Translation to English: Elvira Sepúlveda Durán
The indigenous peoples of the Delta can be divided into three different groups: the Guaranís, the Chaná-Timbús and the Mbeguás. These last two were related to each other and both belonged to the so-called «Grupo del Litoral» (Group of the coast)
The Chaná-Timbú inhabited both banks of the Paraná River, which is located in the south of the provinces of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe (northeast of Buenos Aires). They were divided into several ethnic groups with the same cultural background: mocoretás, calchines, chiloezas, corondas, timbús, caracás, chanás and beguas. The Chaná ethnic group lived in the lowlands of what is now the Department of Victoria, specifically in the province of Entre Ríos.
All these groups moved through the rivers in large canoes made from hollowed trunks. Their villages, built in high places and near the rivers, consisted of communal houses where several families lived. Those families were under the government of a lord. Moreover, these indigenous people buried their dead in burial mounds in the surroundings of their villages and on the banks of rivers.
His diet consisted largely of fish, meat, and wild vegetables and fruits. Influenced by the Guarani who lived with them, the Timbús also farmed corn, squash and beans.
The Guaranís were the most important indigenous group on the East coast: they populated the region that goes from the Amazon Rainforest to the river Río de la Plata. Those who inhabited the Delta area were divided into two different groups: the Chandules or Guaranis of the islands, who lived on the eastern and southern islands; and the Carcarañá, who inhabited the islands located near the mouth of the river Río de la Plata with the Paraná River.
They lived in communal houses and were farmers who owned plantations of corn, tobacco, and cassava, among others. The Guaranís had an organized society and, after the arrival of the Jesuits, they were dominated by this religious order. When the Jesuits were expelled from the continent, the Guaraní society collapsed and, as other indigenous peoples of South America, they were completely subdued by the Spanish conquerors.
All the native ethnic groups of the Paraná Delta were subdued by the Spanish conquest. They were reduced and the mistreatment and epidemics depopulated the islands and, as in many regions in South America, the Chanás disappear completely. The Chaná people fought bloody battles in order to defend their territory. In the 18th century, a cruel and unequal battle took place in the Argentinian Region of Victoria, in which the Chaná were defeated and, therefore, expelled from the regions. As a result, the place was known as «Pagos de la Matanza» and today it is called Cerro de la Matanza (Hill of the Masacre).
From that moment onwards, there was a cultural and population gap on the islands which was never filled by the Spanish conquerors.
At the time of the conquest, the first historical records of the Delta area date back to 1580. On October 24 of that year, Juan de Garay, who had just refounded the city of Buenos Aires, awarded Gonzalo Martel de Gusmán, a member of his expedition, a land grant in the valley Riachuelo de las Conchas. This place is now called Rio de la Reconquista (River of the Reconquest), which housed snails or freshwater shells until the beginning of the 20th century.
Towards 1611, a port began to operate at the mouth of the Riachuelo de las Conchas. Moreover, a farmhouse started to be created in the surrounding area, which the settlers called the town of Las Conchas.
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was a great promoter of the occupation of the delta. He had a house on the river that today bears his name. He wrote about the Delta: «… and the willows grow by charm, and three-year-old plantations give products that are put into the market very quickly. Vineyards, pear trees, medlars and other fruit trees are the same. Beans grow like shrubs, corn is black with pure freshness, and potatoes and onions reach a stunning development «. He also promoted the transfer of the land ownership of the islands to their occupants, a fact that was set in 1888. Mr Sarmiento also introduced wicker into the delta.
Colonies of European immigrants started to appear on the islands. Those immigrants were grouped by countries of origin in certain places of the delta: Ukrainians, Hungarians, Poles, Italians, Spaniards, French, Russians, Basques, etc. The settlers lived from the production of wood, fruit trees (such as orange and peach), skins of capybaras and otters, and honey. They also farmed wheat and corn plantations. This process lasted until the 1930s, when the largest population was reached: 25,000 inhabitants. This boom stopped in the 1940s when the decline of both population and fruit production began. In 1942, 18,200 farmed hectares were registered, and ten years later, only 9,300 hectares, which was half of the previous census.