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75-728: Boroa , is a town in Araucanía , Chile on the shores of Cautín River . The region near the town south of the Cautin River between the Boroa and Quepe Rivers was the Moluche aillarehue of Boroa. The site of the town was founded as a Spanish fort San Ignacio de la Redención in 1606 by maestre de campo Rodulfo Lisperger during the Arauco War but it did not remain long after he and his garrison were ambushed. Later in 1649 as

150-529: A bride who was an accomplished weaver. In addition, the Mapuche used their textiles as an important surplus and an exchange trading good. Numerous sixteenth-century accounts describe their bartering the textiles with other indigenous peoples, and with colonists in newly developed settlements. Such trading enabled the Mapuche to obtain those goods that they did not produce or held in high esteem, such as horses. Tissue volumes made by Aboriginal women and marketed in

225-429: A chronicle of 1673. Among the Mapuche, "the spirits are interested in machi's gendered discourses and performances, not in the sex under the machi's clothes". In attracting the filew (possessing spirit), "Both male and female machi become spiritual brides who seduce and call their filew – at once husband and master – to possess their heads ... The ritual transvestism of male machi ... draws attention to

300-574: A conservation group, has led an international campaign for preservation, resulting in the Home Depot chain and other leading wood importers agreeing to revise their purchasing policies to "provide for the protection of native forests in Chile". Some Mapuche leaders want stronger protections for the forests. In recent years , the crimes committed by Mapuche armed insurgents have been prosecuted under counter-terrorism legislation, originally introduced by

375-520: A group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina , including parts of Patagonia . The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who share a common social, religious, and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage as Mapudungun speakers. Their homelands once extended from Choapa Valley to the Chiloé Archipelago and later spread eastward to Puelmapu ,

450-549: A land comprising part of the Argentine pampa and Patagonia . Today the collective group makes up over 80% of the indigenous peoples in Chile and about 9% of the total Chilean population. The Mapuche are concentrated in the Araucanía region. Many have migrated from rural areas to the cities of Santiago and Buenos Aires for economic opportunities, more than 92% of the Mapuches are from Chile. The Mapuche traditional economy

525-457: A largely ethnic Italian community. Villarrica was where several thousand Afrikaners (or Dutch South Africans) settled after their expulsion from South Africa , following the Boer War (1899–1903). These towns also were influenced by early Dutch colonists in the 16th century, when the region was nicknamed New Flanders . The Netherlands later ceded it to Spanish colonial rule. During

600-474: A machi sacrificed a young boy, throwing him into the water after an earthquake and a tsunami . The Mapuche have incorporated the remembered history of their long independence and resistance from 1540 (Spanish and then Chileans and Argentines) and of the treaty with the Chilean and Argentine governments in the 1870s. Memories, stories, and beliefs, often very local and particularized, are a significant part of

675-577: A part of Chile ever since 1885. Following independence, the Chilean government opted for peaceful relations with the Mapuche. Effective territorial occupation did not begin until 1862. During this time, the government allowed settlers to found new towns and constructed the railroad , telegraph , and roads into the area. After an occupation and sustained military action, Araucanía was fully incorporated into Chile in 1882. Many cities and towns in Araucanía were first developed as army outposts during and after

750-590: A result of the Parliament of Quillín (1647) , Martín de Mujica y Buitrón was able to reestablish the fort at Boroa but it was abandoned in 1656 after a long siege during the Mapuche uprising of 1655 . One could still find vestiges of the old Spanish fort near the mission at its location at the end of the 19th century. 38°45′S 72°50′W  /  38.750°S 72.833°W  / -38.750; -72.833 This La Araucanía Region location article

825-411: A special sign of distinction carried by tribal chiefs. Many kinds of clubs are known. This is an object associated with masculine power. It consists of a disk with an attached handle; the edge of the disc usually has a semicircular recess. In many cases, the face portrayed on the disc carries incised designs. The handle is cylindrical, generally with a larger diameter at its connection to the disk. In

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900-415: A third of the region's population is ethnic Mapuche, the highest proportion of any Chilean region. The Araucanía Region has been the main location of the confrontations of the ongoing Mapuche conflict , as the Mapuche have pressed their land claims against the central government. Virgin forests, featuring coigüe , raulí and tepa trees, as well as bay , Chilean laurel and cypress , criss-cross

