Thursday, February 27, 2020

Uruguay 1999 - Historical Facts of Uruguay, The Last Charrúas



Technical Details: 
Issue Date: 22 July 1999 
Value: $ 14.- comp series for two reasons of $ 7.- each (Uruguayan Pesos) 
Illustrator: Elena Maldonado 
Chuck: 35,000 series

Historical Facts of Uruguay - The Last Charrúas

The stamps illustrate a valuable iconographic document made by Delaunois when these Charrúas were taken to Paris in 1833.

The picture was published by Dr. Paul Rivet in his well-known work ―Les Derniers Charrúas˜ in 1930. It is believed that the artist has captured this image in a corralón where they were exhibited as animals for the Parisian society of the time.

Although the drawing does not convey the real physiognomy that the group surely showed since it is known that they were in an advanced state of malnutrition (the sheet shows them robust) and that the clothes surely do not respond to the original ones of the Charrúas, the document has a high historical value for being one of the last known images of these Charrúas.

The Charrúas that appear in the drawing are: the cacique Vaimaca-Peru (famous lancero of Artigas), the healer Senaqué, the young warrior Tacuabé (recognized horse tamer) and his companion Guyunusa with whom the latter had a daughter.

Source: BIBLIOGRAPHY: ˜ The world of the Charrúas˜, Daniel Vidart, Editions of the Eastern Band, Montevideo 1996; ˜La Nación Charrúa˜, Rodolfo maruca Sosa, Editorial ˜Letras˜, Montevideo 1957.

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The Last of the Charrua: The Honored Warrior Tribe of Uruguay

Uruguay is said to be the only Latin American country without an indigenous population. However, they did have a fearsome warrior tribe living in the country for thousands of years. Believed to be the last, or only, true Uruguayan indigenous culture, the Charrúa lived in Uruguay and neighboring areas of Argentina and Brazil starting 4000 years ago. The genocide of the Charrúa began in 1833 by Uruguay's first president, with four captives being sent to France as a sideshow. Recently debate has re-emerged on the existence of full-blooded descendents of this indigenous tribe thought to be extinct.
The Origins of the Charrúa Culture

Documents concerning the Charrúa in Uruguay before the arrival of the Spanish have yet be discovered. Thus, the history and origins of the Charrúa culture before colonial times remains somewhat uncertain. However, archaeological evidence shows that the Charrúa culture began in Uruguay roughly 4000 years ago, when they may have been pushed south by the Guarani tribe.

The Charrúa people were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived throughout Uruguay and the Northeast of Argentina as well as Southern Brazil. It is known that they were adept with the bow and arrow and when horses arrived, they became quite good at hunting wild cattle.

Historians assert that the Charrúa culture was created as a mixture of the caingang and thepatagones collectives. Their language is believed to be related to the mataco-guaicurú family. The origins of the name 'Charrúa' are disputed, with some historians suggesting indigenous roots and others favoring Galician instead.


The Fearsome Charrúa Warriors

The Charrúa warriors became very skilled in battle and for this reason they are pivotal heroes in modern Uruguayan culture. Allegedly, the Charrúas killed the Spanish explorers on their first arrival. This led to three centuries of resistance and rebellion. Not only did the Charrúas fight against the Spanish; they were also involved in battles at times against the British, Portuguese and later Brazilian powers.

The undoing of the Charrúa culture was not fear or weakness. The Charrúa are believed to have drunk from the skulls of their dead enemies during ceremonies and cut themselves or even remove their finger joints at the death of a loved one.


The Ends of Uruguay's Charrúa Culture - Intermarriage, Genocide, Slavery and Escape


The decline of the Charrúa culture began with intermarriage with Europeans. After the Charrúas had proved their strength against their opponents, they began to trade and intermingle. This left them open to foreign disease and a decline in their genes.

This decrease was nothing in comparison to the devastating event that took place on April 11, 1831. It is on that day at Puntas del Queguay, the terrible massacre known as the "Slaughter of Salsipuedes" (translated as "Get out if you can") took place.

The first Uruguayan president, Fructuoso Rivera, originally had a peaceful relationship with the Charrúa, however tension increased as European settlers began to advance onto the Charrúa land. The response of the Charrúa was to attack these small settlements.

Documents show that on April 11, 1833, Rivera met with the main Charrúa chiefs - Polidoro, Rondeau, Brown, Juan Pedro and Venado – and their tribes, supposedly to discuss the protection of the State’s borders. Then he gave the Charrúa large amounts of alcohol, and once they were drunk he brought in his men to kill them.

This marked the beginning of the Charrúa genocide that lasted for two years and sent thousands of the Charrúa to their graves, thousands more out of Uruguay and the rest into slavery.

