Wood craftsman & Mapuche instruments, Lucas F. Quintupuray - Zuem Mapuche ancestral weaving cooperative and Mapuche flag
The Mapuche are fighting for their territorial and cultural rights. Their language, Mapuzungun, is still spoken, albeit under threat. Mapuche cosmovision is a system of beliefs and understandings that encompasses nature, spirituality and social interactions within the community. In this cosmovision, the universe is seen as being animated and filled with spirits, or 'Ngen', who inhabit natural elements such as trees, rivers and mountains. Wallmapu', or Mapuche territory, is also essential. Territory is not just physical, but also spiritual and cultural. The land is considered an integral part of Mapuche identity and is respected as a living entity. Mapuche cosmovision has been tested by colonisation and modern forces, but it remains a fundamental aspect of Mapuche identity and resilience.
Sandro Pichicura
Inche Sandro pingen. Sandro Pichicura tañi üy.mapuzungun kimelfe ngen. Mapuzungun weychan ngen. Furilofche mapu tañi tuwün. My name is Sandro Pichicura. I'm a Mapuzungun teacher and an activist for the revitalisation of Mapuzungun, the Mapuche language. I live in San Carlos de Bariloche.
Piren Manke Huala
Mari Mari com pu che, Piren Manke Huala ñi üy, Lof Huala We ñi lof, inche mari kechu tripantu ñien. Hello everyone, my name is Piren, I belong to the Huala We community and I'm 15 years old. At this stage of my life, my hobbies are writing, taking portraits and walking around the community to which I belong.
Mirta Cecilia Cornelio
I'm Mirta Cornelio from the Lof paichil Antriao community. I live in a beautiful tourist area where we promote our Lafkenche territory and that of Nehuen, which is highly sought after by estate agents, but we protect ourselves with all our might!
Maria Isabel Huala
Mari Mari com pu che, Maria Isabel Huala pingen. I live in Furilofche (Bariloche), Rio Negro. I'm from the Lof Huala We community. My family and I live on the land of our ancestors. We protect and defend it. We cultivate, we learn and we pass on Mapuche values.
Luis A. Vega
My name is Luis. I live in the Lafkenche territories surrounded by nature, which gives us a living harmony for the people of the Mapuche Tehuelche nation. Here, we take care of our nature, because the economic and political powers want to take away our memory and drive us into poverty.
Les Huilliches, people from the south
The term "Huilliche" means "people from the south" in Mapuzungun. Historically, the Huilliches share many cultural and spiritual traits with the Mapuches, notably their animist cosmovision and their social organisation based on family units or clans. Their geographical isolation from other Mapuche groups has led to cultural and linguistic differences. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture, fishing and gathering. Today, the Huilliches, like other Mapuche groups, face various challenges linked to economic and social marginalisation, loss of land and conflicts with the state. Efforts are ongoing to revitalise and preserve their language and culture.
Flor Alvarado Alvarez
My name is Flor and I am of Huilliche descent. I was born in Punta Arenas, Chile. I live in Ushuaia. I'm a passionate weaver. I have a deep love of nature, plants, birds and hiking. Many truths and sadnesses from my childhood come back to me, but today, as an adult, I no longer keep silent about anything. I'm no longer afraid of my indigenous heritage; on the contrary, I'm proud of it and I express it loud and clear with all my heart.
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