| Publication |
2010.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This paper employs a historical approach to challenge the widely held notion that Chile does not have an 'Indian problem', or any kind of multinational diversity within its borders. It will examine aspects of Chile's recent past from the perspective of the Mapuche people. Its purpose is twofold: to add a new voice to narratives about more recent Chilean history, and to outline the emergence of a new identity politics. Focusing particularly on issues of land and political strategy, the oral testimony of Mapuche activists, some recorded by the author, will add another perspective to the much analysed trajectory of late-twentieth century Chilean politics, from failed socialist experiment and subsequent military dictatorship to slow redemocratisation. For the Mapuche, the period represents a move away from cooperation with mainstream political organisations to gain concessions from the state, toward a more ethno-centric discourse of territorial autonomy.
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