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| Mapuche Nation | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Mapuche |
| Conventional long name | Mapuche Nation |
| Common name | Mapuche |
| Capital | Temuco |
| Largest city | Temuco |
| Official languages | Mapudungun |
| Population estimate | 1,700,000 |
| Area km2 | 300000 |
| Sovereignty type | Indigenous polity |
| Established event1 | Pre-Columbian formation |
| Established date1 | c. 10th century |
| Today part of | Chile, Argentina |
Mapuche Nation The Mapuche Nation represents the collective of indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting territories in present-day Chile and Argentina. The Mapuche are associated with distinctive social structures centered in regions such as Araucanía Region, Los Lagos Region, Neuquén Province, and Río Negro Province, and are recognized through interactions with states including Republic of Chile and Argentine Republic. Their history intersects with events like the Arauco War, treaties such as the Parliament of Quilín, and legal instruments including the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989.
The ethnonym "Mapuche" appears in colonial records alongside terms used by Spanish chroniclers like Alonso de Ercilla and administrators involved in the Captaincy General of Chile; other autonyms and subgroup names include Huilliche, Pehuenche, Picunche, and Huilliches of Chiloé. Identity is expressed through roles such as the lonko and ritual specialists like the machi, and by participation in communal institutions such as the rehue and loyillan (weichan) practices described in sources from the Royal Governorate of Chile. Contemporary identity politics engage bodies like the Indigenous Development Corporation and organizations formed after landmark moments including the Chilean Indigenous Law debates.
Pre-contact Mapuche polities developed agricultural and hunter-gatherer adaptations in areas like the Valdivia culture zone and in proximity to waterways such as the Bío Bío River and Malleco River. Following first contact during expeditions led by figures like Pedro de Valdivia and chronicles by Diego de Rosales, Mapuche resistance culminated in protracted conflict known as the Arauco War against the Spanish Empire. Treaties and parliaments such as the Parliament of Quilín and the Treaty of Quilín (1641) established frontier boundaries later reshaped during republican expansions by José de San Martín-era states and military campaigns like the Pacification of Araucanía under Cornelio Saavedra-era governance and later generals such as Cornelio Saavedra (Argentina). In the 19th and 20th centuries, processes of land dispossession intensified through colonization projects led by actors like Vicente Pérez Rosales and the Chilean colonization of the Araucanía, and concomitant policies implemented by presidents such as Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Benito Juárez-era influences in regional politics. Twentieth-century mobilization produced cultural renaissances associated with figures like Darío Oses and institutions such as the Institute of Araucanian Studies; late-century activism included events like the Temuco mobilizations and legal challenges invoking conventions such as ILO Convention 169.
Mapuche social organization features kinship groups led by lonko and ceremonial specialists known as machi who perform rites involving the kultrun and nguillatún ceremonies. Material culture includes textiles exemplified in the work of artisans associated with markets in Temuco and pottery traditions traceable to regional archeological sites like Monte Verde. Dress and symbolism incorporate items such as the trarilonco and the use of iconography reflected in contemporary museums including the Museo Mapuche de Cañete and exhibitions at institutions like the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Santiago. Cultural figures and intellectuals such as Lautaro (Toqui), Gaston Soublette, and activists like Lonko Juan Huenchumil have influenced revival movements and scholarship housed at universities like the University of Chile and National University of Comahue.
The Mapudungun language is central to identity and is studied by linguists connected to programs at the Catholic University of Temuco and the University of La Plata. Oral traditions include cosmologies referencing beings like the Ngenechen and mythic narratives about figures comparable to Lautaro and stories recorded by ethnographers such as Jorge Sepúlveda and Ricardo E. Latcham. Song and poetry are transmitted in forms like the küla and narrative genres preserved in collections curated by the Museo Regional de la Araucanía and documented in archives such as the Archivo Oral Indígena.
Traditional territorial units include localities like Lafkenche and Pehuenche lands, with boundaries often aligned to river basins including the Toltén River and Cautín River. Conflicts over land involve legal frameworks such as the Ley Indígena de Chile and Argentine instruments like the Ley 23.302 addressing indigenous matters; landmark legal cases invoking rights have been brought before tribunals including the Supreme Court of Chile and petitioned to bodies like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Contemporary land recovery efforts have mobilized communities in places such as Ercilla, Traiguén, and Curarrehue and engaged nonprofit actors like CONADI and international NGOs including Amnesty International.
Political structures range from traditional councils of lonko to national organizations such as the AUKEN (Asociación)].], grassroots coalitions like the Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco, and political representation through parties and candidacies linked to institutions such as the Partido Mapuche and electoral campaigns in regions administered from Santiago. Movements have engaged in direct actions and legal advocacy involving incidents at sites like Laja River and protests mirrored in international forums including submissions to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and petitions under ILO Convention 169.
Historically, subsistence combined agriculture of crops like potatoes and quinoa in zones such as the Central Valley with hunting and gathering of species in the Andes and exploitation of araucaria in Pehuén forests. Contemporary livelihoods include artisan production marketed in centers like Temuco craft markets, small-scale forestry enterprises interacting with companies like CMPC and Arauco (company), and employment in sectors shaped by regional infrastructure such as the Pan-American Highway corridor. Economic pressures involve interactions with multinational firms like Endesa Chile and landholding patterns stemming from colonial grants and state colonization policies.
Contemporary challenges encompass land restitution disputes, criminalization of protest in cases processed by courts in Temuco and Concepción, and debates over cultural rights advanced through institutions like UNESCO and bilateral dialogues with ministries including the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage (Chile). International recognition efforts include claims before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and participation in global indigenous platforms such as the World Summit of Indigenous Peoples. Prominent contemporary leaders and intellectuals engage with media outlets, NGOs, and academia, contributing to ongoing legal reforms and cultural revitalization initiatives supported by entities such as the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations.