The Tehuelche historically inhabited the Patagonian steppes.
The Tehuelche, including the southern Aónikenk, were Indigenous peoples of eastern and southern Patagonia. Traditionally mobile hunter-gatherers, they followed seasonal patterns and relied heavily on guanacos, rheas and other wildlife of the cold, dry steppe.
Their territory extended across large parts of present-day Argentina and Chile. The introduction of horses after European contact transformed Tehuelche mobility, trade networks and warfare, allowing groups to travel farther across the plains. Spanish explorers referred to people they encountered in Patagonia as “Patagones.”
Mapuche influence later spread into northern and central Patagonia, and many communities adopted Mapuche language or customs. That history can blur the distinction between the two peoples, especially because “Tehuelche” is sometimes used broadly for a complex of related or neighboring groups. Even so, the classic answer for the Indigenous people associated with Patagonia’s open steppes is Tehuelche.