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| Mapuche National Coordination | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mapuche National Coordination |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Indigenous organization |
| Headquarters | Araucanía Region, Chile; Neuquén Province, Argentina |
| Region served | Araucanía Region, Biobío Region, Los Ríos Region, Los Lagos Region, Neuquén Province, Río Negro Province |
| Leader title | Coordinators |
| Leader name | Various lonkos, werkén |
Mapuche National Coordination The Mapuche National Coordination is a transnational indigenous coordination body formed in the late 20th century to articulate collective claims of Mapuche communities across Chile and Argentina. It emerged amid interactions with state institutions such as the Chile Constituent processes, indigenous organizations like the Consejo de Todas las Tierras, and international forums including the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Organization of American States. The Coordination has engaged with social movements such as the Chilean student protests and indigenous mobilizations in Patagonia.
The Coordination traces roots to post-dictatorship mobilizations that followed the end of the Pinochet regime and drew lineage from historical resistances like the War of Arauco and the Occupation of Araucanía. Early networks linked community authorities including lonko leaders and spokespersons such as Aucán Huilcamán, activists from the Asamblea Coordinadora Mapuche-Huilliche, and organizations like the Asociación Indígena Mapuche de la Araucanía. It formed amid concurrent processes: land restitution claims related to the Tubo de la Araucanía debates, the passage of the Indigenous Law (Chile) discussions, and trans-Andean indigenous coordination tied to events like the Argentine Dirty War reparations. The 1990s and 2000s saw the Coordination expand through meetings in cities such as Temuco, Pucón, Valdivia, Bariloche, and Neuquén, interacting with NGOs like Amnesty International and networks such as the Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco while negotiating with political parties including the Partido por la Democracia and the Partido Socialista de Chile.
The Coordination operates through assemblies of traditional authorities—lonkos, machi, and werkén—and representatives from community councils, peasant unions such as the Central Única de Trabajadores, and regional indigenous federations like the Consejo de Todas las Tierras and the Lof Mapu. Decision-making has involved plenary assemblies convened in locales like Collipulli and Chol Chol, employing consensus practices rooted in Mapuche customary law and dialogues with legal advisers from institutions like the Universidad de la Frontera and the Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Its informal network connects to international solidarity groups including Human Rights Watch, transnational activists from Vía Campesina, and academic centers such as the Instituto de Estudios Indígenas.
The Coordination advances demands for territorial restitution tied to historical treaties and confrontations such as the Treaty of Tapihue and land recovery campaigns seen in Lof en Resistencia actions. It advocates recognition under instruments like the ILO Convention 169 and seeks constitutional reforms debated in contexts like the Chilean constitutional plebiscite. Politically, it has aligned with broader indigenous rights frameworks promoted by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples while critiquing policies enacted by administrations ranging from Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle to Michelle Bachelet and Gabriel Boric. Positions include autonomy of indigenous justice systems, protection of sacred sites including locations in the Río Imperial basin, and opposition to extractive projects like the Los Cóndores dam proposals and forestry concessions held by corporations such as Forestal Arauco.
Activities range from land occupation and recuperation campaigns in territories like Temucuicui and Lumaco to legal challenges filed in courts such as the Supreme Court of Chile and tribunals in Neuquén. The Coordination has organized marches to capitals including Santiago and coordinated cross-border meetings in Bariloche with Argentine Mapuche communities that mobilized around issues seen in protests against projects like Vaca Muerta expansion. Cultural revitalization efforts include Mapudungun language programs supported by universities like the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and festivals in collaboration with cultural institutions such as the Museo Mapuche. International advocacy has engaged entities like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights.
Relations have oscillated between negotiation and confrontation. The Coordination has entered dialogues with ministries including the Ministry of Social Development (Chile) and the National Indigenous Institute (Chile) while clashing with security responses from police forces such as the Carabineros de Chile and gendarmerie actions in Araucanía. In Argentina, interactions involved provincial governments of Neuquén Province and Río Negro Province and ministries dealing with indigenous affairs in Buenos Aires. High-profile incidents tied to land disputes have prompted mediation attempts involving national figures and commissions convened under presidents from Ricardo Lagos to Alberto Fernández.
Legal strategies involve invoking instruments like ILO Convention 169 and international complaints before bodies such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented clashes involving arrests and allegations of excessive force linked to operations by Carabineros de Chile and intelligence units. Cases have raised debates in constitutional venues during processes like the 2019–2020 Chilean protests and inquiries by truth commissions referencing historical abuses from the Pinochet regime era. Legal counsel has come from academic law clinics at institutions like the Universidad de Chile.
Media portrayal varies across outlets from mainstream newspapers such as El Mercurio and La Tercera to alternative platforms like Radio Universidad de Chile and international press including The Guardian and The New York Times. Coverage has highlighted tensions with timber and energy companies such as CMPC and ENAP, and political debate involving parties like Renovación Nacional and Movimiento Amplio Social. Public opinion in regions like Araucanía and urban centers such as Santiago has been shaped by reporting on incidents in communities like Ercilla and Collipulli, and by documentary films screened at festivals like the VIÑALES International Film Festival and academic analyses published through the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.
Category:Mapuche organizations Category:Indigenous rights organizations in Chile Category:Indigenous rights organizations in Argentina