975-736: A writing system. Since that time, a writing system for Mapudungun was developed, and Mapuche writings in both Spanish and Mapudungun have flourished. Contemporary Mapuche literature can be said to be composed of an oral tradition and Spanish-Mapudungun bilingual writings. Notable Mapuche poets include Sebastián Queupul, Pedro Alonzo, Elicura Chihuailaf , and Leonel Lienlaf. Among the Mapuche in La Araucanía, in addition to heterosexual female machi shamanesses, there are homosexual male machi weye shamans, who wear female clothing. These machi weye were first described in Spanish in

1050-821: A young man, and a young woman. They believe in worlds known as the Wenu Mapu and Minche Mapu . Also, Mapuche cosmology is informed by complex notions of spirits that coexist with humans and animals in the natural world, and daily circumstances can dictate spiritual practices. The most well-known Mapuche ritual ceremony is the Ngillatun , which loosely translates as "to pray" or "general prayer". These ceremonies are often major communal events that are of extreme spiritual and social importance. Many other ceremonies are practiced, and not all are for public or communal participation but are sometimes limited to family. The main groups of deities and/or spirits in Mapuche mythology are

1125-503: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Araucan%C3%ADa Region Chile did not incorporate the lands of the Araucanía Region until the 1880s, when it occupied the area to end resistance by the indigenous Mapuche by both military and political means. This opened up the area for Chilean and European immigration and settlement. In the 1900–1930 period, the population of Araucanía grew considerably, as did

1200-473: Is based on agriculture; their traditional social organization consists of extended families, under the direction of a lonko or chief. In times of war, the Mapuche would unite in larger groupings and elect a toki (meaning "axe" or "axe-bearer") to lead them. Mapuche material culture is known for its textiles and silverwork . At the time of Spanish arrival , the Picunche inhabited the valleys between

1275-475: Is still the main crop, but production of oats, grapes, and lupines has increased significantly, and fruit and flower growing are also emerging. The main tourism centre in the region is the Villarrica Lake and Pucón. The region consists of 38 municipalities: Mapuche people The Mapuche ( / m ə ˈ p uː tʃ i / mə- POO -chee , Mapuche and Spanish: [maˈputʃe] ) are

1350-467: Is the heartland of the indigenous Mapuche people , who resisted both Incan and Spanish attempts at conquest. After sending many forces against the Mapuche, the Spanish would cut their losses, establishing the southern border of their colony at the northern banks of the Biobío River . Following the occupation of Araucanía by the Chilean government, which subdued the people, the territory has been

1425-467: Is white or castizo (another form of mestizo (50%) of partial European-Amerindian descent), and a large proportion of them is at least partially descended from Spanish colonists. In 1903, a fleet of 88 Canarian families—400 persons—arrived in Budi Lake (and currently have more than 1,000 modern descendants) as a response to the government's call to populate the region, and signed contracts for

1500-665: The Pillan and Wangulen (ancestral spirits), the Ngen (spirits in nature), and the wekufe (evil spirits). Central to Mapuche belief is the role of the machi (shaman). It is usually filled by a woman, following an apprenticeship with an older machi, and has many of the characteristics typical of shamans . The machi performs ceremonies for curing diseases, warding off evil, influencing weather, harvests, social interactions, and dreamwork . Machis often have extensive knowledge of regional medicinal herbs . As biodiversity in

1575-515: The Andes . The current population is descended mostly from internal migration from the Central Zone of Chile; to a lesser extent, it consists of descendants of European settlers who arrived during and after the "pacification of Araucanía". The region has the highest proportion of indigenous residents of any in Chile, around 25%, of which the majority is Mapuche people. About 25% of the population

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1650-481: The Battle of Marihueñu he defeated Governor Villagra and devastated the city. In 1555 Lautaro went to the city of Angol and destroyed it, he also returned to Concepción, rebuilt by the Spanish and destroyed it again. In 1557 Lautaro headed with his army to destroy Santiago, fighting numerous battles with the Spanish along the way, but he and his army were devastated in the Battle of Mataquito . From 1558 to 1598 war

1725-677: The Choapa and Itata , Araucanian Mapuche inhabited the valleys between the Itata and Toltén rivers, south of there, the Huilliche and the Cunco lived as far south as the Chiloé Archipelago . In the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, Mapuche groups migrated eastward into the Andes and Pampas , conquering, fusing and establishing relationships with the Poya and Pehuenche . At about

