Traditional Communities Within Chile

The Mapuches are an indigenous tribe that originally inhabited the south-central parts of Chile. they are the largest ethnic group in Chile and make up approximately 10% of the population. The Chilean government did not officially recognized the Mapuches, their culture, or their language until 1993. Although the Mapuches suffered a fate similar to the indigenous tribes of the US, there is still a large population of Mapuches that live in Chile. Some continue to maintain their traditions, continuing to live in more rural areas surviving agriculturally and from the sale of textiles. T exile skills have been passed down generation to generation, mother to daughter to continue their treasured forms of traditional art.

Others have migrated to less rural areas trading in their agricultural roots for the city life. There is a large population of Mapuches residing in Santiago, the capital and largest city in Chile. The city life offers more opportunities for economic advancement than a traditional lifestyle.

There are roads being built through Mapuche areas, the forest is being felled in at fast speed and big power plants are being constructed in the rivers. Encrochments on traditional Mapuche settlements threaten their ancestral way of life.

All of these occurrences have brought more attention to the still surviving traditional communities. Many feel that there depiction within the media has perpetuated their simplistic, poverty stricken, lazy, drunkard stigmatic image the world holds of their ethnic group. this has caused many Mapuche to turn their back on their culture to avoid the discrimination that poor press creates. Furthermore, more and more parents are choosing not to teach their children the Mapuche language because it puts them at a disadvantage in school and understanding different media sources. It seems that to avoid the stigma of the Mapuche culture many individuals feel that assimilation would be the easiest route.

There is still hope!! even though many are choosing to assimilate into current Chilean culture and reject their ancestral roots, some have not given up the fight. Hungers strikes have taken place to draw attention to the need for more Mapuche rights, something that they have been fighting for for quite some time. hopefully these protests pay off and it is possible that they are able to use the media to change the views of their culture and people.