Patagonian fish skin tanning processes

The ancient tradition of using fish skin to create clothing and accessories is shared by several coastal Arctic societies as part of their subsistence lifestyle depending on aquatic resources for nourishment and clothing.

Antarctica has no population, but the Tehuelches, Selk'nam, Yámanas and Alakaluf are some of the world’s southernmost Indigenous Peoples closest to Antarctica. They live in the Patagonian region of southern Argentina, Chile, including Tierra del Fuego islands. They fish and hunt animals whose migrations in the Antarctic are a critical component of their survival.

There is not much literature regarding the use of fish skin by the Patagonian Indigenous Peoples, but they were known for the use of sea cow hides to make clothes and blankets to keep them warm and protected against the elements. The Tehuelche women spread them with chewed liver and then tan them by hand, rubbing them vigorously.

This paper evaluates the traditional fish skin tanning process used by agronomist Gabriel Fabian Trachter, this is a project promoted by the Secretary of Fisheries of the Province of Chubut in Patagonia, using a process easily adaptable to any location. The tanning was done with Mimosa extract and without any machines, allowing the development of fish skin tanning in areas with electricity deficit. The method does not intend to discard the use of drums, vats or drying tanks, but
to show that it is also possible to tan without them. The results were tested at Ars Tinctoria laboratory to identify the potential of this traditional tanning process with a very low environmental impact.

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