Wallmapuwen – the search for mapuche autonomy in chilean politics

Abstract

The history of the Mapuche people against the Chilean State was and continues to be very troubled after the annexation of the original territory after the Pacification of Araucania war, in 1883. Throughout the 20th century, movements arose for the recovery of this territory and for a Mapuche representation in the Araucania region, which intensified in the period of redemocratization, in the 1990s. Drawing on the analysis of the “Declaración de Principios de Wallmapuwen”, the first Mapuche party, founded in 2005 and legalized in 2016, the research sought to comprehend the perception of Wallmapuwen regarding national and ethnic identity, nacionalism and democracy, as well as the party’s political and ideological principles, the social agents that belong to the “Mapuche nation”, the territory recovery plans and their political aspirations at the regional and national levels. Making use of Anthony Smith’s concepts for national identity and ethnics as theoretical referential and analyzing the document based on these concepts, it has been shown that Wallmapuwen can’t be characterized simply as an ethnic party, once it defends a pluralism of social agents, mapuche and non-mapuche. It seeks to establish a dialogue with the Chilean government, pursuing decentralizing politics by giving more autonomy to each region and territorial recovery, focusing in the decrease of environmental impacts. It can therefore be concluded that Wallmapuwen presents itself as a democratic, autonomist, secular, pluralist and nationalitary party.