1800-612: The Maipo River , or somewhere between Santiago and the Maule River. Thus the bulk of the Mapuche escaped Inca rule. Through their contact with Incan invaders Mapuches would have for the first time met people with state organizations . Their contact with the Incas gave them a collective awareness distinguishing between them and the invaders and uniting them into loose geo-political units despite their lack of state organization. At

1875-771: The military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet to control political dissidents. The law allows prosecutors to withhold evidence from the defense for up to six months and to conceal the identity of witnesses, who may give evidence in court behind screens. Insurgent groups, such as the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco , use multiple tactics with the more extreme occurrences such as the burning of homes, churches, vehicles, structures, and pastures, which at times included causing deaths and threats to specific targets. As of 2005, protesters from Mapuche communities have used these tactics against properties of both multinational forestry corporations and private individuals. In 2010

1950-411: The 2002 census, the most- populated cities are: Temuco (260,783, includes Padre Las Casas ), Villarrica (45,531), Angol (43,801), Victoria (23,977), Lautaro (18,808), New Imperial (14,980), Collipulli (14,240), Loncoche (14,191), and Traiguén (14,140). Until recently, Araucanía was dependent on cereal farming and was known as Chile’s granary. Agriculture has become highly diversified; wheat

2025-596: The Araucanía and the north of Patagonia Argentina were considerable and constituted a vital economic resource for indigenous families. The production of fabrics in the time before European settlement was intended for uses beyond domestic consumption. At present, the fabrics woven by the Mapuche continue to be used for domestic purposes, as well as for gift, sale, or barter. Most Mapuche women and their families now wear garments with foreign designs and tailored with materials of industrial origin, but they continue to weave ponchos, blankets, bands, and belts for regular use. Many of

2100-527: The Argentinean and Chilean states aimed for territorial continuity, and second it remained the sole place for Argentinean livestock to expand and Chilean agriculture to expand. Between 1861 and 1879 Argentina and Chile incorporated several Mapuche territories in Wallmapu. In January 1881, having Chile decisively defeated Peru in the battles of Chorrillos and Miraflores , Chile and Argentina resumed

2175-556: The Chilean countryside has declined due to commercial agriculture and forestry, the dissemination of such knowledge has also declined, but the Mapuche people are reviving it in their communities. Machis have an extensive knowledge of sacred stones and sacred animals. Like many cultures, the Mapuche have a deluge myth ( epeu ) of a major flood in which the world is destroyed and recreated. The myth involves two opposing forces: Kai Kai (water, which brings death through floods) and Tren Tren (dry earth, which brings sunshine). In

2250-482: The Commission for Historical Truth and New Treatments issued a report to defuse tensions calling for drastic changes in Chile's treatment of its indigenous people, more than 80% of whom are Mapuche. The recommendations included the formal recognition of political and "territorial" rights for indigenous peoples, as well as efforts to promote their cultural identities. Though Japanese and Swiss interests are active in

2325-455: The Consejo de Todas Las Tierras, have sought and enjoyed international support from nongovernmental and their indigenous organizations. Spanish settlers first arrived in Araucanía (one of two regional names) in the 1550s, but were unable to subdue the indigenous Mapuche. In the late 19th century, the Chilean government endorsed a large-scale immigration and settlement program for the area. At

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2400-771: The Inca governor Quilicanta. It would be the same Michimalonco who would lead the Picunche resistance against the Spanish between 1541 and 1545. His most famous stain is the Destruction of Santiago . In 1550, Pedro de Valdivia, who aimed to control all of Chile to the Straits of Magellan , campaigned in south-central Chile to conquer more Mapuche territory . Between 1550 and 1553, the Spanish founded several cities in Mapuche lands including Concepción , Valdivia , Imperial , Villarrica , and Angol . The Spanish also established

2475-484: The Mapuche Territory (Wallmapu) left in the hands of Argentina, the loss of land by Mapuches following the occupation caused severe erosion since Mapuches continued to practice a massive livestock herding in limited areas. Land disputes and violent confrontations continue in some Mapuche areas, particularly in the northern sections of the Araucanía region between and around Traiguén and Lumaco . In 2003,

