"¿Agentes o Herramientas? Una Reflexión sobre la Posición Histórica de los Perros durante la Colonización de la Patagonia Austral (1870-1940)

Abstract

The purpose of the following essay is to reflect on the role of dogs (Canis Familiaris) as key actors during the colonization process of southern Patagonia between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to the settlers themselves, dogs were a fundamental support in consolidating the effective occupation of this territory. Primarily used in tasks related to estancias, dogs were a substantial part of the work of shepherds, collaborating during the territorial domination proposed by the new occupants. The appearance of dogs in the regional historiography of southern Patagonia situates them as an accessory tool within the repertoire of colonial artifacts used. However, a review from Animal Studies allows us to understand dogs as protagonists of the southern colonization, as their behavior facilitated the colonization process. Nevertheless, elevating the figure of shepherd dogs as historical actors raises different theoretical and methodological questions. To what extent is it possible to talk about the non-human role? How to determine the agency of this species? What can dogs transmit about the transformation of the southern Patagonian territory? What type of records provide information about them? Reflecting on these questions, it was possible to realize that dogs were initially conceived as a colonization mechanism, and their characteristics and behaviors made them indispensable actors for colonization and sheep farming.