Cararrehue: My Stay with a Mapuche Family

Hola, amigos!
Sorry for being MIA for so long, but I am just settling back into Valparaíso after nearly two weeks of travel.

Our program took the 10 hour trip down to Pucón and the nearby village of Curarrehue the 24-28 of October—my first adventure down south.
I chose to spend my time there working with a Mapuche family (indigenous group in Argentina and Chile) on their family farm.

Catarina (from my program) and I arrived at Tía Raquel's house on Friday morning. It was as if we had stepped into a dream; nothing but rolling hills and mountains as far as the eye could see, the sound of the river flowing, and the smell of wet earth.

We were welcomed into the house and within minutes were sharing a customary cup of yerba mate. Irís and Nacho also living there with Raquel and helping her with the farm, and their newest undertaking, La Ruca Escuela (more on this later).

After mate, we got right to work, hauling large rocks from around the yard to line the paths leading up to the house and to the garden out back. A toasted flour soup and a hearty serving of potatoes was served for lunch over conversation with a teacher from farther up in the mountains. Raquel told us that it was an honor to have him in her home; he works in the school in his pueblo teaching the Mapuche language Mapudungun. The government doesn't recognize this as a necessary part of public education, thus, it is optional for students and he is paid by outside sources. My family hosted the rest of the program for an afternoon of workshops, learning a few of the basics of the language, making tortillas and traditional condiments, or learning the ropes of seed germination.

Saturday, we spent the day battling an infestation of mora (Blackberry bushes). They were huge, deeply rooted, and had espinas (thorns) that resembled shark teeth... we had our work cut out for us. We then dragged the bushes to be burned in giant fires. The light of the setting sun painted the mountainside gold, and the smell and heat of the fire mixed with the cool open air. We watched the sheep wander in from pasture and called it a day. I went to bed with arms full of scratches, hair full of smoke, and a sore back, but feeling overwhelmingly content with a day's hard work and blessed to have been able to contribute to the farm, to stand in solidarity with their community. It was so important for me to be able to do something in return for them opening their home to us; taking the time to share their beliefs and their stories of the past and current struggles to maintain their way of life in the face of a government eager to develop international investment and domestic industry and an endless stream of multinational companies looking to extract and exploit the resources that are both the greatest gift and heaviest burden of their community.

Anita explained it this way: "People often say that they are fighting for to protect the environment, as if it is a separate entity. We see ourselves as an extension of the earth; we are one in the same. If the ecosystem is plagued by hydroelectric dams, forestation, and the extraction of minerals, we too are being violated. We are inseperable. Mapuche means `people of the land´."
They spoke of "Nahuen" or positive energy that flows from the earth, from their people, from all that surrounds them. Instead of clapping, which they believe breaks up the flow of good energy, they move their hands upward and apart, with a cheer, spreading the good energy in all directions.

Here is a link with some Mapuche words, if you're feeling ambitious...
http://www.interpatagonia.com/mapuche/dictionary.html

Everything in Mapuche culture revolves around community. So deeply rooted in their way of life, I felt it the minute I met Raquel and felt at ease in the house the second I stepped through the threshold.

To give a  little insight into the fight of Mapuche communities throughout the southern tip who are struggling to preserve what their ancestors have battled for since the Incan Empire attempted to conquest Mapuche land in the 1400's, here is an interesting article on some of the past and current issues affecting Mapuche communities in southern Chile:
http://www.unpo.org/members/7895

In the face of so many obsticales: shrinking territory, persistent foriegn and domestic corporations, an unresponsive, even exploitative, government, cases of police brutality, prejudice in schools and places of employment, and the division of the community that is seeing more and more of its men and youth migrating to the cities; I was truly awestruck by the positive energy that permeated through the community, the openness with which they shared their stories, hopes, and conocimientos (wisdom), and the optimism they have for the future.

When we asked Raquel what the greatest threats to their community were she said: MONSANTO (Chile passed the law allowing Monsanto to come into the country this past month, during the celebration of Chile's national team making it to the world cup) and HYDROELECTRIC DAMS. The most important tool for combating these threats? UNIDAD (unity). We ended up talking until 2:30am before taking a stroll under the stars. We bonded over cassette tapes of the Beatles and shared the bread we had made in the wood burning stove earlier that day. I wish we could have spent more time there, Raquel has an infinite amount of wisdom to share.

There is a division in the community about the recent influx of tourism in Curarrehue, with some embracing the oportunity to develope the industry and others weary of the effects of a constant flow of tourists passing through to see cultural spectacles and snap a few picks with the volcano before heading on to Patagonia or up north to Valparaíso. When asked what her reasoning for having students like us in her home for such a short stay, she responded that she wants to know that, no matter what happens to her, her knowledge, the wisdom of her people, will be passed on. She wants the world to know that "El Mapuche está viviendo" (that the Mapuche people are alive) and to know their struggle.

Raquel is one of the leaders of her community and is currently involved in projects that are taking steps towards a more autonomous and untied community in Curarrehue and the surrounding area. La Ruca Escuela (School of the house) is the name of a school they are getting off the ground that will teach community members, as well as those standing in solidarity with the Mapuche, skills such as organic farming and artisanal practices. She is also the vice president of their fería (market), aiding in the progression towards a reality independent of outside interests.

Some of my favorite memories from the trip are drinking wine and eating tortillas with chicken around the fire and learning to prepare traditional foods on Sunday morning. We made bread, a toasted flour soup, and a puree of piñones, a fruit native to the area that is like nothing I have ever tasted before. But more than anything, I appreciated our conversations around the table about the past, present, and future of the Mapuche community and of all people.


I learned so much in the short three days I spent with Raquel, Irís, and Nacho. The experience reinforced my desire to work to protect  human rights and inspired me to continue learning, hearing people's stories, and discovering new perspectives and ways of knowing.

Caterina and I ended our trip with a bath in the immense (and freezing) river. The only people in the middle of one of the most picturesque places I have ever been, we bobbed in the water and reflected on how blessed we are to have had the chance to come be a part of that place, not as tourist, but as part of a community  more connected to the earth, and to one another, than any group I have ever known. I left with a full heart, feeling rejuvenated by the hard work and the crisp air; and the sense that I had done something truly valuable in communion with others.