Text : Claudia Sannella
The need to know who the Mapuches Indians are and how they live their day to day lives can be answered now by living on one of the three Mapuches cabins. These is part of an ethno-tourism project from the municipality of Nueva Imperial, the Direction of Economic and Development of Chile and the Mapuches Indian.
The experience is unique, you will not only experience their traditional food, you will learn and participate on their daily work. These cabins are located by the Chol-Chol river on the southern part of Chile.
As part of these experiences you can visit a group of Mapuches women who in 2002 started the first Mapuches Textile Association. On these visit you will learn in deep the process of making textile and the cultural and economic significance to the Mapuches women, you will meet the women’s as well as their families.
By the end of your journey thought the Mapuches lives they’ll hope you’ll experience nature on the most simple and personal way the Mapuche way.
The need to preserve these cultures alive gives birth to these ideas on the year 2003. Mapuches Indians are taking pride on these incentive. Thanks to these initiative Mapuches families are slow but determinated to get out of poverty, new project are on development including export hand made jewelry and textiles. The purpose of all these projects are to embraced the Mapuche women through their own role as a women member of a unique culture. The final test of all these initiatives are going to be measured by the contribution made to their culture and the personal growth they experienced.
The Nueva Imperial Municipality is working actively on promoting and preserving the Mapuche culture. Every year the municipality creates a month to month cultural agenda that include textile, silver and wood work exhibitions, theater, folk music, gastronomic exposition, musical instruments and music fairs. Please check on the Nueva Imperial municipality for exacts dates.
Localisation
Nueva Imperial is located on the Nahuelbuta Cordillera area , 35 kilometres from Temuco on the Ninth Region of Chile and 677 kilometres from the capital, Santiago.
From Santiago you can take an airplane, bus or train to Temuco, and from there are a daily buses service is offered to Nueva Imperial
Contact
Rodrigo Moya
Encargado de Turismo
I. Municipalidad de Nueva Imperial
Tél. /Fax : 56-45-611034
Prat 65, Nueva Imperial, IX Región, Chile
Courriel : turismo@nuevaimperial.cl
Internet : www.nuevaimperial.cl click on TURISMO
Mapuches Families can be contacted directly at :
Marcelo Huilipan, Leonidez Gonzales
Tél. : 09-5303877
Victor Chureao, Enelida Curiqueo
Tél : 09-4021921
Manuel Namoncura, Fresia Lienqueo
Tél : 09-7863018
Language spoken : Spanish
Informations culturelles
MAPU=terre et CHE=gens ou peuple
The Mapuches are farmers who cultivate potatoes, hot peppers, beans, etc. They used to live in tepees and be on a constant move. On the long winter season music come alive as they cried for love or sadness.
When the Hispanish conquistadores came to the land, Mapuches had a vast knowledge of the stars, birds, animal, insects, and fishes. They knew plants and trees, these vital relationships between them and the earth gave birth to their names and last name
Today Mapuches Indian continues demanding their land back from the government of Chile and Argentina
Vestían con chiripa y poncho, y como calzado utilizaban botas de cuero. Las mujeres se peinaban el cabello con dos largas trenzas y se cubrían con mantas sujetas a la cintura con fajas de colores.
Usaron como armas las boleadoras, que llevaban atadas a la cintura, la honda y la lanza de varios metros, que en la época de la conquista usaron contra los españoles, especialmente después de la adopción del caballo. Como armas defensivas usaban un coleto de cuero crudo, una especie de casco del mismo material y un escudo.
Su lengua, el mapuche, se fue imponiendo a todos los indígenas anteriores.
Si bien la idea de un ser supremo es consecuencia de la influencia cristiana, todavia hoy se celebran entre ellos maravillosas fiestas paganas que respetan sus antiguas creencias, las más famosas de las cuales es el "NGUILLATUN", donde se dirigen plegarias a "NGUENECHEN", Dios de los Mapuches, "dueño de la gente". En su desarrollo realizan varios ritos entre los que sobresale la danza llamada Loncomeo, una de cuyas figuras es el Choique Purrún, en la que los bailarines imitan los movimientos del treile. Y es fundamental la intervención de la "machi", "shamanes" o "médicas".
El pueblo mapuche, como todo pueblo originario, se caracteriza por sus rústicos y maravillosos trabajos en arcilla, greda, tejidos y madera y metal. La forma, el colorido, la técnica utilizada y la originalidad, marcan el carácter simbólico de cada diseño. En ellos se gráfica toda la cosmogenía de este pueblo.
En la comuna de Nueva Imperial se desarrollan actividades artesanales muy diversas. Es asi como existen agrupaciones que están trabajando tanto en Plateria Mapuche y como en artesanía en lana, los cuales estan realizado en forma permante exposiciones y muestras en las cuales se da a conocer los trabajos.