenous people live in poverty and marginalization. The MDG-F is working to improve their acceptance into and relations with mainstream society through initiatives, like "MuchoChile", which teach Chileans about the value of diversity. This image was submitted to a photography contest held by MuchoChile entitled "Where We Come From."


“This photograph is part of an ethnographic work by two anthropologists of the myths and legends of the Chalinga Valley in north-central Chile. The man in the picture is Fernando Contreras, age 76, a farmer, cattlebreeder and craftsman, who has been weaving for more than 50 years. He learned the trade of artisanal loom-work watching his mother, who was raised by a family of Diaguita indigenous people. Fernando works on a traditional horizontal Daguita loom and makes saddlebags, blankets and fabrics out of sheep, guanaco, vicuna and alpaca wool, dyed with plants and shells. He has no heirs, but teaches his craft to anyone who wishes to learn it.”


Patrick Veragara Francisco Aguilera (born 1973), Salamanca