Country: Chile

Group: Mapuche

Date Finalized: 3/28/2020

Team: Aracely Esquer (lead), Gabriel Cardenas, Ray Gerard Regorgo

Content Warning: forced displacement, forced labor, police brutality, forced imprisonment, physical violence, genocide, discrimination

Approximate Time Period: 1880-1940

The Mapuche are the largest indigenous people in Chile. In the 1880s, the Chilean army invaded Mapuche territory, divided the Mapuche nation, and forced Mapuche into reservations, which resulted in the loss of lands (Minority Rights Group, n.d.). Genocidal policies, the use of the Doctrine of Discovery and military campaigns such as the “Araucanian Pacification” sought to remove Mapuche from their territories and independence. Military occupation of Mapuche land was followed by the establishment of concentration camps, imprisonment, and slavery in various territories (Human Rights Council, 2019). In the 1910s and 1920s, Mapuche political organizations were formed like the Sociedad Caupolicán, the Federación Araucana and the Unión Araucana which demanded cultural recognition, land and water rights, education, etc. Progress was underway with the Indigenous Law but was reversed by the Pinochet dictatorship. The Pinochet regime lead to land removal, imprisonment, discrimination, and murders of Mapuche people and leaders. There continues to be conflict between the Chilean government and the Mapuche people; human rights protests have resulted in police raids, brutality, and excessive force as well as the murder, injury and disappearance of indigenous people (Minority Rights Group, n.d.). The illegal appropriation of territory has led many Mapuche to be displaced and impoverished as their lands are being sold, bought, and polluted (UNHuman Rights Council, 2019). The Mapuche have lost approximately 95% of their land and the Chilean government has yet to recognize the Mapuche’s territorial claims (Indian Country Today, 2011). A UN Human Rights Council recognizes the Mapuche’s subjection to genocide, ethnic cleansing, and the political persecution and disappearance of Mapuche leaders and activists (Wadi, 2019). The data quality would be ranked a 3/3 to consider the Mapuche victims of genocide due to the sufficient evidence and multiple credible sources found regarding the events.

Sources

  1. UN Human Rights Council (2019). The Mapuche people face genocidal policies implemented by the states of Argentina and Chile. United Nations General Assembly. Retrieved from https://www.mapuche-nation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/The-Mapuche-people-face-genocidal-policies-implemented-by-the-states-of-Argentina-and-Chile-HRC-40-session-20190227.pdf
  2. Indian Country Today. (2011, June 14) Chile: The Mapuche Struggle in Pinochet’s Shadow. Retrieved from https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/chile-the-mapuche-struggle-in-pinochet-s-shadow-suZC59MBpkiPfMbK7vCdUA
  3. Minority Rights Group (n.d.), Mapuche. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://minorityrights.org/minorities/mapuche-2/
  4. Wadi, R. (2019, April 17). Mapuche Genocide Needs International Attention—And ICC Action! Mapuche International Link. https://www.mapuche-nation.org/blog/mapuche-genocide-needs-international-attention-and-icc-action/