Chile's last Yaghan speaker 'Grandma Cristina' dies aged 93

Cristina Calderon was long a symbol of cultural resistance for Chile's indigenous communities. Photo: AFP

Cristina Calderon, the last native speaker of Chile's indigenous Yaghan language, has died at the age of 93, her family said on Wednesday, in a blow for a dwindling culture at South America's extreme southern tip.

Calderon, known locally as "Grandma Cristina," was recognised in 2009 by the Chilean government as a "living human treasure" for her work in preserving a culture at risk of extinction.