Chilean Southern Patagonia has emerged as a frontier for the expansion of global networks of production and conservation. Over recent decades, marine salmon farming has expanded into peripheral coastal territories, while fisheries such as king crab have been increasingly integrated into global commodity chains. At the same time, state-led and private conservation initiatives have materialized through the establishment of various terrestrial and marine protected areas.

Together, these networks and sectors generate competing spatial claims that are materialized through different forms of boundaries and regimes of mobility. Within this context, Indigenous nomadic peoples of the sea—who have inhabited these marine spaces for millennia—have resisted the imposition of marine enclosures and have struggled for recognition within spatial planning and decision-making processes. 

In this presentation, I analyse the strategies and actions undertaken by the Kawésqar and Yagán peoples in response to the expansion of these global networks. I show how these seemingly marginal actors have been able to regain a degree of control over their maritories by strategically engaging with state spatial tools while simultaneously reasserting maritime mobility.

Speaker

José Barrena is an Associate Researcher at the Transdisciplinary Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Human Development (CEAM) at the Austral University of Chile. His work examines socio-ecological transformations linked to aquaculture expansion, nature conservation, nature-based tourism, and Indigenous territorial claims, with a particular focus on Chilean Patagonia. He has published on marine frontiers, ocean governance, and conflicts over coastal and maritime spaces in the context of global environmental change. 

Discussant

Narumon Arunotai is an anthropologist affiliated with Chulalongkorn University. Her main research interest is indigenous sea people (Chao Lay) in Thailand and alternative development policy.  Her past research projects covered diverse issues ranging from labor, ethnicity, civil society, tourism, to cultural heritage conservation. She received the National Distinguished Researcher Award from the National Research Council of Thailand in 2016 from her dedicated research work.

Moderator

Wengki Ariando is a scholar-activist specializing in Sea Nomad communities and contemporary maritime issues in Southeast Asia. His research focuses on political ecology, coastal and small island development, and indigenous resource governance within the context of climate change and community based conservation. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher at KITLV, contributing to the TRACE project: Tracing evolutionary pathways in grassroots climate governance.

Format, date, time & venue

This seminar is a hybrid event and will be held in the conference room of KITLV, Herta Mohr building, room 1.30, Witte Singel 27 A, Leiden and online via Zoom, on Thursday 26 February from 15.30 – 17.00 PM (CET).

UUKS

The seminar series Unravelling Unconventional Knowledge Systems examines how diverse, often overlooked forms of knowledge can inform responses to contemporary ecological and climatic crises. Rather than privileging institutional science, the series emphasises the cultivation of knowledge through everyday practices, spiritual engagements, ecological relationships, and grassroots adaptations across generations.

The series demonstrates that material, symbolic, affective, and cosmological factors influence interactions among humans, nonhumans, and the environment. Examples such as agricultural calendars, water management systems, forest stewardship, and seafaring routes illustrate how communities have historically adapted to environmental and social change. These knowledge systems, embedded in landscapes and cultural traditions, remain vital resources with ongoing relevance for addressing global challenges.

By examining adaptation strategies across historical and contemporary contexts, the seminar series highlights the importance of recognising unconventional knowledge as central to addressing current challenges. Participants are encouraged to engage critically with pluralistic perspectives that integrate cultural, ecological, and spiritual domains, thereby providing insights into more equitable and sustainable futures informed by longstanding traditions of adaptation.

Image

Arrival of the ferry in Puerto Edén, Patagonian Channels, Chile. Photo credits: José Barrena.

Flyer

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