Everyone has heard about Chile in the media recently, but not because of the indigenous political prisoners on hunger strike or the Mapuche rights struggle overall, but rather because of the trapped miners. While the subject of the trapped miners, and the success in rescuing them, is certainly cause for media coverage, Pedro Cayuqueo visited Canada recently in order to shine a light on the issues of the Mapuche nation.
Basics of the Mapuche Struggle
Mapuche borders expand beyond Chile and into Argentina, and overall there are roughly one million Mapuche people involved in the struggle. In both countries, these people have an unequal share in economic revenue, although several central economic activities take place on their land and with Mapuche as the labor force, including mining and forestry.
The Mapuche seek recognition and autonomy as a distinct nation within Chile and Argentina in order to better deal with their particular circumstances, such as economic disparity and identity.
Pedro Cayuqueo
Pedro Cayuqueo is a prominent Mapuche journalist, and the owner and founder of the only everyday Mapuche journal operating in Mapuche country. Cayuqueo studied law first, and then journalism in university. He has been a Mapuche activist for several years, advocating for the rights and recognition of his people in Chile and Argentina.
The Mapuche and Neo-liberal Capitalism
Neo-liberal capitalist reforms have had a huge impact on oppression of the Mapuche. Neo-liberal ideology suggests that an unregulated free market ultimately leads to economic growth for everyone.
The deregulation that Chile pursued according to this ideology only allowed for the exploitation of its own people, the Mapuche and their lands and resources. The Mapuche have sought to have some control over their own economics, so that they may integrate into the world economy in their own way according to their distinct needs, with recognition of their lands and their own distinct character.
Chile's Multicultural Response
Cayuqueo has identified Chile's main answer to Mapuche rights struggles through multiculturalism: the argument is that Chile is multicultural, that the Mapuche form part of the Chilean identity and therefore have no need of autonomous institutions protecting their distinct nature. Multiculturalism does not permit an autonomous Mapuche government within Chile, or provide the Mapuche with a protected means of influencing Chilean politics.
Such an approach unfortunately ignores the needs of Mapuche distinctness, and proposes a solution in which Mapuche may only look Mapuche, but may not live Mapuche, that is, according to their own values and decisions. According to Maliqueo, this is only 'recognition light.'
Chile and the Mapuche
The recent rescue of the Chilean miners was a huge media and real life success. Some unfortunate men had been trapped for months below the ground, and were finally rescued by the Chilean government.
No doubt the international media attention had effect on the prudence of the Chilean government. Such attention could well benefit the Mapuche in their struggle for recognition within Chilean politics and society.
Sources
Chili: la majorité des 34 indiens Mapuche cesse la grève de la faim.
La Lutte Mapuche: Pedro Cayuqueo
Leslie Skinner - Tânisi, My name is Leslie Skinner and I am a young Métis student of Political Sciences and Native Studies at the ...
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