After the Slaughter of Salsipuedes, four Charrúa members were reportedly captured and sent to France, where they were "put on display" for Parisians in 1833. For most Uruguayan historians and anthropologists, they were the last of the Charrúas - the famous four Charrúas depicted in the monument found in Montevideo today. Their names were: Vaimaca-Perú - the chief, the 'curandero' or shaman - Senaqué, the young warrior Tacuabé, and his partner, Guyunusa, along with their newborn daughter.


The Charrúa in Modern Uruguay

In 2002, the remains of Vaicama-Perú were returned to Uruguay, where they received a hero's welcome. Vaicama was subsequently buried in the national pantheon. Before he was interred however, his DNA was tested. The results show that Vaicama came from the local Charrúa culture with a lineage of over 1,600 years.

Recently debate has re-emerged that there are full-blooded descendents of the Charrúa culture living in Uruguay. The individuals who declare themselves as indigenous Charrúa are fighting to reclaim their rights. This issue has been hotly debated as history has continually taught modern Uruguayans that all indigenous Charrúa were killed during the genocide and those who remained are of mixed-blood. Modern Uruguayan anthropologists disagree with the descendents claims as well. This question and the legal consequences continue.

Nonetheless, the Charrúa spirit lives on not only in the blood descendents, but also in the honor of the strong Charrúa warrior in modern Uruguayan culture. The use of the "charrúa" now also refers to modern day Uruguayan soccer players who also often see their matches as battles. Charrúa is also a term used in conversation when a person is faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but they achieve their goals.

Uruguay 2012 - 125th Anniversary of the National Firefighter


Technical Details:
Issue Date: 26 October 2012
Face Value: $48 (4 stamps of $12 Uruguayan Pesos each)
Graphic design: Eduardo Salgado
Print-Run: 60,000 stamps (4 motifs, 15,000 of each one)
Printing House: Sanfer SRL
Sheet: 16 stamps per sheet

The stamp was issued to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the National Firefighters institution. It depicts an image of "Cuartel Centenario" (Centenario Station) which opened on the 18th July, 1930, and was declared national historical monument in 2002. Those who died serving others while firefighting were payed homage. During its 125 years: 400.000 rescue operations have been carried out, more than 730.000 fires have been fought and more than a million of interventions have been performed. In this period 35 firefighters lost their lives. Also the American Firefighters' Organization was recognized by our country as a international non-profit organization. This enabled the exchange among, and training of, firefighters from the Americas.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Finland 2019 - Maternity Box



Technical Details:
Issue Date: 23 January 2019
Designer: Dog Design

The Maternity Package:

The Maternity package (Finnish: äitiyspakkaus, Swedish: moderskapsförpackning) is a kit granted by the Finnish social security institution Kela, to all expectant or adoptive parents who live in Finland or are covered by the Finnish social security system. The package contains children's clothes and other necessary items, such as nappies, bedding, cloth, gauze towels and child-care products. It was first issued in 1938 to parents with a low income, and contained a blanket, crib sheets, diapers, and fabric which parents could use to make clothing for the baby.

Since 1949 it has been given to all mothers-to-be, provided they visited a doctor or municipal pre-natal clinic before the end of their fourth month of pregnancy, and the pregnancy has lasted at least 154 days. The contents of the package are updated approximately every year.

Following a BBC story in June 2013, the baby box began to receive international attention. Similar packages, commercial or state-sponsored, are being trialled around the world. Private companies have started selling packages purporting to be the "Finnish baby box" or similar to it, but the original boxes are not sold commercially.

In 1949, the box given was standard to all expectant mothers who visited a doctor before the fourth month of pregnancy per the Finnish Maternity Grants Act. A baby bottle was added to the package, but was removed in later packages to encourage breastfeeding. The requirement to visit a doctor as a prerequisite to receiving the package was done in order ensure that the woman received adequate prenatal care.

The box containing the package transforms into a crib in which many newborns have their first naps. A mother may choose to take the maternity package, or a cash grant of 140 euros, but 95% of Finnish mothers choose the box because it's worth significantly more. The maternity package can either be applied for online, on Kela's website, or by completing and returning a form.

The current package contents include bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, nappies and cream, bedding and a small mattress (allowing the box to be used as a crib), a hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, wash cloth, muslin squares, a picture book, teething toy, bra pads, and condoms. Condoms are included by way of precaution, not as a discouragement, as a new pregnancy is possible within a few weeks of childbirth and many parents wish to have a little time between the births of their children.

The maternity package is not a commercial product, and therefore Kela cannot sell it. Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge received a maternity package as a gift from Kela in 2013. Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden were given one in 2012.