2550-744: The Mapuche differ from the adjacent indigenous peoples of Patagonia. This suggests a "different origin or long-lasting separation of Mapuche and Patagonian populations". Troops of the Inca Empire are reported to have reached the Maule River and had a battle with the Mapuche between the Maule and the Itata Rivers there. The southern border of the Inca Empire is believed by most modern scholars to have been situated between Santiago and

2625-427: The Mapuche frequently laid siege to Spanish settlements in Araucanía . In 1553, the Mapuches held a council at which they resolved to make war. They chose as their " toqui " (wartime chief) a strong man called Caupolicán and as his vice toqui Lautaro , because he had served as an auxiliary to the Spanish cavalry; he created the first Mapuche cavalry corps. With six thousand warriors under his command, Lautaro attacked

2700-578: The Mapuche launched many hunger strikes in attempts to effect change in the anti-terrorism legislation. As of 2019, the Chilean government committed human rights abuses against the Mapuche based on Israeli military techniques and surveillance according to the French website Orin21. Oil exploitation and fracking in the Vaca Muerta site in Neuquen, one of the biggest shale-oil and shale-gas deposits in

2775-462: The Mapuche population, thus adding to the large mestizo population that exists in Chile. Smaller numbers of Arab (largely Syrian , Lebanese and Palestinian ), Chinese , Japanese , Korean and people of Euro-North American and Australian descent settled in La Araucania in the early 20th century. Temuco has a thriving Chinese, Taiwanese , and Syrian presence, and Capitán Pastene has

2850-562: The Mapuche traditional culture. To varying degrees, this history of resistance continues to this day amongst the Mapuche. At the same time, a large majority of Mapuche in Chile identify with the state as Chilean, similar to a large majority in Argentina identifying as Argentines. We Tripantu is the Mapuche New Year celebration. One of the best-known arts of the Mapuche is their textiles . The oldest data on textiles in

2925-709: The Moluche or Nguluche from Araucanía. However, Mapuche is a relatively recent endonym meaning "People of the Earth" or "Children of the Land", with mapu meaning "earth" or "land", and che meaning "person". It is preferred as a term when referring to the people after the Arauco War. The Mapuche identify by the geography of their territories, such as: Archaeological finds have shown that Mapuche culture existed in Chile and Argentina as early as 600 to 500 BC. Genetically

3000-734: The Spaniards died, save a cleric named Bartolomé Pérez, who was taken prisoner, and a soldier named Bernardo de Pereda. The Mapuche then initiated a general uprising that destroyed all the cities in their homeland south of the Biobío River. In the years following the Battle of Curalaba , a general uprising developed among the Mapuches and Huilliches led to the Destruction of the Seven Cities . The Spanish cities of Angol, Imperial, Osorno , Santa Cruz de Oñez , Valdivia , and Villarrica were either destroyed or abandoned. The city of Castro

3075-455: The apprentice receives explicit instructions or help from their instructors. Knowledge is transmitted as the fabric is woven, the weaving and transmission of knowledge go together. There is a traditional stone hand club used by the Mapuche which has been called a clava (Spanish for club). It has a long flat body. Another name is clava mere okewa ; in Spanish, it may also be called a clava cefalomorfa . It has some ritual importance as

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3150-501: The benefit of a private company. While many Canarians obeyed their servitude, some of those who disobeyed the provisions of repopulation tried to escape their agreements and were arrested, or the indigenous Mapuche people took pity on the plight of these individuals who were on their former lands. The Mapuche welcomed some of them, and joined their demonstrations, in the so-called "revolt of the Canarians"; many Canarians integrated into

3225-422: The colonial period, forming a mestizo population that lost its indigenous identity. But Mapuche society in Araucanía and Patagonia remained independent until the late nineteenth century, when Chile occupied Araucanía and Argentina conquered Puelmapu . Since then the Mapuche have become subjects, and later nationals and citizens of the respective states. Today, many Mapuche and Chilean communities are engaged in

3300-549: The conquest of Wallmapu. The conquest of Wallmapu caused numerous Mapuches to be displaced and forced to roam in search of shelter and food. Scholar Pablo Miramán claims the introduction of state education during the Occupation of Wallmapu had detrimental effects on traditional Mapuche education. In the years following the occupation the economy of Araucanía changed from being based on sheep and cattle herding to one based on agriculture and wood extraction . About 70% of

