Comechingón

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Comechingón (plural Comechingones) is the common denomination for a currently extinct group of aboriginals native to the Argentine provinces of Córdoba and San Luis. They were thoroughly displaced or exterminated by the Spanish conquistadores by the end of the 17th century.

The main two Comechingón groups called themselves Henia (at the north) and Kamiare (at the south) respectively, subdivided each in a dozen or so tribes. The name comechingón expression is a deformation of the pejorative term kamichingan used by the tribe of the Sanavirones, which means "cave inhabitants".

They were sedentaries, practiced agriculture yet collected wild fruits, and raised animals for wool, meat and eggs. Their culture was heavily influenced by that of the Andes.

Several aspects seams to differentiate the Henia-Kamiare from other inhabitants of nearby areas. They presented a rather Caucasian aspect, with beards and a so-said minority of greenish eyes. another distinctive aspect was their communal stone houses, half buried on the floor to endure the cold, wind and snow of the wintertime.

Though they had their own language, this was lost with Spanish the impositions that favoured both Runa sini and Quechua. Nevertheless, they left a rich pictography and abstract petroglyphs.

Another interesting cultural contribution is the famous Córdoba accent, or vowel extension in the Spanish of the present inhabitants of Córdoba, but also not uncommon to San Luis and other neighbouring provinces.

[edit] Division

Kamiare (mainly north of San Luis Province)
- Saleta (western Sierra de Comechingones and Villa de Merlo)
- Nogolma (west of the Saletas, Valle de Conlara)
- Michilingüe (the most notorious within San Luis; west and south of the previous ones)
Hênia (mainly the Sierras of the Córdoba Province)
- Mogas (Sierras de Ambargasta)
- Caminigas (south of the Mogas)
- Gualas or Guachas (south of Caminigas)
- Chine (west of Gualas)
- Sitón (Valle de Punilla, eastern Sierra Chica)
- Aluleta (western Sierra Chica, Valle de Paravachasca, and southern Valle de Punilla)
- Naure (southern and central Valle de Traslasierra; north of Saleta and Nogolma)
- Macaclita (Valle de Calamuchita, eastern Sierras de Comechingones down to Río Cuarto)