The Mapuche from Araucania: Their Identity, Ethnic Activism and Attitudes Toward the State

Abstract

The observations contained in this article are preliminary in nature and are merely a precursor to a more detailed study of the contemporary situation of the Mapuche and the various ethnic, political, economic and organizational strategies they employ. The text is based on field studies carried out in Chile since 2007. In the article, I focus primarily on two issues: the importance of so-called core values in the formation of the present-day identity of this indigenous group, and the crucial role of new Indian elites in all aspects of ethnic activism and in the search for “new” foundations on which to build a more equal relationship between the Mapuche minority and the Chilean state and its people