3375-419: The deluge almost all humanity is drowned; the few not drowned survive through cannibalism . At last, only one couple is left. A machi tells them that they must give their only child to the waters, which they do, and this restores order to the world. Part of the Mapuche ritual is prayer and animal sacrifice, required to maintain the cosmic balance. This belief has continued to current times. In 1960, for example,

3450-400: The economy despite recessions striking the rest of Chile. Araucanía became one of the principal agricultural districts of Chile, gaining the nickname of " granary of Chile". The administrative Araucanía Region was established in 1974, in what was the core of the larger historic region of Araucanía . In the 21st century, Araucanía is Chile's poorest region in terms of GDP per capita . About

3525-585: The economy of Araucanía ( Ngulu Mapu ), the two chief forestry companies are Chilean-owned. In the past, the firms have planted hundreds of thousands of hectares with non-native species such as Monterey pine , Douglas firs , and eucalyptus trees, sometimes replacing native Valdivian forests , although such substitution and replacement is now forgotten. Chile exports wood to the United States, almost all of which comes from this southern region, with an annual value of around $ 600 million. Stand.earth ,

3600-450: The educational system. In recent years, it has started to be taught in rural schools of Bío-Bío, Araucanía, and Los Lagos Regions. Mapuche speakers of Chilean Spanish who also speak Mapudungun tend to use more impersonal pronouns when speaking Spanish. Central to Mapuche cosmology is the idea of a creator called ngenechen , who is embodied in four components: an older man ( fucha/futra/cha chau ), an older woman ( kude/kuse ),

3675-463: The fabrics are woven for trade, and in many cases, are an important source of income for families. Glazed pots are used to dye the wool. Many Mapuche women continue to weave fabrics according to the customs of their ancestors and transmit their knowledge in the same way: within domestic life, from mother to daughter, and from grandmothers to granddaughters. This form of learning is based on gestural imitation, and only rarely, and when strictly necessary,

3750-414: The fort at Tucapel . The Spanish garrison was unable to withstand the assault and retreated to Purén. Lautaro seized and burned the fort and prepared his army certain that the Spaniards would attempt to retake Tucapel. Valdivia mounted a counter-attack, but he was quickly surrounded. He and his army was massacred by the Mapuches in the Battle of Tucapel . In 1554 Lautaro went to destroy Concepción where in

3825-429: The forts of Arauco , Purén , and Tucapel . Further efforts by the Spanish to gain more territory engaged them in the Arauco War against the Mapuche, a sporadic conflict that lasted nearly 350 years. Hostility towards the conquerors was compounded by the lack of a tradition of forced labor akin to the Inca mit'a among the Mapuche, who largely refused to serve the Spanish. From their establishment in 1550 to 1598,

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3900-399: The large agricultural estates ( estancias ) that were established in Araucanía were cultivated in wheat, led to its being called the "Granary of Chile". With naturally fertile soil and the implementation of modern technology such as tractors, wheat harvests were extraordinarily high, but because the farmers did not perform crop rotation , and indiscriminate logging and burning of woodlands

3975-495: The large and widely dispersed quantity of Spanish, Argentine, and Chilean silver coins. Mapuche also made headdresses with coins , which were called trarilonko, etc. Mapuche languages are spoken in Chile and Argentina. The two living branches are Huilliche and Mapudungun . Although not genetically related, lexical influence has been discerned from Quechua . Linguists estimate that only about 200,000 full-fluency speakers remain in Chile. The language receives only token support in

4050-436: The late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, Mapuche silversmithing activity and artistic diversity reached its climax. All important Mapuche chiefs of the nineteenth century are supposed to have had at least one silversmith. By 1984 Mapuche scholar Carlos Aldunate noted that there were no silversmiths alive among contemporary Mapuches. The Mapuche culture of the sixteenth century had an oral tradition and lacked

4125-766: The later half of the eighteenth century, Mapuche silversmiths began to produce large amounts of silver finery. The surge of silversmithing activity may be related to the 1726 parliament of Negrete that decreased hostilities between Spaniards and Mapuches and allowed trade to increase between colonial Chile and the free Mapuches. In this context of increasing trade Mapuches began in the late eighteenth century to accept payments in silver coins for their products, usually cattle or horses. These coins and silver coins obtained in political negotiations served as raw material for Mapuche metalsmiths ( Mapudungun : rüxafe ). Old Mapuche silver pendants often included unmelted silver coins, something that has helped modern researchers to date