Content of the package/ the box contained following items:
  • Snowsuit / sleeping bag 68–74 cm (27–29 in)
  • Insulated mittens and booties
  • Sleeping bag / blanket 95 cm × 95 cm (37 in × 37 in)
  • Light-weight overall with hood 68–74 cm
  • Wool-blend coverall 68–74 cm
  • Wool cap
  • Balaclava hood 62–68 cm (24–27 in)
  • Cap
  • College overall / jumpsuit 62–68 cm
  • Romper suit 50–56 cm (20–22 in)
  • Wrap around body suit 50–56 cm
  • Bodysuit with extender 62–68 cm
  • Bodysuit 68–74 cm
  • Bodysuit 62–68 cm
  • 2 × Wrap around bodysuit 50–56 cm
  • 2 × Leggings 62–68 cm
  • 2 × Leggings 68–74 cm
  • 2 × Footed leggings 50–56 cm
  • Tights 62–68 cm
  • Socks and mittens 19–21
  • Socks 19–21
  • Sleeping bag / nightdress 62–68 cm
  • Bedding and linen
  • Blanket, off-white 80 cm × 120 cm (31 in × 47 in)
  • Duvet cover with pattern of baby footprints on green background 85 cm × 130 cm (33 in × 51 in)
  • White sheet 90 cm × 150 cm (35 in × 59 in)
  • Protector 90 cm × 150 cm (can be used, for instance, as protection for the mattress)
  • Mattress 700 mm × 428 mm × 40 mm (27.6 in × 16.9 in × 1.6 in)
  • Pocket nappy and cotton gauze insert
  • Towel 85 cm × 85 cm (33 in × 33 in)
  • Personal care items (bra pads, nail scissors, toothbrush, digital thermometer, talcum powder, nipple cream, condoms (6pcs), lubricant, sanitary towels, bath thermometer, hairbrush)
  • Feeding bib
  • Drooling bib / scarf
  • First book titled "Lystileikit vauvan kanssa” in Finnish and Swedish
  • Cuddly toy / comfort blanket
Effects:
The program resulted in increased prenatal care for pregnant women, and decreased infant mortality. The program is now considered a part of the culture of Finland.

As of June 2019, there had been one experimental study conducted on the use of baby boxes (a.k.a., "cardboard bassinets"), in combination with safe sleep education, for reducing bed-sharing, which is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sleep-related deaths (SRD). Researchers at Temple University Hospital assigned study participants (i.e., mother-infant dyads) to one of the following conditions for postpartum hospital discharge: standard hospital discharge instructions; standard instructions plus additional safe infant sleep education based on the AAP safe infant sleep recommendations; or both types of instruction plus a gifted baby box from The Baby Box Company. The researchers concluded that the third condition (i.e., both types of instruction plus a gifted baby box) reduced the rate of bed-sharing during the first week of the infant's life (as self-reported by the participating mothers), particularly for exclusively breasfeeding mother-infant dyads.

Finland 2017 - Finland Coat of Arms


Technical Details:
Issue Date: 24 May 2017
Designer: Design Pekka Piippo, Valokuva Martti Jämsä
Values: 10€

About Finland Coat of Arms

Finland's coat of arms 1917 is a ten-euro special stamp designed by Pekka Piippo.

The only visible printing on the embossed stamp is its golden foil. In UV light, the map of Finland and a graph depicting the genetic background of Finns appear on the miniature sheet and the stamp. The graph is based on research carried out by Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, which is part of the University of Helsinki, and the National Institute for Health and Welfare.

The background of the stamp features an iconic photograph taken by Martti Jämsä in the series Summer (1994-2003). In the photo, a small child is standing in a calm Finnish lake with a swimming ring, looking towards the opposite shore. Many Finns have memories about moments of this kind.

Finland 2017 - Model 1917 Saarinen, Coat of Arms


Technical Details:
Issue Date: 24 May 2017
Designer: Susanna Rumpu, Ari Lakaniemi 
Original Design: Elien Saarinen

About Model 1917 Saarinen

The idea of the lion-themed coat of arms stamps comes from the first Finnish stamp publications, the Model 1917 Saarinen stamps. The miniature sheet is a tribute to two stamps designed by architect Eliel Saarinen, but the original payment indication in Finnish marks has been replaced with the payment indication of a domestic no-value indicator stamp.

The name of the first stamps of independent Finland comes from the name of Eliel Saarinen, the designer of the stamps. The first stamp in the series already came out on October 1, 1917, before Finland gained her independence, and the remaining eight stamps in the series with different values were published by the end of December 1917. In addition, 19 new different stamps with different color and value combinations were published later. All in all, 28 different stamps were published. In 1919 and 1921, they were provided with a surcharge increasing their nominal value, due to inflation. The last Saarinen stamps remained in use until the end of 1930.

The miniature sheet consisting of two stamps was designed by Ari Lakaniemi and Susanna Rumpu.