Mapuche
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Chile, Argentina | |
| Languages | |
| Mapudungun, Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Own religion plus Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Picunche, Diaguita |
Mapuche (Mapudungun; Che, "People" + Mapu, "of the Land") are the original Amerindian inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile and Southern Argentina. In the Spanish language they are also known as araucanos (Araucanians). Contrary to popular belief, the Quechua word arauco (rebel), is not the root of araucano: it is more likely derived from the placename Arauco, meaning "clayey water".
The Mapuche had an economy based on agriculture; their social organisation consisted of extended families, under the direction of a "lonko" or chief, although in times of war they would unite in larger groupings and elect a "toqui" ('axe-bearer') to lead them.
The Mapuche are a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups which shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic herritage. Their influence extended between the river Aconcagua and the Argentinian pampa. They can be divided into the Picunches who lived in the central valleys of Chile — these integrated with the Inca Empire and later with the Spaniards. The Mapuches who inhabited the Valleys between the Itata and Toltén Rivers. As well as the Huilliches, the Lafkenches, and the Pehuenches. The northern Aonikenk, called Patagons by Ferdinand Magellan, were and ethnic group of the pampa regions that made contact with some Mapuche groups, adopting their language and some culture; they are the Tehuelches.
History
Mapuches successfully resisted many attempts by the Inca Empire to subjugate them, in spite of lacking a nationwide organization.
The Mapuche fought against the Spaniards, and, using the Bío-Bío River as a natural frontier, they resisted colonization from the 1500s through the 19th Century. This war is known as the War of Arauco, and is immortalized in Alonso de Ercilla's epic poem La Araucana. When Chile split from the Spanish crown, some Mapuche chiefs sided with the colonists. After Chile's independence from Spain, Mapuches coexisted and traded with their neighbors, who prudently remained north of the Bío-Bío, although clashes occurred frequently.
Finally, the antics of a French filibusterer Orelie-Antoine de Tounens who declared himself king of Araucania, provided the motivation, while modern technology such as the repeating rifle provided the means, for the Chilean Army to put an end to the War of Arauco during the 1880s. Using a combination of force and diplomacy, Chile's government and some Mapuche leaders signed a treaty to incorporate the Araucanian territories into Chile. The war, the internment of its survivors, and placement on tiny reservations wracked with starvation and disease reduced the Mapuches from a half million to 25,000 within a generation.[1]
Mapuche descendants now live across southern Chile and Argentina; some maintain their traditions and continue living from agriculture, but a growing majority have migrated to cities in search for better economic opportunities. In recent years, there has been an attempt by the Chilean government to reddress some of the inequities of the past, by, for example, validating the Mapudungun language and culture by including them in the curriculum of elementary schools around Temuco.
Culture
According to Chilean statistics, most Chilean Mapuche possess some non-aboriginal ancestry, and more than 90% of Chile's non-aboriginal population possess Native American ancestry in varying degrees, although until recently very few Chileans would admit their Native American admixture. There were 604.349 Mapuches according to the census of 2002, making up approximately 4% of the Chilean population, while an estimated 300,000 live on the other side of the Andes in Argentina. Due to the loss of their lands, many Mapuche now live in impoverished conditions in large cities such as Santiago. See also: Demographics of Chile. Mapuche resistance continues, especially against the large forestry companies exploiting traditional lands, and Pinochet-era anti-terrorism laws have frequently been used in recent years against community leaders.
The Mapuche were very capable with stone tools, allowing them to create forts and complex defensive buildings. They were quick to adopt metal-working and horse-riding, using the European's own offensive strategies against them to devasting effect. More peaceful adoptions included wheat and sheep. Mapuche silver-work and weaving are highly prized.
The shaman or "machi", a role usually filled by older women, is an extremely important part of the Mapuche culture, even today and in parallel with Christianity. The machi performs ceremonies for the warding off of evil, for rain, for the cure of diseases, and has an extensive knowledge of Chilean medicinal herbs, gained during an arduous apprenticeship. It is striking how Chileans of all origins and classes make use of the many traditional herbs known to the Mapuche.
Mapuche languages are spoken in Chile and to a smaller extent in Argentina. They have two branches: Huilliche and Mapudungun. Although not related to Quechua, some lexical influence is discernible. It is estimated that only about 200,000 full-fluency speakers remain in Chile, and the language still receives only token support in the educational system.
References
- ^ Ward Churchill, A Little Matter of Genocide, 109.