Het peoples

The Het ( proper name ), also known as the Pampas, were an indigenous people, who inhabited the Pampas level on the territory of modern Argentina until the 18th century. Today, they have become extinct as a distinct cultural group, their language is not spoken since the beginning of the 19th century because of the Araukanisierung (assumption of Mapuche culture ).

Of the Guaraní Het were called Querandíes ( Querandí ), by the Mapuche, however, as Puelche (the latter term, however, the further south living tehuelche that involved ). Both names are still familiar in addition Het today.

The Het were very closely related to the peoples of present-day Patagonia ( Tehuelches ), which is why they are often considered these to a group Pampeano - Patagónico or pámpidos. Also relatively close is the relationship to the Charrúas ( from present-day Uruguay) and the Guaycurú ( in northeast Argentina, for example, Toba and Mocovíes ).

Split the Het were in three subgroups: the chechehet, didiuhet and taluhet.

Dissemination

Upon arrival of the Spaniards, the Het inhabited the present-day Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, the south of Santa Fe and Cordoba and the lowland regions of San Luis and Mendoza. They were driven back in time to the south of this area towards Patagonia.

Way of life

The Het were nomads and hunter-gatherers, agriculture they did not know. They hunted rheas, guanacos and other Pampa animals. Since they did not know the horse up to the epoch of Araukanisierung, they were instructed to fast running. As an aid to hunting, they used bow and arrow next to the Boleadoras and piedra - perdida, both a kind of lasso with balls as weights with which they brought their booty to case. The Boleadoras later went into the gaucho culture.

The nomadic Het lived in temporary dwellings made ​​of guanaco leather. Even their clothes, quillango, and her shoes ( moccasins ) was prepared from the fur of this animal. In specific areas they painted their faces.

Araukanisierung

The Het were in addition to the tehuelche one of the ethnic groups that were most affected by the Araukanisierung. They took over in the 18th century, the language and culture of technologically advanced Mapuche or Araucanian Indians who came from central Chile. Therefore, one can now only speculate about the nature of their own language of Het, they have very few words can get today.