4200-416: The locality was usually transmitted within the family, with mothers, grandmothers, and aunts teaching a girl the skills they had learned from their elders. Women who excelled in the textile arts were highly honored for their accomplishments and contributed economically and culturally to their kinship group. A measure of the importance of weaving is evident in the expectation that a man gives a larger dowry for

4275-846: The nineteenth century, Argentina and Chile experienced a fast territorial expansion. Argentina established a colony at the Falkland Islands in 1820, settled Chubut with Welsh immigrants in 1865 and conquered Formosa, Misiones and Chaco from Paraguay in 1870. Later Argentina would also annex the Puna de Atacama in 1898. Chile on the other hand, established a colony at the Strait of Magellan in 1843, settled Valdivia , Osorno , and Llanquihue with German immigrants , and conquered land from Peru and Bolivia . Later Chile would also annex Easter Island . In this context, Wallmapu began to be conquered by Argentina and Chile due to two reasons. First,

4350-591: The objects. The bulk of the Spanish silver coins originated from mining in Potosí in Upper Peru . The great diversity in silver finery designs is because designs were made to be identified with different reynma (families), lof mapu (lands) as well as specific lonkos and machis . Mapuche silver finery was also subject to changes in fashion albeit designs associated with philosophical and spiritual concepts have not undergone major changes. In

4425-482: The occupation of Araucanía. The last portions of the region to be reached by the army were Alto Biobío and Toltén River 's lowlands. These are the regions where Mapuche communities have thrived the best since the Chilean conquest. With the construction of the Malleco Viaduct in the 1890s, the region became more accessible. Settlements in southern Chile became more consolidated. Until the mid-20th century,

4500-503: The past three decades, the city of Temuco has had the fastest rate of growth in Chile. According to the census of 1970, about 88,000 inhabitants lived in Temuco. In the census of 2000, 30 years later, the population had tripled to 250,000. The resort-town of Villarrica, on Lake Villarrica , has expanded rapidly. It is located next to the fast-growing resort of Pucón , now one of the four largest tourist destinations in Chile. According to

4575-621: The region in all directions. The majestic conifer Araucaria araucana , or monkey-puzzle tree (known locally as pehuén ), towers above the landscape. Its fruit, the piñón (a type of massive pine nut , often growing to the size and weight of a basketball or a bowling ball ) is still a staple food for the indigenous Pehuenches and local residents. A large part of this natural wealth is protected in various national parks ( Nahuelbuta , Tolhuaca , Conguillío , Villarrica , and Huerquehue National Parks ) and national reserves ( Malalcahuello , Las Nalcas , and Alto Biobío ). The Araucanía region

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4650-443: The relational gender categories of spirit husband and machi wife as a couple ( kurewen )." As concerning "co-gendered identities" of " machi as co-gender specialists", it has been speculated that "female berdaches " may have formerly existed among the Mapuche. Following the independence of Chile in the 1810s, the Mapuche began to be perceived as Chilean by other Chileans, contrasting with previous perceptions of them as

4725-579: The same time, ethnic groups of the Pampa regions, the Puelche , Ranquel , and northern Aonikenk , made contact with Mapuche groups. The Tehuelche adopted the Mapuche language and some of their culture, in what came to be called Araucanization , during which Patagonia came under effective Mapuche suzerainty. Mapuche in the Spanish-ruled areas, especially the Picunche , mingled with the Spanish during

4800-420: The so-called Mapuche conflict over land and indigenous rights in both Argentina and Chile. Historically, the Spanish colonizers of South America referred to the Mapuche people as Araucanians ( / ˌ æ r ɔː ˈ k eɪ n i ə n z / ARR -aw- KAY -nee-ənz ; Spanish : araucanos ). This term is now considered pejorative by some people. For others, the importance of the term Araucanian lies in

4875-893: The southernmost areas of the American continent (southern Chile and Argentina today) are found in some archaeological excavations, such as those of Pitrén Cemetery near the city of Temuco , and the Alboyanco site in the Biobío Region , both of Chile; and the Rebolledo Arriba Cemetery in Neuquén Province (Argentina). researchers have found evidence of fabrics made with complex techniques and designs, dated between AD 1300–1350. The Mapuche women were responsible for spinning and weaving. Knowledge of both weaving techniques and textile patterns particular to

