s, such as the Amerindians. Thus, although the pureblood Fuegians have become extinct, this contemporary group has continued giving continuity to their heritage and socio-economic cultures.
             Contemporary history suggests that Tierra del Fuego derives from the socio-cultural fact that the Fuegians lit their fires and let them burn in front of their huts. Seen from an approaching ship or an island, the rising smoke from the numerous huts that made up their villages made an impressive spectacle, which is what drew sailors and explorers to their land. The Fuegians used smoke to communicate by sending signals to distant kinsmen and tribes (Weber). For example, if a whale drifted ashore, the signals served to call other people for a feast owing to a large amount of meat that would otherwise go bad. Modern history also suggests that while their demise might have been occasioned by disease, it was also made faster through a reduction in whale and large fish supplies as a result of European fleets.
             Some Fuegians dwelt on the coast while others lived in the interior, making it possible for them to have two different adaptations: hunting and gathering, and hunting and sea hunting. They were all originally hunters and gatherers but this changed when they split up, and each sub-tribe had to adapt to their new circumstances. Those who lived on the coast (Yaghans, Alacalufs-Strait of Magellan, and Chonos-Chilean Archipelago) thrived on fish, seals, whales, seagulls, and other birds. The Selk'nams lived on the mainland o
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