4950-488: The time of the arrival of the first Spaniards to Chile, the largest indigenous population concentration was in the area spanning from the Itata River to Chiloé Island  – that is the Mapuche heartland. The Mapuche population between Itata River and Reloncaví Sound has been estimated at 705,000–900,000 in the mid-sixteenth century by historian José Bengoa . The Spanish expansion into Mapuche territory

5025-580: The time, Chile often endorsed land allotment advertisement to Europeans, notably in Germany , Austria , and Switzerland , from where most of the new arrivals came. Beginning in the mid-19th century, with the German Revolutions , immigrants were often fleeing political upheaval and poor economies, seeking a new place to live. Other immigrants included Basques , from the northern Spanish border with southwest France, and some Argentines from across

5100-467: The universality of the epic work La Araucana , written by Alonso de Ercilla , and the feats of that people in their long and interminable war against the Spanish Empire. The name is probably derived from the placename rag ko (Spanish Arauco ), meaning "clayey water". The Quechua word awqa , meaning "rebel, enemy", is probably not the root of araucano . Scholars believe that

5175-487: The use of cavalry in war from the Spaniards , along with the cultivation of wheat and sheep . In the 300-year co-existence between the Spanish colonies and the relatively well-delineated autonomous Mapuche regions, the Mapuche also developed a strong tradition of trading with Spaniards, Argentines, and Chileans. Such trade lies at the heart of the Mapuche silver-working tradition, for Mapuche wrought their jewelry from

5250-420: The various Mapuche groups ( Moluche , Huilliche, Picunche, etc.) called themselves Reche during the early Spanish colonial period, due to what they referred to as their pure native blood, derived from re meaning "pure" and che meaning "people". The name Mapuche is used both to refer collectively to the Picunche, Huilliche, and Moluche or Nguluche from Araucanía , at other times, exclusively to

5325-606: The world, has produced waste dumps of sludge waste, polluting the environment close to the town of Añelo , which is about 1,200km south of Buenos Aires. In 2018, the Mapuche were suing Exxon, French company TotalEnergies and Pan American Energy . At the time of the arrival of Europeans, the Mapuche organized and constructed a network of forts and defensive buildings. Ancient Mapuche also built ceremonial constructions such as some earthwork mounds discovered near Purén. Mapuche quickly adopted iron metal-working ( Picunches already worked copper ) Mapuche learned horse riding and

5400-715: Was an offshoot of the conquest of Peru . In 1536, Diego de Almagro set out to conquer Chile, after crossing the Itata River they were intercepted by a numerous contingent of Araucanian Mapuche armed with many bows and pikes in the Battle of Reynogüelén . Discouraged by the ferocity of the Mapuches, and the apparent lack of gold and silver in these lands, Almagro decided its full retreat the following year to Peru. In 1541, Pedro de Valdivia reached Chile from Cuzco and founded Santiago . The northern Mapuche tribes, known as Picunches had recently gained independence from Inca rule, being commanded by Michimalonco , who had defeated

5475-595: Was mostly a low-intensity conflict . Mapuche numbers decreased significantly following contact with the Spanish invaders; wars and epidemics decimated the population. Others died in Spanish-owned gold mines. In 1598 a party of warriors from Purén led by Pelantaro , who were returning south from a raid in the Chillán area, ambushed Governor Martín García Óñez de Loyola and his troops while they rested without taking any precautions against attack. Almost all

5550-554: Was permitted, soils were prone to extensive erosion . They lost their fertility and much topsoil was lost to erosion. Beginning in the 1930s, Villarrica Lake was developed as a tourism area. With the return of democracy in Chile in 1990, Mapuche organizations renewed their land claims on certain territories. Rising violence has accompanied what is now called the Mapuche conflict . Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco and similar activist groups have sometimes used arson attacks and death threats to back up their claims; other organizations, such as

5625-590: Was taken by a Dutch-Mapuche alliance in 1599, but reconquered by the Spanish in 1600. Only Chillán and Concepción resisted Mapuche sieges and raids. Except for the Chiloé Archipelago , all Chilean territory south of the Bíobío River was freed from Spanish rule. In this period the Mapuche Nation crossed the Andes to conquer the present Argentine provinces of Chubut, Neuquen, La Pampa, and Río Negro. In

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